Can Singapore be First World Standard Country (Technology)
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I really hesitated to put up this topic ..which I had to agree with MM statement on politics, living standards and many many others things..
I am not good in politics, living standards...and many many others things..compared to our good ministers etc, etc..
As a technicial trained man. I would be talk on technical topics to achieve a First World Standard Country.
Firstly, we will need to recogise all professional in each and every fields of work. This must not be generalised by the title. It must be specified even in work that only have small field of experienced people.
Mine is quite top ended..hence may not be so easy to understand by layman. Hence I would only make it simple.
Few example of such professional title on engineering are as follows:
Electrical Engineers
Electronic Engineers
Mechanical Engineers
Surveyor
Civil Engineers
All must be named after what course they studied and very general which may not be the real experience and expertise that they really good in.
It's good that we recognised them as what they had studied for their course during Universities. For first world standard, I believed that they are to be indentified and recognised by their experiences and knowledge in their work more than just course of studies.
Electrical Engineers - many type, some are general , some are special.
Electronic Engineers - many too, some are general, some are very unique.
Mechanical Engineers - many too, some are too general, some are unique till being forgotten by peoples.
and so on so on.
I had experiences working with Japanese Professional before. No saying that they are better than us in technology, or knowledge within our grounds. However, I must admired there regulation office for recognising their expertise in the field while no generalising them..
By generalising them, we may no knowingly be getting expertise in the right jobs. I am more afraid that we may get one that is too general and may be planting timely problem within our surrounding unknowingly...
This is one area that the relevant ministry must really be looked into before we can be totally be First World Standard.
Finally, go for First World Standard as a whole. Good for singapore, good for everyone. -
Forgive me if this topic does not appealed to be so much concerning your life to you. I hope you take a step backward and look again, maybe you may find the needs for those that I had mentioned.
Most practising engineers and/or professional will be able to understand these needs. I would wanted to speculate on things, but you can linked it to events that have created havoc in singapore like buildings, structuring, explosion and many unforeseen industrial accidents etc. Some may be concerning your daily life like energy efficiency, efficiency transport engine and many others that really required the real expertise...
I am not that good which I admitted..but I realised the need to have such..especially in a cost reduction market where customer are tighten their belt which may sacrifice on safety, efficiency, better return to consumer etc..
Please note, I am not refering to any particular industries..forgive me if I had touched on your expertise. -
Sorry It should be "I wouldn't wanted to speculate"..be sure that I don't speculate.. sorry for the typo error..
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Many years ago, I wrote two letters one to Straits Times "Lack of Technical excellence in Singapore" and the other to Business Times "Promoting Accountability and Transparency" which were published.
I questioned in those letters our society's attitude to education and jobs which to me was merely concerned with getting recognition and name but not pursuit of innovation and knowledge application in all fields which are much more diverse than what the universities and institutions of higher learning usually equip our students for.
I said that many engineers are in the habit of switching their jobs or careers to managerial and administrative ones instead of pursuing excellence and innovation. They tend to hop on to the management bandwagon to do something different thereby neglecting their original engineering training.
I think there was very few such letters published in our newspapers which was full of news about how well our government is doing in various endeavours forgetting mention of neglect of developing excellence or knowledge application, innovations or new technology start-usp which is what Singapore needs most for competitiveness and national survival.
What do we expect with the current crop of new MP candidates mostly being lawyers and some what have you degree which show the absence of leadership encouraging and implementing research engineering and innovation in every field.
If we keep leading the country in laws and general investments and trading we will keep sending the wrong signals to good engineers who will eventually pack their books and join the more established professions like managers, administrators and forgetting about technological applications and start-ups.
That is why it is necessary for younger generation to offer their new ideas to the older generations to change and become more competitive. -
We had encountered many unexpected industrial accidents, I am no blaming any one or pointing fault with any departments. From the latest crane incidents, Nicolas highway incidents, black out incidents, Genza incidents, etc etc..
What was done was done and time had revealed hence we should no bring out anyone involved in those incidents for this thread. I am for MM's First World Standard for singapore. (Technology)..hence like many regulatory bodies in Singapore (no to name them) may have to relook into their titling of the real professional to reflect their real expertise..
I am for First World Standard. -
Sorry, I realised that I have missed those in the Bio science, medical, R&D, IT and other..which I may have accidently missed..Be sure I don't apply selective missed..
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Just meet a new friend who studied electrical engineering working in a Mechanical sector with many years of good experience..same problem..
