A sense of national identity, which is defined as a person’s identity and sense of belonging to one’s state, plays a crucial part in Singapore’s ongoing nation-building endeavour.

However, amid demographic changes, some believe that the country faces an identity crisis. As a Singaporean, I am led to wonder what it really means to have a Singaporean identity. (“Singapore’s biggest test: Dilution of national identity”; Dec 31)

In the same way that an individual would feel somewhat incomplete and/or inauthentic without a clear sense of identity, Singapore is likely to be incomplete without a distinct national identity. Confronted with such a dilemma, what is the way forward?

Given the top-down culture here, it can conceivably be said that to become Singaporean, one is required merely to assimilate government-implemented measures.

Singapore’s current answer to the problem is multiracialism, while developing the common space and creating shared experiences through various avenues such as education, national policies, the media and commemoration.

These elaborate measures ensure that nationalism and nationhood are intrinsic values woven into cultural and communal discourse. They have been successful in creating a cohesive multiracial society, but have yet to create a strong sense of rootedness.

It may take a little more time to achieve the ultimate goal of creating a Singaporean identity.

The Government could further promote active civic and political participation to inculcate a sense of ownership, and slow down the pace of change so we can have shared memories across generations, thus creating a sense of familiarity and home.

At the same time, a multi-pronged approach to issues of national identity, with bottom-up measures, will be more helpful. Singaporeans can then define their own identity for themselves.

This issue need not be our Achilles heel; there is hope for the future.

As a young nation of a diverse mix of immigrants, it may be better to not only look for traits of the Singaporean society to define a national identity, but to also look at important values we share and aspire towards.

While societal traits are susceptible to change, values have a greater permanency and power to inspire and rally people. Such a system of shared values, serving as the essence of the Singaporean identity, could include meritocracy and multiracialism, comparable with what values such as freedom or the American Dream mean to Americans.

Ultimately, it is perhaps most exciting that the Singapore identity comprises various characteristics and continues to be constructed by us.