Of cleavage and dichotomy in the Singapore plurality

I have been ranting almost daily on the open leg policies of the Govt practically everyday and highlighting the serious flaws and consequences taking place. Many Sinkies have fallen victims to these policies and are clamming up, resigned to their fate like what daft Sinkies often do. Those Sinkies that are not affected, yet, are getting irritated by my constant drumming and refuse to see that their turn will come one day when they lose their jobs and unable to pay the high mortgages for their nice homes and nice cars. But my drummings must have some effects, big or small, on the Govt and the elite to want to make amends to this dire state of affair. If it is all gone with the wind, then the deaf frogs can continue to remain deaf and do as they like and wait to be bundled out in the most shocking electoral defeat in the next GE.

There is an interesting article by Tommy Koh in the ST this morning, titled, ‘Is there an ideological cleavage in Spore? I would like to repost the whole article here but ST would probably come after me for copyright infringement. So I will talk about what Tommy said and quote some of his wisdoms to share with my fellow bloggers.

Though Tommy politely asked a question, but his article said it clearly that there is a wide cleavage and waiting to be healed. This global city concept is the remedy of Singapore’s economic ire as well as the cause of the sad state of affair happening daily, to its victims of mainly the PMETs. According to Tommy, ‘American business school gurus such as Gary Hamel have managed to convince Singapore leaders that there is a global competition for talent. In order to succeed, Singapore cannot rely only on its home grown talent. It must look outward and recruit talented people from all over the world, to key positions in both our public and private sectors.’

The recommendation is sound with some provisos and cannot be taken literally, hook, line and sinker. Only silly asses will just blindly accept it as the panacea and implement it without any reservations or amendments. The first point is obviously the issue of nationhood and citizens versus a hotel that has no citizens to talk about. The other point is about key positions and not all and sundry down the line. Why do they want to recruit a super talent in recruiting employees or a salesgirl, or a supervisor? And the dangerous part is to bring in foreigners to key positions in the public sector. But for this the Govt has drawn an invisible line, as long as the political office and administrative services are out of the loop, anything goes.

‘The hunt for foreign talent became a national obsession. As a result, Singapore was in danger of overlooking its own talents.’ Said Tommy. And this obsession went down to talents in sports, in housing agents, in property agents, in employing agencies, and likely in prostitutes as well. When elites are not thinking, this is what will happen.

Tommy added, ‘I am glad that there is a more balanced attitude today. This is the result of two developments. First, Singapore discovered that some so called foreign talent was not really very talented. Second, there was the discovery that, in some cases, when a foreign chief executive officer was hired, he or she discriminated against Singaporeans when hiring staff.’ This is not the bad part. The bad part is for the authority to let it happened and doing nothing about it or paying lip services and pretend that the problem is solved.

The most important statement made by Tommy, though actually very simple and any idiot would know and understand, except the deaf frogs, is this, ‘My conclusion is that Singapore should continue to welcome foreign talent. But it should do so to complement Singaporean talent, not to supplant it. Everything being equal, Singapore should give priority to its own talent.’ When this has to be said in so simple a language and hoping that people will understand, it is so pathetic, and near to hopelessness.

I would like to thank Tommy for his ranting for the sake of country and citizens. The daft Sinkies may be uncomfortable with my rantings, but hopefully they know that this is indeed a serious problem if they can see further than the tip of their nose. And hopefully some deaf frogs will wake up from their arrogant and self righteous demeanour to do the right thing, to do something for the Sinkies if it is not too late.

Kopi Level - Yellow