heartlanders Term coined by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and popularized by the media. Goh first used the term in a National Day speech in 1999, juxtaposing ‘heartlanders’ with ‘cosmopolitans’. Goh described the latter as international in outlook; English- speaking; employed in high- skilled and high- income sectors; highly mobile; and able to adapt to other countries easily.

Heartlanders, on the other hand, were more likely to speak Singlish; live in public housing estates; be employed locally; and be less mobile than cosmopolitans.

Photo credit: Timothy Auger