CMIO framework Flashcards
What is the CMIO system?
The CMIO system is a way of categorising the population according to the major races present in Singapore
- Chinese
-Malay
-Indians
- Others
Historical origins of the CMIO system:
Singapore’s first census in 1871 had 33 ethnic categories
Was simplified to 6 in 1921: Europeans, Eurasians, Malays, Chinese, Indians and Others
Eventually collapsed Europeans and Eurasians into Others, resulting in CMIO in 1970 census –> where Europeans and Eurasians perhaps due to minority in terms of its numbers, resulted them in being conflated in the category of others.
How is the CMIO categorisation used today?
Mainly used by the government to make policy decisions as a means of governing the population (the vast racially diverse population in Singapore.
One way it is used is the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system:
The locals and specifically the interest from different races is represented by a group of politicians –> when voted in , they will play a crucial role in the decision making and policy in the parliament
- at least one member of the GRC is from a minority ethnic community (malay or indian) so that the interest of the minority group is represented.
In our housing policy
- ethnic integration policy (EIP)
within each HDB block as well as each neighbourhood
- there will be quotas put in place for each of the major groups
- around 85% has to be Chinese
- about 13% have to be ethnically Indian
- about 22 % have to be ethnically Malay
These quotas are put in place to
- prevent the build-up of ethnic enclaves and to ensure more authentic interaction between neighbours of different backgrounds
–> this was also put in place by the government due to earlier instances where the HDB system was being used, where large neighbourhoods often saw the presence of one major ethnic group. In 1970, hougang was predominantly made up of chinese residents whereas in neighbourhoods like Bedok and Tampines, in the past, at least more than half of the residents that stayed in HDB were from the Malay ethnic groups
Even though the CMIO system plays very much in the fabric of social life and political life in Singapore, we can see that important policy decisions are made based on these categorisation.
What are some issues and things that we have to consider that arise from the CMIO system?
Issues that arise when labels are attached to ethnic groups from statistics published on the newspaper and online for the public:
Statistics shows the highest qualification attainment for each racial group:
- we can see that from each ethnic group, there is a general increase in educational level and lesser and lesser people are limiting themselves to below secondary level of education, more and more people are gaining university degrees
- represent demographics
Issues that arises:
- stereotypes
- prejudice
influence our perception on other ethnic groups based on the statistics that we see (that might possibly be viewed from the racial lens)
- these labels attached can affect the relationship between each racial groups and our perception on each racial groups
Proportion of inter-ethnic marriages remained stable
- marrying across racial groups and nationalities
- children from mix heritage
- might be conflicting if someone recognises himself or herself more culturally with a certain race or ethnicity than another one
- others–> how will they fit in society
–> what are the repercutions of understanding their own culture and significance in Singapore
What are the arguments for CMIO?
- Useful to manage the population as the system is a convenient way of collecting and analysing data
- Especially useful for tracking socioeconomic status or health data, education, income level, housing types etc
- government can then enact policies based on the data collected in a more efficient manner because extra effort and resources and time need not need to be spend to recategorise the Singapore population and the government also do not need to spend time finding another method to categorising the population
- Helpful to maintain racial harmony and integration in a racially diverse population through policies –> promote multiculturalism
e.g. Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) in HDB (prevent the formation of ethnic enclaves, to encourage neighbours of different racial backgrounds and cultural backgrounds to integrate and interact with each other)
, Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system, ethnic-based self help groups –> ensure that minority groups are being represented in parliament and where their issues are being brought up by minority people of the GRC.
Ethnic-based self help groups:
CDAC
Mendaki
Sinda
- method to uplift each racial groups
- promote their interests
- through offering tuition notes for e.g.
lessen the gaps between racial groups with the hopes of promoting more equality among each racial groups
- promoting a more multicultural society where the differences between each racial groups is being minimised–> promoting better cultural appreciation and better integration among Singapore society.
- Officially recognising he main races in Singapore helps to ensure protection of the right of minority groups e.g. Malays and Indians
- government enacts laws to protect the rights of these minority groups to preserve racial harmony
- but, what about the groups classified as ‘others’?
What are the arguments against CMIO?
- Outdated way of categorising population in society
- Racial science has now been disproved as ‘ actual’ science, therefore categorising based on race can be unfair
- potentially hinders the formation of a cohesive national identity (Singaporean identity) as well if racial lens is always adopted.–> in terms of how we view our population (socio-economic data, housing data etc) - Changes in the population demographics in Singapore has resulted in increase diversity that is difficult to be captured simply by CMIO
- e.g. rise in inter-marriages, transnational marriages, influx of foreigners working in Singapore–> complicate the identities that are present in Singapore
the children of inter-marriages and transnational marriages would have double-barrelled races–> they do not fit as nicely into the CMIO system
- the government assigns racial identity based on the father’s race by default, which may not align with the child’s upbringing and self-identity.–> sense of cultural detachment
– their cultural affiliation and environment that they grow up in can be unique, therefore, the CMIO system does not fully reflect their lived experiences
- many do not strongly associate with a single race, yet official forms, policies, and social norms still operate within CMIO categories
This can cause two major problems to occur:
- find it harder to fit within existing quota classifications, such as the ethnic quotas for the Ethnic Integration Policy–> leading to housing challenges
- some mixed-race individuals feel excluded from the larger racial groups, making integration more difficult. for e.g. mixed-race in dividuals may not fully align with the customs, traditions, or language of either racial group they belong to.
For example, a Chinese-Indian child might not be fully fluent in Mandarin or Tamil, making it harder to participate in cultural events or traditions.
They might face pressure from both sides to conform, yet never feel fully accepted in either group.
🔹 Example:
A Malay-Chinese child might be labeled as “not Malay enough” for not being fluent in Malay or “not Chinese enough” for not speaking Mandarin. As a result, they may feel left out from cultural events, school activities, or even casual conversations within racial communities.
Social Perception & Identity Struggles
In Singapore, race is often a visible characteristic that shapes first impressions, assumptions, and societal expectations.
Mixed-race individuals may be questioned about their background, sometimes repeatedly, which can lead to feelings of not truly belonging anywhere.
🔹 Example:
A Chinese-Indian person might be asked, “Are you Chinese or Indian?” or hear comments like, “You don’t look Indian enough to be Indian.” This can make them feel pressured to justify their identity or struggle with self-definition.
When communities celebrate cultural events (e.g., Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya), mixed-race individuals may not feel fully connected to either , leading to isolation or exclusion from these cultural spaces.
The CMIO framework does not provide enough space for flexible identities, making it harder for mixed-race individuals to integrate into either larger racial group or the broader national identity.
