Kishore – Count our blessings

This is what Kishore said in his article on Saturday of the 48 years of nation building and how successful we have become. We have a lot of achievements, a lot of blessings and also the inevitable weaknesses due to what we are. Every nation has the same two sides of the coin except whether there are more blessings or more weaknesses. There is nothing to be apologetic for praising the Govt for what we are today. The material achievements are there for all to see, with warts and all. In many things we have outdone many countries in many ways and yes, we are the envy of many. We have our problems, still manageable and tolerable. But small problems if not nip in the bud could easily snowball and a mole hill can become a mountain if we are reckless and complacent.

Kishore ended his monologue with an invitation for rude comments to remind him of the obvious that he had missed out that could make this city continue to be great or starting a downward spiral to ignominy. What is so obvious that he is not seeing is perhaps something that is too close to him. He is after all the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Singapore will miss the presence of a strong, robust and dynamic leader that allows it to punch above its weight. The answer is so obvious. For all our money and wealth, our infrastructure and system, they will be nothing without a strong leadership that is recognisable and well respected in the international arena. I don’t see anyone in that shoe anymore. There will be none for at least the next 20 or 30 years. We may be wealthy as a country, but we will not be able to impress or speak and be listened to. You need dynamism, charisma, wisdom and the acknowledgment from other leaders to be able to lead and be respected.

From the current slate, what we have is mediocrity. We will fade away and just be another rich kid in the neighbourhood and nothing else. Empty in the head but driving flashy cars and with some money to throw around at best. That is, provided we did not let the economy runs into a halt, that we did not let a nation in the making becomes a hotel with no ownership and everyone is ripping it apart for his/her immediate vested interests.

What else can be more obvious than a vacuum that cannot be filled for a long time to come? Do we have any leader that is respected, revered and thought highly of by world leaders in the immediate future? Do we have anyone who could look at the whole rather than bits and pieces and have the ability to piece everything together for the greater good of country and people? Or instead we have people who are running the ship aground?

What kind of future can there be when the best hope is to get views from the laymen and women, the aunties and uncles, to guide the country going forward when the million dollar talents have run out of ideas and knowing not where to go or what to do?

Would there be anyone be rude enough to tell Kishore the obvious?