Society Harder to Control
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Society
Harder to control
Global Singapore is becoming less boring, more unpredictable - and steadily being pried loose from PAP influence.By Seah Chiang Nee, littlespeck.com
Dec 27, 2008
ONCE tearfully boring, Singapore is fast becoming a vibrant world city, but I am not sure whether the excitement is the sort that the people truly want.
By nature, Singaporeans are largely predictable, compliant and un-enterprising, preferring to follow set rules rather than initiate new things.
They like things safe and tested. They are not called kiasu (afraid to lose) for nothing.
The new Singapore is exciting and progressive, of course.
But some are finding the vibrancy – which has helped to make it the richest state in South-East Asia – a bit too fast for their social good.
Like the hawker who saw her teenage daughter’s semi-nude photos on the Internet, but chose to ignore it rather than confront her. “I didn’t want her to run away from home again,” she explained to a reporter.
Or the employer, whose foreign maid gave birth to a baby after a medical test had failed to detect pregnancy. She had to pay S$67,000 for the Caesarean birth, a sum that could buy a sizeable house in many countries.
And the 24-year-old woman, who was beaten up in a dark area by five men; they just wanted her hand-phone.
All these were newspaper stories in the last few days, small potatoes for some cities elsewhere, maybe.
But not so for staid and regulated Singapore, where in the past, headlines often happened on official decisions.
Other unscheduled news in recent days included:
Bank demonstration
A woman cancer patient, hobbling on crutches and wearing a large cardboard sign around her neck, staged a lone demonstration in the central banking district.
The non-English speaking woman was persuaded to invest, and then lost, S$50,000 (RM122,000) in allegedly safe DBS structured notes and other investment products, and wanted compensation.
It was shocking news. Such demonstrations are rare and always resulted in the hapless protestors being charged. The fact that she was not arrested is unprecedented.
Victimised foreigners
A total of 179 workers, mostly Bangladeshis, were found abandoned by their employer – moneyless, hungry and facing the prospect of being homeless when they lost their jobs.
A tearful victim said: “I don’t know what will happen. I have not eaten for a day.” Caring Singaporeans contributed food and essentials before the government intervened with the employer to make sure they get their back pay. Such victimisation is bound to worsen as the recession gets worse.
Tourism icon breakdown
Some 170 people were stuck in mid-air while riding in The Singapore Flyer, the world’s largest observation wheel, when it failed for six hours because of a major fault, requiring a commando-type rescue operation.
They were trapped in their capsules high above the island.
Three hours later, the first passengers – five Malaysian tourists – were lowered to the ground using rope harnesses from their suspended capsules.
Banking woes
Singapore’s DBS, South-East Asia’s biggest bank, announced one of the largest rights issues in the city to raise S$4bil (RM10bil) – within only 10 days.
It is symptomatic of how badly Singapore, including the banks, has been affected by the US financial meltdown. DBS had earlier retrenched 900 staff.
It is a part of a worsening financial and economic picture for Singapore, a mega decline of an ambition gone sour.
Political controversy
A controversial comment by Transport Minister Raymond Lim raised a storm of criticisms. He had been trying to explain why bus fares had not dropped along with oil price (from US$147 to US$35 a barrel),
He had said: “This is because the public transport fare is not directly linked to oil prices. We link it to national factors, like the inflation and wage levels in the whole of Singapore.”
It contradicted past government – and bus operators’ – explanations that raising fares were justified because of higher fuel costs.
It has again raised questions about whether, collectively, the younger political leadership is capable of rallying the people to face an uncertain world.
For the older citizens, Singapore is no longer the city they had been raised in, and there are too many things that they don’t understand.
The republic, which retains a strong economic edge over the region, is anything but boring.
The fundamental change is this: Today the government does not control what happens in Singapore the way that it did 25 years ago.
Many of the news I have mentioned all happened outside the scope of government schedules. In other words, few were planned.
