1/18/2023

Singapore's new Opt Out Culture - In Search of Mediocrity

Singapore

'Ugly' food gaining acceptance in Singapore but more education needed, businesses say

Singapore's workers should embrace broader definition of what counts as a good job: Lawrence Wong

Commentary: Businesses can attract more talent by looking at skills, not PSLE results and past salaries

Above are 3 headlines in CNA on lines. What is the common message? 

Accept blemished food, accept lower jobs, accept lower qualification? The Pioneer and Merdeka Generations were brought up with the message, In Search of Excellence'. We want the best, we want to be the best. And that was how Singapore excelled in many fields, the best workforce, the best economy, the most efficient nation, press a switch, everything works. Zero tolerance, zero defects, no mistakes etc etc.

What is happening today? In Search of Mediocrity? I admired people that are not choosy on food and willing to eat blemished food, simple food or little food, some out of necessity. There are many people that are trying to make ends meet, fallen into hard times. But this must not be the way to go. If we can get the best, we must go for the best. If not, the slide down the road to third world will become a reality, sooner or later.

If the spirit of a nation is to make do with half bakes, half baked measures, half baked ideas, half baked goals, anything also can, where would the country be heading to? What is the fuss all about in the AHTC case? Why dig and dig and never ending? In a tidak apa attitude, In Search of Mediocrity, the current SPH saga should be swept under the carpet with a tap on the wrist. Let's move on.

Why are Ministers paid in the millions? Because we want the best, mediocrity is not acceptable. We want to pay top dollars for the best, not monkeys, not mediocres.

A nation that thrives on the principle of accepting poor products, accepting poor quality goods, accepting poor results, is on a treacherous path down to the abyss. Living on poor quality, substandard goods, substandard workers, substandard qualifications must not be a matter of choice. This must be a matter of no choice, fallen into hard times. This must not be the desired way of life, like the freegans that chose to live on throw away foods. Even the foreign workers here would frown and protest when the food is not to their likings and would demand for better food.

Is Singapore going to throw away with all the top or best awards that it used to claim? The best airline, the best port, best worker, best university, best civil service, best city, best hotel....to be thrown into the rubbish bin?

Would you go to a doctor or dentist without the paper qualification to certify that he is proficient? Would you build a house with a few illiterate workers that can put some bricks together and lay some pipes and wires? Your grandma can be a better cook than some chefs on a few recipes. Would you hire the grandma to be the chefs in a 5 star hotel?

Why is there a drive towards accepting mediocrity? Thrift is a virtue. No wasting food is a good habit. But choosing to live on poor quality food or throw aways is another thing.

Aspiration, aspiring to be the best may be difficult to achieve. But getting half way there is always better than sliding down the slippery road into the longkangs or choosing to live in the longkangs.

20 comments:

  1. Actually that someboli asking to accept mediocrity is equivalent to asking for slavery to them. Why? They think only the poor accept blemish food, want less pay , accept any job on offer..probably they think this way the poor will always vote them into power. Once with power they gonna jus repeat the same old record and nothing changes, woah good job for them with highest pay and their kakilang also no need do anything jus order others to do with the lowest pay and the rich gets richer , poor gets poorer a vicious cycle repeat but not in China aiming for common prosperity to them is everyone Huat huat and Huat ah..

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  2. Lower your expectation even if you have a degree from the best universities in the world, like NUS or NTU. Be happy driving Grab or delivering food or doing part time job. A job is a job. Any job is a good job.

    Don't be ambitious and want to be PMETs. Those are for people who can do the job, even with degrees or with fake degrees.

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  3. Singapore needs happy people, people who are easily contented, with blemished food, with throw away food or leftovers, with jobs as drivers and food delivery boys and girls, happy with becoming a cleaning supervisor.

    Be happy with what you have.

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  4. Rb so we may ended up with a poor leader that will bring the nation down?is that what you are saying?

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    Replies
    1. Aiyo, what's sorts of visionary leaders now we have?

      No personality at all. Future PeeAyam like a schoolboy meeting the World's also most half past six ones nodding his head like a schoolboy greeting his teachers and principals.

      My opinion think that the Orr Yew Tang aka Ong Ye Kung be a much better PM materials as had more traits of a hard nosed not easily intimated one when dealings with the Charltans Hyenas of the World's Scoundrels.

      Delete
    2. Ong Ye Kuang still had that Chinese Educated Traits of Services in him and could spoke both languages fluently whereas Wong is a banana that inclined to the Western Savages side

      Delete
  5. Are you a mischievous good for nothing IB trying to put words into Uncle RB's mouth?

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  6. There was a time, long, long ago, in Singapore, where everyone was chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The 4Cs were quite within the reach of ordinary Singaporeans.

    Cars, condos, credit cards, country clubs were what everyone was talking about. Ordinary Singaporeans were buying 5 room flats, executive flats and condos. Today, armed with the best degrees from the best universities, young graduates should be contented with a 4 room flat, when taxi drivers were happily buying 5 room flats once, some of them didn't even have O level certificates.

    Car ownership is increasing going out of reach to the young executives. Even renewing COEs would be a big problem at $100,000 to keep an old car for another 10 years. HDB car parks are no longer full, many levels are empty at night.

    Many still have their credit cards with credits chalked to the fullest. As for country clubs, with shorter leases, how many could afford to renew their membership it is time to pay for a new land lease for the clubs?

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  7. So are good jobs reserved for "New Talents" to be groomed as "New Pappy Citizens"?

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  8. In cahoots with and echoing the globalist WEF narratives, you will be happy, own nothing, and eat insects instead of meat?

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  9. The new message is getting Sinkies to adopt the 'From First World to Third' mindset without complaints. They are just conditioning the mind of Sinkies knowing that they are the most compliant Sheeples. Just accept the fact!

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  10. With lifestyles basically funded by debts, what we see of gleaming new condos and flashy cars is all a mirage. In the end, who is laughing all the way to the banks? The Government and the bankers themselves.

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    Replies
    1. Yes you are right Anon 11.27

      Buy these Sinkies still have not wake up that our economy is a stale and stagnate one.

      Thinking that good times are forever.

      With the expected recession and if things slide further a depression then we can see many fire sales and bankruptcies as most living on credits and just putting on a show that they are well off.

      Those who are thrifty will not have to suffer so much.

      Delete
    2. https://youtu.be/Ab6hTdcwATY

      Big Recession and Depression.

      Delete
  11. SINGAPORE — Food guru KF Seetoh flexed mightily over social media on Monday (Jan 16) after Urban Hawker was named to not one but two “Best of” lists on the Eater NY website.

    “You don’t get to be on that well-regarded Hottest New Restn list nor that respected Essential 38 Restn List from Eater that easily. You can’t invite them for food testing and a rating (just like Makansutra),” Mr Seetoh wrote with understandable pride. Independent Singapore

    Another example of In Search of Mediocrity, when the world is surging ahead in IT and AI, we are elated by being noticed for hawker food. This is what Singapore can be proud of. Every graduate going to become hawkers soon.

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  12. This message to be contented and happy with mediocrity is meant for the peasants. The "natural aristocrats" want only the best for themselves - the best pay, the best education, the best food, the best medical care, etc. Anyway, since they opened the flood gates to the untalented to replace talented Singaporeans, mediocrity has become endemic here.

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  13. Self explanatory!

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  14. The Best is Yet to BeJanuary 18, 2023 7:02 pm

    How many posters here are successful graduates and how many are mediocre? That is a simple question, but probably cannot get answer.

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  15. I earn less than S$500k, so I admit I am mediocre. Any shame in that? You cannot fault an honest man.

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  16. Well said - salute

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