Are Singaporeans Sophisticated or.. Naïve?
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Do you think you are sophisticated or naïve as an article in Littlespeck.com quizzed:
Singaporeans
Sophisticated or.. naïve?
Too many are suckers for sob story or a con scheme. By Seah Chiang Nee.
Feb 12, 2006
ARE Singaporeans naive? No, this is not a flippant question and there are good reasons for it.
One of those who believe that Singaporeans are gullible when it comes to a sob story is Prof Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of Minister Mentor.
She wasn't referring to the National Kidney Foundation scandal, in which the former management misled hundreds of thousands into donating millions for needy people requiring expensive dialysis treatment.
The director and senior consultant of National Neuroscience Institute, Lee - speaking on a private capacity - was talking about well-intentioned people donating money indiscriminately to questionable causes.
She referred to four recent cases in which people opened their wallets to help children to undergo complex surgeries that created complications for some of the aid takers.
In one case, the separated conjoined Nepalese twins never fully recovered but left behind unceasing costly follow-up treatments and misplacing of the funds by their parents, who kept coming for more money.
Then when young Huang Na, a little girl from China was murdered here, sympathetic Singaporeans forked out a small fortune to the girl's mother, who promptly went back to refurbish her home in China, thank-you-very-much.
"I am disappointed with my fellow Singaporeans' gullibility," said the sister of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. "What good is that money to Huang Na who has died?
Not every one agrees with the professor. Charity is in the eyes of the beholder.
She would have made a stronger case if she had also warned contributors to beware of officially sanctioned charities, including NKF, as well as to ensure their money is well spent.
Actually, the act of giving charity always involves an element of risk of being taken for a ride since no one can guarantee that every taker is one hundred per cent truthful.
"If one has to check up on every beggar's financial background first, no one will ever give alms," exclaimed a church worker, who disagrees that charity is worthwhile only if it is officially sanctioned.
At any rate, donating not only helps the acceptor, but emotionally benefits the giver, too.
But Lee is not wrong to say that Singaporeans are naive, especially those who handed over large sums (reportedly tens of thousands of dollars) to a foreigner mother just because her child was murdered here. What about other death victims?
Today's Singaporean is painted as a well-informed, sophisticated person able to cope with the modern world, but for every such person, there is another who is less savvy.
This is, of course, not surprising. Most countries wear two faces - or more.
Cosmopolitan but with half the population poorly educated, Singapore is often smart and terribly green at the same time, at least a portion of it, anyway.
People have simple-mindedly handed over money to people they have never met on the vague promise of a "sure-thing" stock investment or a "well-paying" job in Singapore or overseas.
Even savvy investors are known to have been cheated of millions by Nigerians, or Africans, whom they often look down as less smart than them. The exact number is unknown since some victims are too ashamed to report it.
So far, the police have arrested more than 20 foreign fraudsters who arrived to collect.
People say there's a fool born every minute. The majority are victims of greed and naivety, succumbing to a more sophisticated breed of crooks using the Internet and easy transfer of funds.
An insurance agent was strung along for three weeks over the Web before he was cheated of S$330,000, some of it borrowed from friends.
It began with an e-mail (the type all of us get dozens of times) that promised him a chance to earn an easy S$13mil. It was from a "Anya Duruoha", supposed manager of the "Diamond Bank of Nigeria".
He spun the tale of a rich Nigerian killed in a road accident, who had left behind US$25mil without will or kin.
Since the Nigerian government pockets any inheritance not claimed in five years, our man was asked to pose as a relative. He was promised a 30% cut, or about S$13mil, but he had to wire lawyer's fees that would lead to more demands incrementally.
Despite the worldwide publicity, five Singaporeans were cheated of S$2mil in 2003. In 2004, seven people lost between S$1,000 and S$30,000 each.
Another con declares the victim a winner of a rich prize in a foreign lottery, which requires payment of a "handling fee" to collect.
