This week, we explored Charged, written by Chiong Tze Chien. Through this play, we have picked up out two themes which strongly prevails throughout the play. First theme is racial tension, while the second theme is covering of truth.
Chong Tze Chien (Shortened)
Racial Tension
Idea of losing one's integrity to mask and cover up mistakes. 4 sub themes to it : Politics, Social, Economic and others. Politically, the government is trying to tell everyone that Singapore is a 'safe' society where tensions are in control and there is 'low' crime rates. The government might want to hold the power they have now and therefore do selective reporting on certain issues they find worth or safe reporting. Socially, the government knows what the people concerns and worries are, so they only let people hear what they want to hear, 'ensuring' Singapore is safe. Economically, Singapore is well-known for its good economic status because of it's 'safe' society, so it lures many foreign investors and talents. And to maintain that flow of foreign input, they have to play along the 'ensuring'. Others include personal truths such as saving one's face so that they don't lose trustworthiness in other people.
Conclusion/ Thoughts
I find that Racial issues are not meant to be covered up secretly and they should be exposed to the public. Yes, it may mean to sieve out relevant information but these information are not to hide or cover up truths, they are to help people gain mutual understanding and come to conclusions with each other. I think it is better to do something than to let the issue explode which can cause racial riots. However, we must also consider if the people are ready to deal with these issues because they are really sensitive and people have different levels of sensitivity within themselves. If they are not ready, how then should we draw the line and see what is best for both sides of the arguments. It is more of a racial tolerance than harmony in Singapore because we have to forgive and forget one another before we can have harmony.
Role of Education
The role of education is not simply to teach racial harmony and celebrate it through fashion-wearing of the different races, or singing traditional malay folk songs, etc. It is to educate the kids about the racial issues happening in Singapore and discuss with them how to deal with them. Discussion is always good because it brings in philosophical thinking and in the process, develops the child into a concerned citizen (MOE desired outcome). There may be no concrete solution to these issues but it can certainly make it better through development of personal and social relationships with others.
It is better to bring out than to keep it boiling inside themselves because some of the kids may experience racist jokes about their race. If some of them make racist jokes, are we, as teachers, just going to sit there and do nothing about it? To ignore is to endorse it. Teachers should bring in the what, when, where, why and how to stimulate the childrens' thinking skills and empathy for each other.
It is never too late to deal these issues.
- Born in 1974, Singapore
- In his younger years, he hated to write and found compositional writing a pain.
- Volunteered as a child actor at 12 years old with his sister’s influence at a play by The Necessary Stage (TNS)
- Vice-president of drama club in Anderson Junior College – received the 2nd price for student category in the Hewlett-Packard/Action Theatre 10-minute Play Contest in 1993.
- Theatre Studies and English Language student in NUS
- Rose to fame in 1998 with his first play, Pan Island Expressway (PIE) – won first prize in Singapore Dramatist Award.
- Graduated in 1999, joined TNS as an associate playwright and was under the veteran, Haresh Sharma.
- Had to leave TNS in 2004 due to short on funds
- Joined The Finger Players (TFP); first play, Furthest North, Deepest South (2004) with TFP; second play, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (2005)
- Worked with the late Kuo Pao Kun and Haresh Sharma (100 Years In Waiting) and again with Haresh Sharma (Revelations) for the Singapore Arts Festival , 2001 and 2003 respectively.
- Internationally recognised – plays are staged in UK by Royal Court’s program for Young Writers (2000); Singapore Playhouse London (2006); Furthest North, Deepest South premiered in 14th Sziegt Festival in Budapest, Hungary.
- Promoting Singapore’s arts education – provide writing and directing seminars
- Teaching in New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia last September.
- Other plays: Lift My Mind, Is This Our Stop?, SPOILT, (between 1999-2004) and Poop (2009)
Awards and Achievements
1998 : Received first prize in the Singapore Dramatist Awards (amateur category) for PIE.
2001 : Co-wrote 100 Years in Waiting with Haresh Sharma and the late Kuo Pao Kun for the 2001 Singapore Arts Festival.
2004 : Appointed as Company Director and part of the Board of Directors for The Finger Players.
2005 : Furthest North, Deepest South won Best Production Of The Year at the 5th Life! Theatre Awards. It was his first play with The Finger Players.
2006 : Received his first directing nomination; won Best Director for Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea at the 6th Life! Theatre Awards and received Singapore National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award for theatre.
2010 : Represented Singapore and penned To Whom It May Concern at the La Ma Ma-Playwright’s Symposium in Italy
2011 : Clinched Best Original Script for Charged at the 11th Life! Theatre Awards
There are many scenes where racial tension is raised through sensitive issues such as handling of guns not allowed for Malays, the percentage of malays as compared to chinese in some of the vocations (majority Malays as civil defence, chinese in airforce etc.) and also the racist jokes made in this play (Indians have moustache at very young age etc.) There was lack of trust between races in Singapore. This racial tension is seen within Zubir, Ramesh, Imran, within russell and Hakim, within Madom Goh and Zuhaidah and others. I feel that it is true in Singapore that racial tension is still there despite so many years of celebrating racial harmony day and educating kids how to build racial harmony within races, but it is not revealed and dealt with properly. Racism is inbuilt in us ever since God created 'multi-coloured' men that resulted in different social statuses. Racism cannot be avoided but it can be controlled, not in this way where it is kept underneath the bed and dirt accumulates. One day the dust will just explode and make a mess in the bedroom.
The mothers are the most pitiful human beings in this play because they have to put on a fake front to reconcile with each other. They were made to clear the mess that their dead sons have done, while grieving for them as well. They do not even know the truth.
In contrast, local director Chong Tze Chien and Zizi Azah worked together to produce this play. Interestingly, Chong thought it was interesting how Zizi had fun working with it and did little feminine touch to it.
Covering of Truth
Conclusion/ Thoughts
I find that Racial issues are not meant to be covered up secretly and they should be exposed to the public. Yes, it may mean to sieve out relevant information but these information are not to hide or cover up truths, they are to help people gain mutual understanding and come to conclusions with each other. I think it is better to do something than to let the issue explode which can cause racial riots. However, we must also consider if the people are ready to deal with these issues because they are really sensitive and people have different levels of sensitivity within themselves. If they are not ready, how then should we draw the line and see what is best for both sides of the arguments. It is more of a racial tolerance than harmony in Singapore because we have to forgive and forget one another before we can have harmony.
Role of Education
It is better to bring out than to keep it boiling inside themselves because some of the kids may experience racist jokes about their race. If some of them make racist jokes, are we, as teachers, just going to sit there and do nothing about it? To ignore is to endorse it. Teachers should bring in the what, when, where, why and how to stimulate the childrens' thinking skills and empathy for each other.
It is never too late to deal these issues.
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