Seen in light of the above observation, it would indeed be a tremendous loss to Singaporeans to forsake a language that is their own. Succumbing to external compulsions and letting Singlish fade and die would constitute cultural and political slavery, which would make the term ‘postcolonial’ nonsensical. It is a little disappointing that voices fighting for the legitimacy of Singlish’s existence are not as vociferous and not as persistent. The political Left, which is usually at the forefront of such movements has disappointed by its relative indifference to the threat. The left, which has always identified freedom of language with freedom in political choice, needs to renew its cause in the case of Singlish. The following concluding paragraph highlights the centrality of language and its free expression to social progress and beyond.
“It is the pseudo-radicalism of a period of retreat for the left, a verbal radicalism of the word without deed, or, rather, of the word as deed. In response to actual structures and practices of oppression and exploitation, it offers the rhetorical gesture, the ironic turn of phrase. It comes as little surprise, then, when one of the chief philosophers of the new idealism, Jacques Derrida, tells us that he would hesitate to use such terms as ‘liberation’.” Imprisoned within language, we may play with words; but we can never hope to liberate ourselves from immutable structures of oppression rooted in language itself. Such views are an abdication of political responsibility, especially at a time of instability in the world capitalist economy, of widening gaps between rich and poor, of ruling-class offensives against social programs.” (McNally, 1995)
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