A ridiculous scheme, I agree. How could they win the top prize when they never bought any overseas lottery? Yet by March 2003, at least 50 Singaporeans were taken for a total of S$150,000.
People are so naive or unable to look after themselves that many laws have to be passed to protect them from being cheated.
The very young and the very old are the most vulnerable. Thefts of mobile phones have become one of the worst crimes here, thanks to careless teens who think the world is as safe as home.
Naive teenage girls fall prey to sexual ICQ predators posing as students.
Senior citizens are swindled by fake meter readers no matter how often they're warned, as well as by "magic stones" tricksters or bomohs, who claim they can cure every sickness under the sun.
Politically? Well, that too.
Renowned author Catherine Lim calls Singapore "a nation of politically naive citizens" that can threaten its own survival.
She said it was time the Government taught politics and independent thinking to its people. -
Are Singaporeans well-informed?
We are well-informed of what the local media reports.
We are not well-informed of what the local media do not report.
What are the effects of selective reporting?
Is selective reporting different from censorship?
What decides what get censored?
Are Singaporeans entitled the right to know what's going on?
Does being well-informed make anyone sophisticated? -
Are you bloody naive of sophisticated my friend.
What you describe above happens everywhere, even worst elsewhere.
You mean Singapore is the only place you have seen or know of? -
uniquely singapore mahh!!
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sounds naiveOriginally posted by lotus999:Renowned author Catherine Lim calls Singapore "a nation of politically naive citizens" that can threaten its own survival.
She said it was time the Government taught politics and independent thinking to its people. -
Under our education system, we can produced only arrogant students in the school. I was surprised by the behaviour of the students in some of her class, utterly rude even in the public.
Last night when I was going dinner with my wife, we saw her HOD acting like a road bully in the road junction with another female driver. I was quite amused by the hooligan bahaviour of a senior education officer in a public place. I told my wife better get out of the teaching line fast, no point in staying behind and suffer... -
Anybody notice that prof Lee has been pretty high profiled nowadays, always writing into the forums page?
Wonder if that's a precursor to her joining politics soon.
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Dr Lee's article was published some time back in the ST forum, lambasting Singaporeans for being 'gullible' and simply 'giving' to charities; this coming straight after the NKF debacle.
Her hard talk on the need to be vigilant and wiser in the finer schools of charity probably infuriated many a singaporean, with implications that the majority of the population fail to do sufficient research before contributing their hard-earned cash to dubious institutions.
To my knowledge, she is one of the few who was permitted a final retort (a parting respose to her detractors) by the ST Forum page, which broke away from its usual stand of ONE LETTER, ONE RESPONSE policy.
Cynicism now hangs in the air as a result: Charity collections have plummeted to all-time lows tks to criticism by such people and the new 're-born' singaporean treats charity organisations with disdain and contempt. -
donations will plummet with or without Dr.Lee.
I think you overated her. -
I never 'overrated' Dr Lee. You seem to practice frequent selective interpretation.Originally posted by Salman:donations will plummet with or without Dr.Lee.
I think you overated her.
Dr Lee was an indirect 'pull factor' that fuelled an already contemptous public suffering from an 'NKF hangover'.
Her frank and open remarks about gulliability were untimely and simply incensed singaporeans rather than serve as a 'wake-up' call.
Whatever her original intentions, they were ultimately lost the moment she gave her 'parting shot' to detractors, considering that she had already made her point in her initial letter. -
Frankly, I didn't give shit abt Dr.Lee or what she said and neither do I know of anyone who did. The only people who give her the credit are those who are anti govt and try to somehow twist what she said to attack the Lee family.
Thats how cheap you people are, and you play it out so openly for all to see.
In effect, you are using the unfortunate NKF saga to push your personal agenda. You don't help one bit. -
Originally posted by Salman:
Typical Salman's "no brainer" piece of whining art - can we expect more even if pass the "one-liners" ?