That is what globalisation in an Internet era – and having 1.6 million foreigners living in our midst – has done. As well as our vastly changing citizenry!
Nothing compares the differences of a quarter of a century in Singapore better than what transpires in an editorial planning session in a newspaper office.
Twenty-six years ago, when I was editor of the now defunct Singapore Monitor, we did what every newspaper in the world did – holding two editors’ meetings each day.
The morning meeting – a planning session – would discuss the day’s assignments and the scheduled events, and a final meeting in the evening decided the next day’s paper.
In the 80s, when the government had a stronger hold, we were able to, by the morning meeting, get a broad picture of what the next day’s paper would actually be.
There were few unscheduled or spontaneous stories, whether a strike, a demonstration or a crime.
The pages were full of diary events – a minister’s statement, a market report or bus reorganisation.
These days, there is a better balance between the two.yeah, the govt should take note that we're not the same timid and ignorant singaporeans of the 1960s.
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Yeah, even ministers come out with illogical nonsense when they speak to the public these days.
Guess there is no need to clear anything with the PM anymore.
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Originally posted by charlize:
Yeah, even ministers come out with illogical nonsense when they speak to the public these days.
Guess there is no need to clear anything with the PM anymore.
even the pm is talking nonsense; e.g. mee siam mai hum, what to do it has happened.
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Originally posted by lotus999:
even the pm is talking nonsense; e.g. mee siam mai hum, what to do it has happened.
PM probably sent an email to all his ministers : Who can beat my mee siam mai hum? Who?
And all the ministers are now trying very hard.
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Originally posted by charlize:
PM probably sent an email to all his ministers : Who can beat my mee siam mai hum? Who?
And all the ministers are now trying very hard.
so now there is a talk nonsense competition on?
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yeah, the govt should take note that we're not the same timid and ignorant singaporeans of the 1960s.
Actually, they were not timid or ignorant.
That is a myth.
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singaporeans is being feel frustrated because the current govt seem to be semi transparent, always on the side of enterprise, super fat cats, lost touch with the ground and seem to be arrogant and incompetent.
singapore are abit like perth, the govt put in so much unnecessary control that it stifle innovations. it the same in perth where the local residents are demanding their local govt to be less restrictive and strive to follow melbourne and sdyney to create a more ever changing, vibrant economy, society.
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Our Pledge We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation. I Think there is a need to our pledge motto. 1)Are we one united people ? 2)Are we building a democratic society ?(that mean only for the rich,the so call elite with degree.) 3)Are we build a justice and equality system in singapore ?(Or some stoopid backside hole just follow law and rules.)
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I Think there is a need to our pledge motto.
1)Are we one united people ?
2)Are we building a democratic society ?(that mean only for the rich,the so call elite with degree.)
3)Are we build a justice and equality system in singapore ?(Or some stoopid backside hole just follow law and rules.)1. well one united is we exclude PR and hundreds thousands of foreigners.
2. democratic society yeah if we think one party is good for singaporeans only!
3. justics and equality are only use to fool ppl la. most of the time, this is just another game for the rich and politicians to suppress the poor or their victims.
this is my personal opinion on singapore.
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so sad...
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Originally posted by Joolead:
Our Pledge
We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.I Think there is a need to our pledge motto.
1)Are we one united people ?
2)Are we building a democratic society ?(that mean only for the rich,the so call elite with degree.)
3)Are we build a justice and equality system in singapore ?(Or some stoopid backside hole just follow law and rules.)How can a pledge created nearly half a century ago stay relevant to the present style of society??. Can someone please change it??
I am sick of pledging the same stuff everyday at school, it just become like chanting then following it, even teachers said that just go thru the motion, open your mouth and mumble it will do.
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no wonder the quantily of teacher drop .And the gov oso.
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Originally posted by Joolead:
no wonder the quantily of teacher drop .And the gov oso.
