Singapore government policies

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 60. Chapters: Speak Good English Movement, Speakers' Corner, Singapore, Nominated Member of Parliament, History of the Mass Rapid Transit, Group Representation Constituency, People's Association, Speak Mandarin Campaign, Integrated Resort, Electronic Road Pricing, Central Provident Fund, Gifted Education Programme, Singapore Area Licensing Scheme, Special Assistance Plan, Chewing gum ban in Singapore, Housing and Development Board, National Registration Identity Card, Certificate of Entitlement, Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme, Non-constituency Member of Parliament, Lease Buyback Scheme, Community Development Council, Main Upgrading Programme, Home Improvement Programme, Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, Corrective work order, South East Community Development Council. Excerpt: The Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) is a Singapore Government campaign to "encourage Singaporeans to speak grammatically correct English that is universally understood". It was launched by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 29 April 2000. The purpose was to ensure that Singaporeans can recognise the importance of speaking Standard English and also to encourage them to use it. English was introduced in 1819 with the establishment of the modern port in Singapore. The port attracted migrants from neighbouring countries, such as China and India, resulting in a diverse linguistic landscape. Proximity to these various languages has, over the generations, influenced the local variety of English. The colloquial form of Singaporean English is called Singlish, and is largely characterised by the mixture of local expressions with English (e.g. the use of discourse particles such as lah). Singlish is commonly used by Singaporeans in informal contexts, however it can be incomprehensible to non-Singaporeans. When the Speak Good English Movement was launched in 1999, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong described Singlish as "English corrupted by Singaporeans" and "broken, ungrammatical English". According to the local government, mastery of Standard English is imperative to raise living standards in Singapore, and Singlish causes problems when Singaporeans need to communicate in English, the "global language of commerce, business and technology". The movement thus campaigns for an improved standard of English used in Singapore. In hopes of extending its reach, the movement adopts a different theme and target group each year. Also, the movement collaborates with various partner organizations to provide programmes in line with the movement's goals. The campaign aims to discourage the use of Singlish and encourage the use of a more standardized form of English (i.e. generally modelled on the British standard). According to the movement's chairman, then Colonel(NS) David Wong, the Speak