Frankly, I didn't give shit abt Dr.Lee or what she said and neither do I know of anyone who did. The only people who give her the credit are those who are anti govt and try to somehow twist what she said to attack the Lee family.
Thats how cheap you people are, and you play it out so openly for all to see.
In effect, you are using the unfortunate NKF saga to push your personal agenda. You don't help one bit.
Conveniently - "I didn't give shit abt Dr.Lee or what she said and neither do I know of anyone who did."
Not so smart to talk about PAPa's daughter like that - not giving her a shit .
We certainly can believe the paucity of your knowledge about anyone who actually gave Dr.Lee some due credit for her piece of work - considering that your opinions towards the World Muslim population is based on TWENTY FRIENDS from all over the World . .
Was Dr.Lee now pinning the blame on Singaporeans for being gullible and naive in responding with our Hearts and our Wallets - and deflect the blame on Government a.k.a PAPa ?
Is it not surprising that the following piece was not published in the Straits Times : Government cannot claim it was "misled" in NKF scandal"
Some extracts taken :
First, here was the list of abuses and misuse of donations that was revealed in the KPMG audit:
· Durai’s annual salary and bonuses: $600,000 a year.
· Durai given backdated salary increments; in 1997 given increment 39% backdated by 11 months.
· He was paid $187,000 for "overtime" between 1997 and 2003.
· In 1999 his leave was raised from 21 to 31 days per annum which was then backdated to 1992. He cashed the unused leave for $423,000 between 1995 and 2003 when NKF employees were not permitted to do so.
· He charged an average of $32,952 a month to his corporate credit card in 2004.
· Durai received numerous salary increments.
· He flew first class as did other Board directors and senior volunteers.
· Matilda Chua, a former employee, was given a backdated raise when she resigned.
· She received an additional 6 months' bonus of $75,000 and an ex-gratia payment of another $75,000 on her departure.
· She also cashed in her unused leave for $79,195.
· She then came back as a member of the Board.
· NKF signed 2 contracts worth $7.5 million with companies owned by Durai's personal friend.
· Matilda Chua had an interest in one of the companies.
· Durai and others went on a study tour of Las Vegas in 2004 for $70,000.
In 2004, however, the Government was still defending NKF. Ministers Khaw Boon Wan and Lim Hng Kiang were still singing the praises of an organization and its staff when the rot had already set in. Mr Khaw lauded NKF’s operations and wanted the organization to remain transparent. He said: “I take my hat off to the NKF.” Mr Lim assured everyone that NKF was on “quite a sound record.”
I highlight these statements made by the Ministers not to show how silly they now in retrospect because Mr Khaw Boon Wan has admitted as much. Words like “duped”, “misled”, “naïve”, and “oversight” were used liberally in the aftermath of the KPMG expose.
Parliamentary statements in 2004, however, indicate otherwise.
For example, in Parliament on 19 April 2004, NMP Braema Mathi had raised the concern of NKF’s computation of the amount of donated money going to the beneficiary. Second Minister for Finance Lim Hng Kiang brushed off the matter and concluded that NKF was” on quite a sound record.” The following was the exchange:
Braema Mathi: “…NKF, in the public domain, has made two announcements of 52 cents coming back to the beneficiary, as well as 56 cents…What I am raising here with this incident is that different definitions do go into making up what comes back to the beneficiary in terms of a precise dollar value. There needs to be greater consistency in the factors that go into such computation.”
Lim Hng Kiang: “…[NKF] put up the press release and explained the differences between 52% and 56% go to the beneficiaries. I recall also that they indicated in the press release that about 26% goes to the reserves. So, actually, if you add up the two numbers, nearly 80% goes to the beneficiaries. I think that puts NKF on quite a sound record.”
The NMP also brought up the question of transparency and suggested that NKF reveal the salary of its CEO. Mr Lim left it to the NKF to decide whether it wanted to tell the public (remember, this was in spite of the misgivings many quarters had over NKF). He said:
“…this is a decision by NKF whether to disclose the salaries of the CEOs. Here, I have some sympathy for their dilemma. If they do not disclose, then there will be critics who say they are not transparent. If they disclose, there will also be critics who will say that whatever they pay are too high. So I think they are caught between a rock and a hard place. I think it is their decision not to disclose.”