Oh no, some male teachers are very handsome and dress well.on the other hand, not that the govt or teachers drop, it is the pledging, it is no more relevant in our hip hop times...what united are you chanting about when alots of the people here only care about self interest with all those kiasu and kiasee mindset.
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oic...so what shall be change ? maybe we can came up a new pledge.
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Originally posted by Joolead:
oic…so what shall be change ?
maybe we can came up a new pledge.
lemon pledge maybe, it helps to wipe tables clean with a lemon smell. -
The mindset of the people have not changed.
It is the mentality of the government that have shifted.
The people in the past were not timid and ignorant as their voices are heard and transmited through MPs that they have voted.
The present MPs are not voted by the people and most of the people dun even know who their MP are.
From every action, comes a reaction.
The reactions are expected when you implemented policies that are not beneficial in improving the existing system but just to show that you are doing some work.
When the cost is raised with the rising oil prices, it is out of no choice.
But, if the high price remained when the price of oil have dropped drastically, that is profiteering.
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
The mindset of the people have not changed.
It is the mentality of the government that have shifted.
The people in the past were not timid and ignorant as their voices are heard and transmited through MPs that they have voted.
The present MPs are not voted by the people and most of the people dun even know who their MP are.
From every action, comes a reaction.
The reactions are expected when you implemented policies that are not beneficial in improving the existing system but just to show that you are doing some work.
When the cost is raised with the rising oil prices, it is out of no choice.
But, if the high price remained when the price of oil have dropped drastically, that is profiteering.
Like it or not, the paradigm shift of mindset is inevitable for both our leader and citizens, perhaps the older generation may not be able to comprehend it, but this shift nurture the youngs to be more independent and able to understand the concept of ever rising.
By a click of internet, we can know who our MPs are, aren't people not doing their homework and start blaming the leaders for not guiding them, another spoonfeed culture that need to be shifted and change. We are in the era of internet banking and shopping, so please, start taking care of yourself and dun alway point any failure to the govt, they are also out of control as today knowledge economy is not an economy that is as stringent as older times your order, i do it mentality ya.
put some medical oil on my head..
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may be this politics.think someone have posted this down here before.Don't mind i borrow it again: o A little boy goes to his dad and asks, "What are Politics?" Dad says, "Well son, let me try to explain it this way: 1. I'm the head of the family, so call me The President. 2. Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the Government. 3. We're here to take care of your needs, so we'll call you the People. 4. The nanny, we'll consider her the Working Class. 5. And your baby brother, we'll call him the Future. "Now, think about that and see if it makes sense." So, the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what Dad has said. Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper. So, the little boy goes to his parent's room and finds his mother sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny's room. Finding the door locked, he looks in the peephole and finds his father in bed with the Nanny. He gives up and goes back to bed. The next morning, the little boy says to his father, "Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now." The father says, "Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about." The little boy replies, "The President is screwing the Working Class, while the Government is sound asleep. The People are being ignored and the Future is in deep shit."
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hahahahaha!!!!....
more medical oil please..
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once i hear a futhure MP ..by right now is a MP tell me:" I will only help when there is benefit for me." I have forgotten what is the conversation is about and forgotten what i asked him ,too.But i only rememeber this remark that he made when i was young.As that minister is a lecture who give up his jobs as a teacher .In order to get high paid jobs and putting his hand into our citizen's pocket.
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you don't need axe oil and what you need are 6 pieces of cupboard.
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Originally posted by Joolead:
you don’t need axe oil and what you need are 6 pieces of cupboard.
Huh??? why 6 pieces of cupboard, you want me to practice judo or twaekwando...me green belt leh. Dun play play hor. -
nope silly for you to sleep in.
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Originally posted by Joolead:
nope silly for you to sleep in.
huh! coffin, wow!!! me no need, just cremate ok liao,,,...why waste 6 pieces of cupboard, be good to nature, our green planet. -
okies...save medical oil oso.