myth 49

'Complaining is bad' I was reading Kan Seng's speech on foreign talents and the need for them and the complaints that appeared everywhere. I don't think people disagree with the concept of having more foreign talents here. The complaints are more on certain specifics that people see as either overdone or overkilled or simply putting Singaporeans at a disadvantage. And in the same speech Kan Seng added, 'Worse, we should not become dissengaged armchair critics and simply complain when we do not like something.' Now compare this with people who are paid to complain, the professional critics who are not even affected nor dislike anything, but just their job to complain. Complain has a very important role in life and living. Our body complains when we are not feeling well. Our stomach complains when hungry. This is a natural mechanism that helps us to rectify any wrongs or problems. Just imagine we can't feel pain, hunger, thirst, we can be dead the next minute. Complaining has a vital role in society especially about things that affect the people and country. We as a first world country, should grow up from third world mentality and accept complain in the true spirit. I posted earlier about learning a thing from the World Bank/IMF inviting people to demonstrate against them. They want to hear the other side, an opposing view. This is maturity, a higher level of thinking. They know that they are not god and will not have the best solution for everything. Complains when taken positively, helps to smoothen the corners and rough edges of policies and decisions. In the absence of complains, we don't even know that we are suffocating the people. Another word for complain is feedback. Maybe we should use the word feedback instead of complain. What's the dif? Or maybe we should all shut up and believe that we are living in utopia, govern by gods and all things are fine.

telling half truths?

Now, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wants Singaporeans to show their best side to the international financial community.

In June, he launched a `Four Million Smiles' campaign, urging Singaporeans to smile more during the IMF-World Bank meeting - though only a month later, a Friends of the Earth survey showed that Singaporeans ranked as the unhappiest people in Asia.

Since the start of the year, more than 10,000 taxi drivers have attended a three-hour training course on how to provide better service for passengers during the meetings.

An accompanying handbook instructs taxi drivers to keep their hair neat, avoid fidgeting, ensure they don't have body odour, and not clutter their taxi with too many accessories.

"They also told us not to talk about sensitive issues like criticising the government and racial issues," taxi driver Choy Kok Wai, 49, told Reuters.

The above is a report from AFP/REUTERS posted in littlespeck.com

Now, presenting a picture of 4 million smiles when we were found to be one of the unhappiest people in the world, show our best side, which means now showing our ugly side, taxi drivers used to criticise the govt but told not to, would my double here condemn these as telling half truths?

singapore 'appalled' by iranian leader's remarks

This is on the front page of the Straits Times today in response to his remark that Israel should be eliminated and removed from the Middle East. The Singapore statement added, 'Such irresponsible and provocative statements are obviously intended only to further inflame the conflict and not address either the immediate humanitarian needs or the longer term goal of a durable solution that will address the security concerns of all parties.' Israel has been our friend for a long time. We are grateful to the Israelis for helping us in times of need. But I am equally appalled by our statement which has the same effect as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comment, only sound and fury but not helpful to resolving the conflict and the humanitarian aid that is in need. Helping a friend, to be on the side of a friend is one thing, but our comments need to be measured and not be carried away. We are not the USA or the UK. We cannot afford to court trouble to ourselves unnessarily when other bigger allies of the Israelis are keeping quiet. And I do believe the Israelis will not demand that Singapore make such a statement and compromise ourself. That will be very irresponsible of the Israelis to ask for. We shall help our friend and reciprocate their assistance but we shall not get too drunk and get hit by a equally drunk and reckless driver.

myth 48

'Western democracy is good' Who says western democracy is good? Look at what is happening after the last GE? Sitoh is moving out and withdrawing his services to the people. The lamp posts that he put up for the benefit of the people are vandalised and no one is going to repair them. Chiam said it was not put up by him so not his business. Now if these lamp posts go into further disrepair and become an eye sore or public hazard, who is to be responsible? We cannot have this kind of democratic practices. We need a strong govt to 'just do it' and get it repair. To allow democratic processes to work will only lead to this kind of problem. Are Singaporeans mature enough to live under a democratic system where the people take responsibility and ownership of their environment?

unfinished business

If Chiam and Sitoh both abandon the lamp posts in Potong Pasir, they could quickly become a tourist attraction. STB should cordon them off and market them as our latest attraction on democracy Singapore style. The Malaysians also have something similar just across the causeway. The Unfinished Crooked Bridge. That was the first chunk of unfinished concrete mess, with rusty reinforced steel bars jutting into the sky that greeted me when I crossed over. They should quickly clear up the surrounding around the mess concrete chunk, put up some nice props around it and market it as, yes, The Unfinished Crooked Bridge! No fish prawn also good. No Crooked Bridge, unfinished Crooked Bridge also can. A new attraction, cheaper and more meaningful than any expensive DisneyLand that is at best a copy or an imitation. This is original and very fascinating. One of a kind in the world.