If there was ever any doubt that concern was brought to the direct attention of the Government, it was removed by this statement from Ms Braema Mathi: “NKF's reserves…[are] in dire need of better governance.”
To put the publicÂ’s unease over the NKFÂ’s compliance with regulations, Mr Lim Hng Kiang told Parliament in 2004:
Lim: “Mr Speaker, Sir, it is important to have clear guidelines on the raising and utilisation of funds to maintain public confidence in our non-profit organisations and their programmes. There are essentially three questions the public is most interested in. First, what methods are used to raise the money? Second, how much of the charity dollar is used to raise funds? And, finally, how is the money spent or saved?”
Of the three questions, the third is the most relevant to the issue today: Was NKF in compliance with regulations over how the money spent or saved?
PAP MP Charles Chong asked Minister Lim point-blank: “Sir, could the Minister tell us whether the National Kidney Foundation is in full compliance with all the current guidelines that he mentioned just now in the collection and utilisation of the funds that it receives from the public?”
Mr Lim did not mince words: “Mr Speaker, Sir, the NKF is in full compliance with the regulations.” (emphasis added)
From the above parliamentary exchanges, it can be seen that the Government was alerted to questionable practices in the NKF. Not only did Mr Lim ignore these warnings he categorically told Parliament that he had “full confidence” that NKF had complied with regulations.
Then there was the matter of the National Council of Social Services (NCSS). On Dec 31, 2001, the NCSS revoked the IPC status of NKF. The NCSS took action because it saw the problems within the NKF. And yet, within a month the Ministry of Health reinstated the NKFÂ’s IPC status.
Now read what Mr Lim told Parliament in 2004: “[The Ministry of Finance] has certain criteria by which [it] evaluates applicants who want IPC status, and these criteria are set by IRAS, and we make sure that people who apply have to qualify before they are given this IPC status.” (emphasis added)
In other words we are given to believe that there was an active search for answers from the NKF before NKF was given clearance to reclaim its IPC status. -
Dedicated to Salman:
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968 ),
Strength to Love, 1963 -
It's fantastically AMAZING how your skewed observations and limited capacity (however biased) can somehow interpret this to be a 'anti-PAP' postOriginally posted by Salman:Frankly, I didn't give shit abt Dr.Lee or what she said and neither do I know of anyone who did. The only people who give her the credit are those who are anti govt and try to somehow twist what she said to attack the Lee family.
Thats how cheap you people are, and you play it out so openly for all to see.
In effect, you are using the unfortunate NKF saga to push your personal agenda. You don't help one bit.
Dr Lee is NOT politically aligned with the Ruling Party and her comments, however frank, were made based on her personal observations and have no apparent political motivation.
The original comments cut to the heart of the matter and was meant to be portrayed as such. (below)
http://community.sgdotnet.org/forums/23277/ShowPost.aspx
She has written many other strongly-worded letters which have been published and have likewise been criticised by other readers. example below
Dr Lee Wei Ling
Dec 5, 2005
I REFER to the article 'Help our less privileged kids to dream big, aim high' (ST, Dec 2).
Does that make them all 'twisted' with 'personal agendas'? Is that the limit of your VERY LIMITED interpretation skills? (if any?)
Your shallow responses continue to astound and astonish. -
I think Salman should consider opening a personal Salman's Corner so that forumers can pour their opinion towards his remark.
As for Dr Lee's comments, I have only one thing to say: "Shut Up and Do Your Job !"
Whether it is naive or stupidity, the money BELONGS to the people themselves and they have CONTROL and DECISION on how it is spent.
Singapore have enough years of One family that tell them what to do this and what to do that.
In the past, it was simple as the economy was booming during the last decades.
