Singapore – Fine, Fine? Fine.
There has been much talk over the past few years of the need to inculcate a sense of nationhood and the odds Singapore had to overcome after independence in the minds of its people, but more importantly in the minds of the schoolchildren.
Ask any Singaporean or foreigner to name you some of Singapore’s achievements and he or she will be able to do so. Best airport, busiest port, most hardworking labour force, greenest city…
Indeed. All of what has been named are testimony to the fact that Singapore is a successful fine city.
Politically, we are a fine city. Our government is one of the cleanest governments in the world. Our judiciary system is efficient and highly regarded by all.
Economically, Singapore is the undisputed financial centre of Asia. Even in the light of the Asian economic crisis, Singapore is not so badly affected as compared to our neighbours because of our strong fundamentals. Our foreign reserves are exceptionally healthy, that we can afford to amass millions of ringgit in the Malaysian banks and offer Indonesia a five billion dollar loan. And we are proud to say that we are the world’s top share owing nation.
Socially, our housing estates role models for other nations including Hong Kong. Our new towns like Tampines and Pasir Ris have won international awards and worldwide acclaim. Our crime rates are low. It is safe to go home late at night without the fear of being mugged or robbed. You cannot find slumps in Singapore and almost all Singaporeans own the houses they live in.
We have also done well as far as education is concerned. Our students have beaten their foreign counterparts in international maths and science competitions.
The list of achievements go on. Singapore – the cosmopolitan city, the garden city, the fine city.
But wait a minute, are we really that fine a city after all?
No, I don’t think so.
The price we pay to be a fine city is just too high. In fact, Singapore is a “fine” city!
There are just too many rules and regulations in Singapore. No chewing of gum, no spitting, flushing of toilets, no durians in MRTs, installation of urine detectors in lifts. It is absurd. One would go bonkers trying to remember all these rules and regulations.
Having too many rules and regulations stifles creativity. Our government is actively encouraging its people to think for themselves. We hear calls for the establishment of “thinking schools”. But can we? After all, our government has been doing all the thinking for the past thirty-three years. And now they are telling us to think fir ourselves. Is it not a bit too late? All our thoughts have long dried up by now. We cannot think. We need others to think for us.
Second, we are not so fine after all. The majority of Singaporeans have never been through any hardship. All we have had is the good life. People have become soft. When there are problems, we complain and complain and complain. What ever happened to the survival instincts which our grandparents and ancestors had? Did we not inherit these virtues? Sad to say, apparently not.
Families are becoming more affluent as both parents are earning. Singapore has become a city of affluence. Yet whenever there is charity to be done, we shy away from it. The organisers have no choice but to beg us for our donations. Hong Kong and Taiwan superstars and singers have to be flown in to entice Singaporeans into parting with two or five dollars each. But what I find most shocking is this. Singaporeans donate to charity not for the sake of charity. Rather, they do so in the hope of winning the first prize of a luxurious condominium.
Currently, the emphasis is for all of us to lead a healthy lifestyle. Eat healthy, exercise regularly. The brochures state: You must exercise at least three times a week. But honestly, how may of us really follow the advice?
“Too busy, so tired”. These are just some of the more commonly heard excuses. Singaporeans are too busy making more money so as to upgrade themselves in the material sense. A Toyota last month. A Mercedes Benz next month. A five-room HDB flat two years ago. A bungalow in five years’ time. And even after attaining their goals, Singaporeans are never satisfied.
And because of our rising affluency, we pamper ourselves every week to high tea and buffet, gorging ourselves slowly to death. We hanker for high-class escargot, which are actually snails; while the people in Africa have nothing to eat.
In our bid to be number one in as many areas as we can, in our bid to maintain this fine city image, something has to give. Numerous surveys have shown that more Singaporeans are migrating because life in Singapore is just too stressful. There is too much pressure.
Schools are only too keen to upstage one another in the annual ranking of schools. The principal pressures the teachers. The teachers pressure the students. The students complain to their parents and their parents feel pressured too. When there is a school project to be done, the entire family gets involved. I recall the time when the Straits Times brought up this issue in the article titled “Help, my daughter’s projects are ruining my life.” It is also not unheard of for parents, especially mothers to take urgent leave during common tests and the examination period so that they can coach their children better to face the “examination hell” with more confidence.
Your mother must have told you this:
“Boy/Girl, make sure you do better than Auntie Mary’s son/daughter in the exams. Is that clear? Mummy don’t want to lose face…”
In our bid to maintain our fine city image, the only people who benefit are the psychiatrists. But again, not before having to sit through listening to the complaints of their clients.
Much as we know that Singapore is not the successful fine city it appears to be, nobody seems to want to change. Why?
Because change is a risk. Nobody can guarantee that change will be for the better. Change might be for the worse. And rightfully too. Why should we change? As Habibie puts it, we ‘a small red dot’ have arrived at where we are today and achieved so much in the short span of thirty-three years because of our sheer hard work, sacrifice and most importantly, our system.
Why open a can when you know that there are worms inside? After all, the can still looks fine on the outside!