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A First-World government will lead in technology. Has any ministers come up with any economic master plan which will mobilise the people to become more creative, entrepreneurial and technology-driven to go to the first league of nations?
I can see that the leaders are only able to keep emphasising that they have many scholars and well qualified people whom they regard as talents without any one of them being actively seen in promoting such areas of excellence.
Read about their ability to solve the "20 Major policy errors of the government" posted to the Feedback Unit for some years.
(1) Bureaucracy in civil service.
(2) High costs of essential government services e.g. medical, utilities, housing, transportation, education, etc, etc
(3) Failure of Growth Triangles
(4) Affective divide causing a general apathy in political participation.
(5) Persistent Work site safety problems (Despite all the commissions of inquiry such as the Hotel New World and Nicol Highway collapse)
(6) Failure to Deliver the Swiss standard of living
(7) Asset enhancement scheme fiasco
(8 ) Unit trust investment fiasco
(9) Foreign relation fiascos
(10) Failure to implement value-adding economic restructuring strategy
(11) Double-charging on lands (already acquired under Land Acquisition Act and paid by taxpayers) and triple charges on vehicles.
(12) Meritocratic policy over-emphasising on academic talents causing neglect of practical talents and mass participation - brain drains of thousands
(13) Mother tongue fiasco - CL1 admission criterion causing major brain drain.
(14) No sign of reaching World Cup soccer league by 2010.
(15) Losses of CPF retirement nesteggs in various schemes by senior citizens.
(16) Goh Keng Swee wage-push doctrine for ministers and civil service resulting in over-inflation of public sector wages posing a burden to the economy.
(17) Non-implementation of good corporate governance based on accountability and transparency e.g. pro-foreign job and investment policies investments of surpluses in overseas investments.
(18 ) Loss of economic competitiveness due to high costs of living and doing business.
(19) Neglect in promoting entrepreneurship
(20) Neglect in nurturing domestic sector of economy.
During the three prolonged recessions of 1997-2001, the leaders were clearly in despair and unable to turn around the uncompetitive economy and solve many problems blaming unemployment on lack of training or skills of the people.
They conveniently overlook the serious problems facing the people e.g. high costs of living, anti-business environments, anti-business pro-foreign investments and job policies. (Read various feedbacks posted to Feedback Unit).
Singapore has become uncompetitive as compared with competitions whether from China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan , Korea or even Vietnam.
Many Singapore's SMEs and domestic sector companies have closed shops and many continue to go under due to high costs.
The old economic strategy and other major government policies since 1970s did not work. The pro-foreign and the same tax-and-recover system of government could not produce competitiveness.
Government has only one ability - to tax and recover all costs by double-charging on land and triple-charging on vehicles to the tune of $500,000 - $800,000 per household life-cycle to build reserves without any corresponding plan to use these vast reserves created from taxing people to lower costs of living or creating a value-adding technology-driven new economy.
The private sector suffers from squeeze of liquidity and losses of economic and social vibrancy. Such old policies did not change driving away our people's entrepreneurial spirits.
If our leaders are indeed world-class then they should solve the 20 major problems urgently.
Have the leaders the simple leadership of the third world - interest, passion or abilities to govern the country. Judge for yourself? -
you are right to say that many in the tech expertise field have migrated to managerial posts.
why?
because in singapore, decisions are all made by managerial staffers and not neccessarily by scientific logical course. if a true scientists have transposed into a managerial post, the decisions he make may have been very different or on a different bias.
another point to note is that, science and technology communities requires time, patience, freespace and resources to nuture. take for example somthing that we may have watched on TV. discovery channel recently highlighted taiwan's farming community and the gains they have reap from the decades (YES decades) it has put into this field. the docu focused on a single very old man who spent his entire life into research of flora for profitable farming. from the program, one can easily note it is a very long time and he is very fortunate to have good understanding and support from taiwan government. his specialty is watermelons, and more than half the world carries his breed of watermelon, will you call this a commendable achievement?
based on above, and looking at our local science and research community, does anybody know what we have achieved based on that?
taking it a step further, if we do have the local talents then there must be a lack of opportunities (because of government policies, focus of our EDB, critical mass of local support groups in similar field, etc). we take an example, graphic artists/programmers. commercial 3D software giants have shifted their focus to neighboring states up north and have successfully organised many 3D related industrial showcases for the public and enthusias. did their government have a hand in helping them out or was it because they had the luxury of freeplay in the media industry?
