Over the years, while the standard of English here has improved considerably in step with the general education levels of Singaporeans, the debate on whether Singlish should be promoted or discouraged persists, and recently flared up online.

Singlish is a natural evolution of English because of multiculturalism where vocabulary and grammar are borrowed liberally from other languages and even concatenated into new words.

Proponents tend to be able to code-switch between Singlish and standard English dexterously under the right context and situation. They advocate the liberal use of Singlish to build bonds and communicate efficiently among Singaporeans, and at the same time encourage foreigners to learn Singlish vocabulary and grammar as part of assimilation into the local culture.

However, code-switching, whether between Singlish and English or Mandarin, remains a challenge for many who struggle to communicate whether in presentations, business writing, e-mails or formal conversations where it is necessary to be efficient, precise and accurate.

The present Covid-19 situation has accentuated and amplified Singapore's vulnerabilities and hyper-dependence on world trade. We should neither encourage nor denigrate the use of Singlish.

Our collective focus should be on lifting the overall standards of English, Mandarin or whatever language is necessary for Singaporeans to communicate effectively on the world stage.

Roy Tan Chee Keong