More changes in mindset

The new mission of education, according to Eng Hen, is 'imparting values by engaging a more questioning young generation, while keeping them rooted to Singapore.' The message is loud and clear. Any jokers going into cyberspace forums or blogs and telling people not to kpkb, not to question, not to think, or get out, better read this message again. For I will report them to Eng Hen: ) Today's young are expected to be questioning. So those who were brought up in the era of not questioning should retune their frequencies and start thinking. Thinking is now expected. My god. Masters student Wilson Tan was doubtful if this is possible. With people questioning more, it will lead them to demand for more space, freedom and autonomy. How to reconcile these expectations in an authoritarian state when authority must be obeyed, people must not be seen or heard? Eng Hen disputed Wilson's comment that we are 'a bit stifling.' It is only a perception. Really? How many of you think that it is only a perception and not the reality? And who causes this perception, who causes a few generations of Singaporeans ended up as unthinking and fear of thinking or questioning? Would this new quest to engage the young into thinking and questioning be real? Can we simply tell the young that they should start to do this in schools when the whole system is proclaimed as authoritarian and authoritarianism is the new model for economic progress?

The end of wedding dinners

This tradition of holding wedding dinner in posh hotels is coming to an end, at least for the average Singaporeans. The rich can continue to have their expensive and once in a life time wedding, and ensuring that every wedding dinner is different and memorable. But with the kind of pricing and the hongpao that must be appropriate, the guests will find it quite unaffordable. A $400 hongpao for a couple is getting to be the norm. And in hot or favourite months, one can easily receive two or more invitations. This is going to be a big financial burden to bear for many who are trying to make ends meet. A time will come when invitation to a wedding dinner will not longer be welcomed and be frown upon. And do not be surprised when one of these days the invitation will be thrown back in the face of the bride and groom. It could be seen as a kind of social extortion. We need to look for a cheaper and reasonable alternative. The church wedding, the void deck wedding or maybe a buffet lunch wedding may become more practical. Brides and grooms beware. Your invitation may become offensive.

Top rated men and top team

LKY said we have a Division One team in charge. And the team is made up of top rated men and women. The best surgeons, doctors, lawyers, soldiers, architects, men at the top of their profession. Is this what a top political leadership team should be? Or can top professional skills be translated into passion and caring for the people, to uplift the quality of lives of the people? Is a top medical man or legal man automatically becomes a good political leader? Yes, we have the best brains, academically and professionally, from the various professions. Sometimes I got this feeling that they are better off remaining in their own profession and making themselves rich and contributing more in an area that they are excellent in. We not only need top talents, but we need top talents that are willing to serve and not self serving. I am not saying that our top talents are self serving. I am saying that national leaders are best when they are more selfless and put more priority into serving the people. I think it is safer to claim at this point that our leaders are all selfless and the people's welfare is their top priority. But as we go down the road this may not be the case. We have seen this blind worship of talents becoming a virtue here. Talents are embraced like gods or idols, even if they are found to have serious character flaws, cheats, or plunderers of public funds. When the society or people can no longer see more than one metre ahead and do not place much importance to integrity and high morals, where else can we go? Soon we will be clamouring for cheats to be Prime Ministers. No sweat as long as they are talented. No need to fear a third division team to destroy the country. A Division One team with one or two cheats could do more harm than a weak team.

Surest sign of decline

The boom years of the 70s and 80s are over. Those were the real golden years when everyone is upgrading and improving their lives. Today the decline has set in. There is still great growth to the very rich. These are the people that are living it off and having the best of everything. These are the people, the same few people, that are buying up the high end properties, their 6th or 10th properties, maybe 20th. The affluence is confined to a smaller and smaller circle. Compare to the 70s and 80s, there was a general uplifting of the standard of living of the majority of Singaporeans. The people were moving from rented flats to 3rm flats, 3 rm to 4rm, to 5 rm and to private properties. Everyone is looking to move to a bigger flat or a private property every few years. What is happening today? Dr Beng Teck Liang, a member of the PAP's Policy forum council found out that 'When it comes to money woes, the hardest hit are those living in 4 rm HDB flats.' They are not able to pay their utilities bills and would be better off to downgrade to 3 rm flats. They simply cannot afford to live in 4 rm flats. Huh? What's happening about more good years? And this is the biggest group of people in trouble. Mah Bow Tan is even considering mean testing for HDB flat applicants to make sure they can afford to buy 4 rm flats. How come 4 rm flat is now beyond the reach of so many Singaporeans? Why are they so unaffordable when our economy is growing by leaps and bounds and our country is getting richer and richer? Are we saying that our people are getting poorer and poorer or because everything is getting more expensive? On the other hand we are hearing that Singapore is populated by jet setters and trend setters and their lifestyles revolve around Formula One car racing. It is more likely that paradise and hell are existing side by side.

Living the sins of the past

Muhyiddin Yassin, the Malaysian Trade and Industry Minister was in town yesterday to promote more trade and investment in Malaysia. He promised that politics would not get involved in economics and everything that needed to be done to create a favourable business environment would be done. He appeared very sincere and earnest in what he was saying. Would the Singapore business community bites? After so many years of abuses and politicising of economics and the judiciary system to adversely affect Singaporeans and Singaporean investors in Malaysia, after losing so much money over ridiculous changing of rules and uneven playing fields, would anyone dare to invest in Malaysia again? The precedents set by the former govt and his reckless style of managing politics and economics are still reflected in the style of many Malaysian leaders. And anyone of them can be another Mahathir or even worst. Can there be any protection or guarantee that things will be normal and our investment be protected by the rule of law and the law enforcement officers? The sins of the past is catching up with Malaysia and it is a tricky business to cleanse itself from its devious past.