in another thread (and other forums) regarding playing of massive online games, our games sucks big time. not enough programmers? or is it programmers feel that it is not an iron rice bowl? as it stands, due to malaysia's very successful gaming/programming industry (comparatively around this neighborhood of ASEAN), is that the reason why EDB coaxed ILM (starwars maker) to open a regional HQ here to save our own face? IMO our media industry (or lack of it) does not have the fuel to "finance" this sector to the end of having great success. end of the day, we are all still consumers(players) and not producers.
end of the day, we have all been trained day to day in school and society that we only do things for good profit, pushing for entrepeneurs day in and day out, reaping in Mr Sim Wong Woo to give more talks. what else do we have imprinted in our minds from society that will relate to building a society focused on advancing the scientific barriers, a more science-driven think tank breed? and what is this society we have today being shaped by? -
we're definitely not first world with regards to technology as we constantly rely on investments from (technologically) first world countries.Originally posted by king108: I really hesitated to put up this topic ..which I had to agree with MM statement on politics, living standards and many many others things..
how do you define first world politics? monopoly? then the military junta in Myanmar ought to be considered first world politics too.
living standards we're not quite first world, for if we were indeed first world, it would be hard for our people to migrate to first world countries and find better and more affordable living there. -
bingo!Originally posted by Redblood:you are right to say that many in the tech expertise field have migrated to managerial posts.
why?
because in singapore, decisions are all made by managerial staffers and not neccessarily by scientific logical course. -
That is one area Singapore has stagnated i.e. technological and innovative endeavours in recent years. The leaders are educated in laws and general administration not on scientific areas, or technologies so their general mindset is in trading. investment, legalistic and managerial schemes of things.Originally posted by Redblood:you are right to say that many in the tech expertise field have migrated to managerial posts.
why?
because in singapore, decisions are all made by managerial staffers and not neccessarily by scientific logical course. if a true scientists have transposed into a managerial post, the decisions he make may have been very different or on a different bias.
They cannot see new ways of making the same products, develping new capabilities in existing technologies which are just as important to promote. In the areas of applying existing knowledge we could have promoted many new capabilities and competitiveness and challenges as much as in new frontiers of scientific and process excellences. Both these new areas of competitiveness are important.another point to note is that, science and technology communities requires time, patience, freespace and resources to nuture. take for example somthing that we may have watched on TV. discovery channel recently highlighted taiwan's farming community and the gains they have reap from the decades (YES decades) it has put into this field. the docu focused on a single very old man who spent his entire life into research of flora for profitable farming. from the program, one can easily note it is a very long time and he is very fortunate to have good understanding and support from taiwan government. his specialty is watermelons, and more than half the world carries his breed of watermelon, will you call this a commendable achievement?
I agree that a common man and a humble farmer being appropriately motivated will strive to improve and eventually produce his best in applying existing knowledge in whatever he has learned even in areas deemed as low in technology. The past policies of trying to phase out certain businesses or industries have been too narrow and should be revised and amended.
based on above, and looking at our local science and research community, does anybody know what we have achieved based on that?
Innovations can happen in any field and should not be confined to biotech or marine biological R&D or new drugs but in every field. So when our many academic EDB scholars tried for many years to promote foreign investments and scholarships we have neglected promotion of innovations and application of knowhow and humble existing knowledge in broader fields.
If they have had better understanding of overall creative endeavours among the people and the needs and aspirations in grooming our domestic sector of the economy, we could have promoted many new business opportunities and new start-ups and we could have done much better. So it is wrong to have such pro-foreign mindset all the time as we cannot keep promoting only the foreign businesses and must look after and groom our own economic competitiveness in larger perspectives.
Problem is the old mindsets of stereotyping the businesses and industries or talents that we want should give way to new motivational forces that will promote practical knowledge application even in existing knowledge and humble businesses. We should not allow our ministers or civil servants to become too narrow in their pursuing of foreign investments or pro-foreign talents as they will only end up neglecting alternative solutions by the common men and people with passion and do not understand enough in wanting to promote them. The old mindset is only foreign companies of MNC status will be the industries or businesses we want but not the domestic sector of the economy.taking it a step further, if we do have the local talents then there must be a lack of opportunities (because of government policies, focus of our EDB, critical mass of local support groups in similar field, etc). we take an example, graphic artists/programmers. commercial 3D software giants have shifted their focus to neighboring states up north and have successfully organised many 3D related industrial showcases for the public and enthusias. did their government have a hand in helping them out or was it because they had the luxury of freeplay in the media industry?
