Language on TV

The Erosion of Dialect on TV and the Speak Mandarin Campaign

"Mandarin must replace dialects as the mother tongue." Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on 25 October 1981

Up till today, the Media Development Authority (MDA) states that all Chinese programmes, except operas or other programmes specifically approved by the Authority, must be in Mandarin. Dialects in dialogues and songs may be allowed provided the context justifies usage and is sparingly used. This requirement is explicitly shown in the movie Army Daze, where protagonists Malcolm and gang frequently tell the Ah Beng to speak Mandarin instead of Hokkien.

When the ruling party PAP lost four constituencies during the General Election 1991, dialects received some reprieve as the repressive regulation of dialects was considered unpopular among the electorate. Thereafter, the Government stopped discouraging it and even allowed TVB, the Hong Kong Cantonese station to be shown on cable television in 1995. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also attempts to reach out to the masses by injecting phrases of Hokkien and Teochew in his rally speeches during the General Election 2011.

The Chinese Challenge 华文？谁怕谁！was part of the Speak Mandarin Campaign in 2011 which culminated in an exciting one-hour episode shown on Channel 8, where six finalists battle it out in a competition of Chinese games. This contest aimed to encourage Chinese Singaporeans to appreciate Mandarin and the Chinese culture through advertisements aired during prime time, featuring non-native speakers rattling Mandarin fluently.




Speak Good English Campaign and the Persistence of Singlish

"Singaporeans must learn to juggle English and Mandarin". Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 2004

In 2001, there was a gradual realization for the need to reduce reliance on Singlish, the colloquial rendition of English and move towards proper standard English to maintain Singapore's competitive advantage. According to the MDA's free-to-air TV regulations, the usage of Singlish is discouraged, and are permitted sparingly only when the interviewees speak in Singlish. Onscreen, influential Channel 5 character Phua Chu Kang showcased this movement by attending BEST English classes to correct his English language.

It is observed that Singlish continues to be a source of amusement in both Channel 5 and Channel 8 variety shows. Furthermore, Channel 8 drama characters also continue to speak bits of Singlish as a way to portray a more "authentic" Singaporean, as evident from an excerpt from the Channel 8 drama It Takes Two below.