S'pore's Clean Image no longer enough, new "fuzz*" needed
-
Extracted from ChannelnewsAsia, 18 August 2006 :
S'pore's clean, wholesome image not enough anymore: MM Lee
By Farah Abdul Rahim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 18 August 2006 2221 hrs
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said that Singaporeans will be given equal opportunities in housing and education although their rewards cannot be the same.
He pledged that Singaporeans would be given the basics, but they have to be flexible and nimble enough to change.
For that same reason, Mr Lee said, Singapore's clean and wholesome image is just not enough anymore.
Mr Lee was speaking at the Tanjong Pagar National Day Dinner on Friday.
Giving an upbeat assessment, Mr Lee said that economic conditions are favourable for good growth in Singapore over the next five years.
Singapore's brand name is sought after, even in the Gulf states, Russia and China.
The Russians have invited Changi International Airport to help upgrade their airport, and the Gulf states look to Singaporeans as quality partners.
Mr Lee said: "If you say you are Singapore, anywhere you go, you carry a Singapore passport, they know you stand for integrity, capability and reliability. In the Gulf oil countries - Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain - when they employ a financial officer, you know, the Arabs employ Singaporeans. I was surprised when I went there - how many Singaporeans are employed by wealthy Gulf Arabs because they are trustworthy, they know the system and they are absolutely reliable."
Mr Lee added that Singapore has to educate the young to higher standards so that they can move up the value chain and do higher end and more difficult jobs.
At the same time, the government will continue to invest in new schools to develop talent.
These are the basics that are needed for Singapore to continually adjust and grow, MM Lee said.
But Mr Lee warned that the government cannot stop the worldwide trend of lower wage increases for the lower income group, thus the urgency to learn new skills.
To move ahead and compete, Mr Lee felt that the services sector is the sure sector, which cannot be "migrated so easily" or outsourced.
He said: "To create this kind of economy, we must have a different kind of Singapore. The Singapore that we had - very orderly, very wholesome, very clean - is not good enough. They want a fun city, buzz - because you now got a new generation of tourists who go to places with excitement. If you want to compete beaches on beaches, forests, lakes, seaside - you lose. You can't beat Thailand, you can't beat Malaysia, you can't beat Indonesia and you can't beat Philippines, but we can become the Paris in Southeast Asia."
Mr Lee related his recent visit to Clarke Quay, where he saw the place come alive till the early hours of the morning.
He expressed his hope to see more of such places in Singapore.
Mr Lee said: "Tourists were there till about 4 to 5 o'clock in the morning, drinking, eating, chatting. The river is there and we've got Crazy Horse, Ministry of Sound, so cars are lining up. But Crazy Horse charges so much, it is half empty and losing money, but we told them, never mind, once the casinos come up, they will get the business."
This is because tourists, if they are high rollers who gamble hundreds of thousands of dollars in one night, they will go and watch Crazy Horse for entertainment, said Mr Lee.
"So we must have more of this!" added Mr Lee.
Looking ahead to the next general election, due by 2011, Mr Lee said voters must use their votes wisely and not to take for granted that the People's Action Party will form the government of the day. - CNA/ir
Casinos not good for Singaporeans, Crazy Horse too expensive for us - and more of this kind of higher value services will be provided and all designed for the overseas visitors to spend the tourist dollars for the treasury of Singapore Incorporated.
Finally, after decades of ignoring the nudging of Singaporean "Night Life Entrepreneurs " , it has taken His own Son to be at the helm for Him to wake up to realise that :
"The Singapore that we had - very orderly, very wholesome, very clean - is not good enough. They want a fun city, buzz - because you now got a new generation of tourists who go to places with excitement. "
Was it only a recent event that tourists will go to places with excitement, places that has a buzz ? Where has Singaporeans been going overseas to enjoy the missing buzz in Singapore ?
If this is not a view from the cloistered ivory tower, what other confirmation do we need ?
After four decades of smugness, now our Singaporean Values will need a rethink to accomodate that it is not good for Singaporeans to be corrupted by the buzz, but it is alright for us to promote our buzz, to satisfy the corrupting panders of tourists.
"Do unto others, what we will not do to ourselves" - will have to be a new maxim to be learnt by our subsequent generations.
With the announced Singaporean talent to be trained for this higher value added entertainment sector - will we see Singaporean Girls being featured in the Crazy Horse show too ?
Perhaps also a publication of a Singaporean Playboy to be sold to foreign visitors only - afterall Indonesia has a highly popular local version of the 'fuzzy Bunny Magazine' despite being the largest Muslim population on earth; and HongKong has its local edition, featuring their "local assets" - should we not also promote our own talent too ?
Afterall, we are into the New Entertainment Bizzness and all, why not release the energy of creativity, and let a "thousand blooms go forth to blossom and sow its seed to multiply further" ?
For all you know, this may hit 'two birdies with one stroke' - solving a sluggish economy with this new found zest, which will naturally relax Singaporean energy to finally procreate and increase the population numbers too. -
i got a better idiea, ask Bollywood come here and set up.
-
Why the need for fuzz or buzz?
To make the country a better place for Singaporeans?
Or to justify some people's million dollar pay packages?
-
*plays wayang kulit music*
-
OK!!! Let's streak round the Padang for IPPT 2.4km
-
I think LKY wants the new 'fuzz' in cleanliness... so clean.. u can lick ur ice-cream off the pavement. Bacteria free...
-
This LKY must send his grandchildren to live at LA in USA for a year to experiance the life there.
The 2 are good basic education and social value which we had implanted them 2 our children but this old devil not only wish to destroy them by building casinos and crazy /imooral business, but to say more evil things needed in our society. Mind goodness! better leave for other better places. -
After forty-five years of "clean government" to achieve the current level of economic " achievements " - the same ideas and methods are no longer re-usable.Originally posted by charlize:Why the need for fuzz or buzz?
To make the country a better place for Singaporeans?
Or to justify some people's million dollar pay packages?
When old tricks cannot be rehashed, new ones will have to come from even the most "forbidden sources" - which have been kept at bay for so long.
Desparate situation requires desparate measures - what else can it be, after one has been so successful over forty-five years in power, can anyone tolerate to see one's own successor Son become an abject failure ? -
It is indeed sad that the people at the top always says that Singapore has to be a better place for foreigners.
Never a better place for Singaporeans.