I have to agree with you that software engineering in developing games and new capabilities in design of equipment and tools is a very large area which we are not promoting. If we do not have leaders who are well versed in such areas at least they should keep an open mind and not close up all the venues and perspectives. People when given some help and empowerments by understanding environmental support can do wonders and produce wonders.
in another thread (and other forums) regarding playing of massive online games, our games sucks big time. not enough programmers? or is it programmers feel that it is not an iron rice bowl? as it stands, due to malaysia's very successful gaming/programming industry (comparatively around this neighborhood of ASEAN), is that the reason why EDB coaxed ILM (starwars maker) to open a regional HQ here to save our own face? IMO our media industry (or lack of it) does not have the fuel to "finance" this sector to the end of having great success. end of the day, we are all still consumers(players) and not producers.
end of the day, we have all been trained day to day in school and society that we only do things for good profit, pushing for entrepeneurs day in and day out, reaping in Mr Sim Wong Woo to give more talks. what else do we have imprinted in our minds from society that will relate to building a society focused on advancing the scientific barriers, a more science-driven think tank breed? and what is this society we have today being shaped by?[/b]
Do our First-world leaders understand these factors of competitiveness and do they still want to manage the country by their own micro-manage style based on some simplistic assumptions. -
Technology cannot be improve with low cost..especially when companies are going for cost reduction in order to show a better financial statement to their board.
The questions is will they sacrifice aspect on safety...which may be live "problem" ?? I wouldn't wanted to speculate..only time can reveal. -
why all engineer go to managerial position and not pursue in engineering field ?i myself is in semiconductor industry and deal with big manufacturing company here in singapore and oversea. sad to say, i hate dealing with singapore account. why? simply the in most cases, the engineer doesnt has the power to decide. it often left to their superior in managerial position not taking the responsibility or inmost cases lack the interest. in some other cases the engineer just pass the sourcing of new products to sourcing dept.
in most jap company. this is reverse. engineer will meet all supplier and decide on parts only left with buyers and sourcing to do the cost nego, delivery issue. in most cases, you dont need to meet their superior at all. most senior engineer title can decide almost everything.
im sorry my english is not good. our society is judge a person achievement base on title solely. can we blame them? is too materialism the process of first world society -
Originally posted by reyes:why all engineer go to managerial position and not pursue in engineering field ? Sad to prove you wrong..cause me one..my english also no good
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However, sad to say my field still relied very much on Japanese although the projects are done by us..cause our expertise are treated 3rd World Standard while Japanese had given their a 1st World Standard..Hence I dare not to raise my head in front of Japanese.. Cause their certificate is specialised while ours even my late sensei ...
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With low pay$$, little respect and prestiage for R&D/engineering professionals, who want to stay as one?
(yes, add cheap FT imports into the picture)
Welcome to Spore.
All these talks about R&D is truly rubbish since a decade ago.
Not all talented R&D people make good managers.
Not all managers have good tech background.
Infact, my career had seen me rubbing shoulders with mostly technically incompetent managers, directors, Ceos.
Without such tech background/knowledge of the industry,
how do you expect them to have foresight and lead the company
in the right direction?
Welcome to Spore.
S'pore will never become a R&D/Tech IP driven economy.
I wish to add... there is really a number of factors contributing
to the current pathetic state wrt our technology prowess (if there is any at all). Hia.
And personally, I do not beleive politicians really know anything
about Businesses and Technology, let alone lead. -
Originally posted by NuLife:
Politician is Politician..name no right = no right word.
With low pay$$, little respect and prestiage for R&D/engineering professionals, who want to stay as one?
(yes, add cheap FT imports into the picture) [b]definition of talent ...read and remember by heart..I won't repeat again I hope...you can help to pass it down..
Foreigner Talent is Foreigner that had taken their country scholarship or by themselve with qualification and with provened established result in their own country before leaving their country to other places.
Hence we can pay them $1M if they are really provened and talent. No you say or even I say..(I definitely no..only Bill Gate is my foreigner talent) you agree? Welcome this group of talent..It is definitely bennefiting singapore.
All these talks about R&D is truly rubbish since a decade ago.
Get the 10 out of a million scientist instead of unproven scientist, pay them $1M if they can produce eggs within a week. Eggs consider he or she got bird flu..and will be disaster to keep further.