Now, they have delivered empty promise and the policy seem to benefit the party existence to rule for More Good Years.
The policy benefit the elites who serve the party and feed on the slavery and greed of the common people by asking them to pay for more and more. -
Why shld Dr.Lee shut up? don't Dr.Lee have a freedom of speech?
Who are you to deprive her of her right? -
i have not nor do i have the interest to read everything Dr Lee has written. however, there is one thing she has said which i'd like to comment on.
she said it is wrong to embark on complicated surgeries that not only prolong lives but also prolong sufferings. that makes absolute perfect sense to me. the fact that this comment is in direct conflict with our govt initiatives to put our biomedical industry on the world map makes it all the more worthy of praise.
that's all i have to say. -
Originally posted by lotus999:
Gosh. Another of Harry's offspring in a position of priviledge and power. Maybe I am cynical but I seriously do not think she will be in the position she is in had she not been Harry's daughter.
One of those who believe that Singaporeans are gullible when it comes to a sob story is [b] Prof Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of Minister Mentor.
She wasn't referring to the National Kidney Foundation scandal, in which the former management misled hundreds of thousands into donating millions for needy people requiring expensive dialysis treatment.
The director and senior consultant of National Neuroscience Institute, Lee - speaking on a private capacity - was talking about well-intentioned people donating money indiscriminately to questionable causes.
[/b]
Lady, stay on your gravy train, enjoy the moment, and do not taunt us poor citizens with your presence. -
Durai was a sophisticated crook, people who donated to NKF are kind but naive citizens. Enough said.
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Some words of fairness for Mr Durai.
Although he abuses some of the power, he did not embazzle the money and he did work hard to get more reserves for the NKF paitent.
If he is a crook, he would have took the money and run. -
Sophisticated crooks commit crime by exploiting legal loopholes so that no crime is commited legally but the acts done are morally bankrupt. That is how sophisticated he was, don't forget he is a lawyer -- one who would use every ounce of the law to his advantage.Originally posted by Medicated Oil:Some words of fairness for Mr Durai.
Although he abuses some of the power, he did not embazzle the money and he did work hard to get more reserves for the NKF paitent.
If he is a crook, he would have took the money and run. -
So Dr.Lee have her right - when Singaporeans in general are denied theirs ? .Originally posted by Salman:Why shld Dr.Lee shut up? don't Dr.Lee have a freedom of speech?
Who are you to deprive her of her right?
Singaporeans like you are the naive ones that Dr.Lee was referring to in her piece, which you were simply too sophisticatedly frustrated to grasp. .
Dedicated to Singapore's most stupendous "no brainer" :
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought
which they seldom use. - Soren Kierkegaard (1813 - 1855)
While the State exists, there can be no freedom. When there is freedom there will be no State.
Lenin (1870 - 1924), "State and Revolution", 1919 -
Singaporeans are free to voice on the NKF issue and many has done so. You are violating human rights by wanting to shut Dr'Lee up and depriving her right to free speech. So evil of you.
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Can we be evil for the reason of attempting to shut Dr Lee up and depriving her right to free speech ? .Originally posted by Salman:Singaporeans are free to voice on the NKF issue and many has done so. You are violating human rights by wanting to shut Dr'Lee up and depriving her right to free speech. So evil of you.
If it is so, correspondingly PAPa is just as evil for attempting to shut every Singaporean, who dare to speak up and depriving us of our right to free speech too ? .
Similarly, the "whining" efforts from a "no brainer" will be evil too as the "no brainer" cannot tolerate the sensible, frequent and varied crticism of those who have posted in this forum. .
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
Henry Van Dyke -
My goodness! You should read up the NKF thread here before you defend the greedy one.Originally posted by Medicated Oil:Some words of fairness for Mr Durai.
Although he abuses some of the power, he did not embazzle the money and he did work hard to get more reserves for the NKF paitent.
If he is a crook, he would have took the money and run.
He didn't run yet cos there were still money to loot!