No U-turn syndrome
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In Singapore, drivers are not allowed to U-turn unless instructed otherwise, as shown by this traffic sign.
No U-Turn Syndrome (NUTS) is a term first coined by Singapore entrepreneur Sim Wong Hoo, to prominently describe the social behaviour of Singaporeans having a mindset of compliance to higher authorities before proceeding with any action.
In his book Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, he uses a comparison of traffic rules in Singapore to those found overseas, to describe the phenomenon : In Singapore, drivers are not allowed to make a U-turn unless a sign specifically allows them to do so, while in some other countries drivers may make U-turns freely so long as the 'No U-turn' sign is not present. Following that, this analogy is used to explain the red tape he has encountered with hard-nosed bureaucrats, which in turn stifles the very creativity that the Singaporean government has been trying to promote in the recent years.[1]
NUTS is also considered as one of the major criticisms of the rigid Singapore education system, where students are taught from a young age to obey instructions in an unquestioning manner, in a society where grades and paper certification are emphasised at the expense of some life skills
Sim Wong Hoo was born in Singapore and graduated from Bukit Panjang Government High School and then the Electrical & Electronic Engineering faculty of Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore. In 1 July 1981, Sim Wong Hoo, with his school friend Ng Kai Wa, began a business in Pearl Centre in Singapore. He got his start running Creative as a computer repair shop. While doing this he developed and sold an add-on memory board for the Apple II computer. Later, Creative began creating customized PCs adapted for the Chinese language that included enhanced audio capabilities so that the device could produce speech and melodies. The success of this audio interface led to the development of a stand-alone sound card named Sound Blaster that Creative marketed.
Sim Wong Hoo helped guide Creative to success with the landmark Sound Blaster line of audio card products. It was among the first dedicated audio processing card to be made widely available to the general consumer. Creative dominated the PC audio market and remains unchallenged by a major competitor since the late 1990s.
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Achievements and recognition
At age of 45, Sim Wong Hoo became the youngest millionaire in Singapore. He was also the first person to be named the Businessman of the Year[2] twice, in 1992 and 1997. In 2002, he was named Person of the Year[3] by the Singapore Computer Society in recognition of his contribution to the IT industry. Sim is widely considered to be the star entrepreneur of Singapore and he currently chairs Singapore's Technopreneurship 21 Private Sector Committee.
In 1999, Sim Wong Hoo released a book entitled Chaotic Thoughts From The Old Millennium. He also coined and made famous the term "No U-turn syndrome" to describe the social behaviour of Singaporeans having a mindset of conformity to higher authorities before taking any action