Not all talented R&D people make good managers.
[color=red]Manager is Manager, R&D is R&D, please separate them..No right name = no right word
Not all managers have good tech background.
Same above
Infact, my career had seen me rubbing shoulders with mostly technically incompetent managers, directors, Ceos.
Without such tech background/knowledge of the industry,
how do you expect them to have foresight and lead the company
in the right direction?
CEOs incompetent? then why CEO Must be somewhere unknown to you..
I wish to add... there is really a number of factors contributing
to the current pathetic state wrt our technology prowess (if there is any at all). Hia.
And personally, I do not beleive politicians really know anything
about Businesses and Technology, let alone lead.[/b]
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Its pro-foriegners AND pro-GLC/PAP.So it is wrong to have such pro-foreign mindset all the time as we cannot keep promoting only the foreign businesses and must look after and groom our own economic competitiveness in larger perspectives.
Never was it pro-citizens.
Citizens are really treated like donkeys
(thus the flat-upgrading, economy restructure packages 'carrot's).
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Please don't stop foreigner talent if they are qualified and established in their own mother land. Having such foreigner talent will help singaporean and singapore in foreigner dealing. (afterall chinese saying" they are the real "Di Tou Sir") But remember to pay them high as least $1M per annual to recognise their talent.
Please stop confusing yourself foreigner talent with those paper qualified foreigner workers that are here to do our jobs. I think the real foreigner talent will be shamed when standing next to one..
Hence, asked ourself...good to have foreigner talent..answer is Yes. I support 1st world standard foreigner talent -
lol now direction swerved to FTs?
well i work closely with a few FTs before, IMO FTs are here because our own gov fault. SG talents are not recognised in SG hence SG talents themselves have no interest to perform anymore to prove themselves on homeground. many migrate overseas where talent is indeed recognized and rewarded.
take a look at how we work in typical singapore companies ... time to reap rewards managers get credit, not the innovator himself, later the manager will give the innovative tech team a lunch treat. is that what a real talent want?
a far fetch example, LinJunJie sell a million copies, artist manager gets credit, manager gives artist a treat? WTF? luckily, it did not happen to him, because in a purely creative field, the artist cannot run away from lime light. but in technical field, it is so easy for innovation/limelight to be stolen. once gone once stolen, how will the talent think about work ethics in singapore? how are these work ethics borne out from? our school? our environment?
for example Trek's innovation of thumbdrive, can you see how many companies are upgrabbing the patent? THEY dun freaking care about the patent, they want the money that comes with it ... free money. Gosh what if not even TREk are the real people behind it? the real inventor will be deeply crushed, will he not? -
if it was pro-citizen ... Sun Yan Zi no need to start her publicity run from taiwan. we would be very supportive of our own talents, and 2nd rate FTs.Originally posted by NuLife:Its pro-foriegners AND pro-GLC/PAP.
Never was it pro-citizens.
Citizens are really treated like donkeys
(thus the flat-upgrading, economy restructure packages 'carrot's). -
Originally posted by Redblood: Must be fair to Sun Yan Zi.., our domestic market is too small for her to gloom. Our population is at most 1/5 of taiwan and taiwanese have more and are willing to spend on good artist. It's right for her and even you (if you have the talent, why no)..I support by no down loading illegal music..but don't purchase album cause it's not that cheap and money can be better used. Sorry if my reply had offenced you..
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Originally posted by Redblood:lol now direction swerved to FTs?
well i work closely with a few FTs before, IMO FTs are here because our own gov fault. SG talents are not recognised in SG hence SG talents themselves have no interest to perform anymore to prove themselves on homeground. many migrate overseas where talent is indeed recognized and rewarded.
Cool man..Don't blame government..they are not wrong with the intention for introducing foreigner talent to singapore. I did took a look at the ministry that issues permit etc...hence it may be good time for them to relook at their policies again.. Could they have their difficulties that cannot be told to singaporean..I wouldn't wanted to speculate on this.
I had worked with real experts on project basic, given good lodging, good transport, well gloom, established experience and of course proper qualification. I respected them as real talent. And of course, they wouldn't want to take your job away..as they are very well pay.
Hence, if your pay is below $10K per month..likely you have met a foreigner only with paper qualification..established or not..you will have to clarify later in our case -
FT is mainly on those engineering sector, the high level management are mostly Singaporean. those good one raise really fast.