Don't get carried away.

'We want to (continue) developing talent, be it local or foreign. One way is to get kids started playing at the kindergartens.' Lee Bee Wah So we got our silver medal. We had our fun and the opportunity to cheer and clap and shout. Now the hilarious moment is over, we should take stock and ask ourselves, 'Is it worth it?' To be able to answer this question, we need to know how much public money is being spent for that medal? This is not like keeping up with the Joneses next door. To do that you are spending your own money. But we are talking about spending millions of public money in the quest for an illusion. Fun to have. But always remember the price and how the money could be channelled for more meaningful things. When we are prepare to mean test our people for hospital admission and not prepared to provide more C class beds, should we be spending so much money to nurture foreign talents to win medals? Spending on our own sons and daughters is an acceptable thing. Spending a small sum of money for a little fun is also acceptable. Just don't get carried away.

The dangers of insensitivity

This is the title of an article by Julie Chia on the Chinatown complex. She was talking about implementing safety measures without sensitivity and this may affect the disabled being help. I would like to borrow her title to talk about the mean thing. Mean testing is being introduced after all. No matter how well meaning, subjecting a fellow citizen to mean testing is cruel, disgraceful and insensitive. Why would a govt think that it is so necessary, that there is no better way out and will implement mean testing on its people? Is this the best solution from our supertalents? If this is, then we need to double the pay and look for better talents. The principle that I am against is that the strong, rich and powerful think that it is ok, acceptable, reasonable, to subject the poor and less able to a demeaning test of his personal wealth, his confidentiality and little self worth. All these are put onto the table to be viewed and study by people with their nose in the air. Huh, this is what this bugger is and has! So pathetic. What a loser! Historically, the rich, the powerful, and the rulers, will gradually degenerate to a state when they no longer empathise with the less fortunate. To them, they are above all these and not affected by it. The poor bugger has no sense of pride or shame, no dignity. And it is ok to line them up and strip them of everything for all to see. Anyone who thinks that mean testing is acceptable and well meaning should not spout the word compassion any more. Let the word compassion be thrown into the dustbin. There must be better ways than mean testing. When the rulers think that mean testing is not mean, we are going down. We have taken the first step down this road. More things will be found befitting for mean testing. It has been suggested that buying HDB flats should be considered for mean testing. What else? Anything that has an element of subsidy should qualify for mean testing. School fees should be the next candidate.

Notable quote by Ho Peng Kee

'Citizens wishing to participate in the public discourse are free to enter politics and fight for their convictions, or to stay outside the ring as 'poets, philosophers and public intellectuals'. Ho Peng Kee I can call myself a poet, but I can't write poems. Can I call myself a philosopher? Hmmm, better don't delude myself. How about public intellectuals instead of private intellectuals? What's the dif? Who dares to call himself an intellectual? I will be content with the 4th P, just simply 'people.' Can the people of a country participate in public discourse without entering politics? I think in a democracy this is the right of a citizen, the people of a country to discuss matters that affect them and their lives. In an authoritarian state, the people are expected to shut up and just obey. So, if the people indulge in public discourse, are they committing a crime here? Looks like so leh, according to this interpretation. It only permits 3 types of people to talk cock. How many people qualify as poets, philosophers and public intellectuals here and can be given licence in public discourse? Who says we can speak freely and those who think otherwise are having a wrong perception?

The uneasy silence

Last week The Sunday Times published an article by Nur Dianah Suhaimi on the least favourite child. I commented about the article here and in mysingaporenews. Both were greeted with an eerie silence. That is uniquely Singapore. Turn the other way to be safe. There was also no follow up on the article in the Straits Times. It appears to be a red herring and finding no takers. Surprisingly, The Sunday Times reported that more than 300 emails replied to the ST forum and a few were selected for printing today. If what I read is representative of the 300 emails, we are making progress in this area. The replies were positive and progressive. As a minority, there were discrimination but the thorn is on the issue of NS in the Army. And the Malays felt that they have to work harder than anyone to be successful. This was what my parents told us when we were pathetically poor in the 60s. We were not fortunate to be from an affluent or well to do family. And much more effort is needed just to keep up. What is important is the spirit of wanting to compete and preparing to work harder and knowing that it can bring results. There is also a confidence that they can do it, and many have proven so, competing in the same playing field and excelling. We have our fair share of history and historical baggages. What is important is to leave them behind and move forward. Some things cannot be changed quickly but change they will. I think we are not stagnant in this area and if we keep on progressing, we can make this a better place for all. If we can make it so good for foreign talents, there is no reason why we cannot make it better for the Made In Singapore. Made in Sin for short.

The Golden Formula

Yes it works. After testing it out for the last decade or so, the formula works and is showing results. Singapore is finally on the road to an Olympic medal, maybe even a gold. The whole nation was glued on the TV screen, sharing the oohs and the aahs, one moment thumping in triumph, the next moment the heart sank in despair as our table tennis players battled the South Koreans for a place in the final. After 1960, we have nothing to shout or look for at the Olympics except to send a couple of calefares, for the experience. And we echoed that sports was about participation and sporting spirit. Win or lose did not matter. But sports has transformed itself into a different kind of battlefield for nations to stamp their mark of success. Millions and billions have been spent on sports and sporting talents to win that gold medal. The money is no small change and every country is doing it, grooming and paying their local talents or buying foreign talents. We are no exception. Tonight is a big night for Singaporeans. Even the live telecast of the National Day Rally has been delayed to make way for the table tennis final when midget Singapore will take on mighty China. You can bet, critics or supporters alike will be glued to the TV, biting their nails and groan when we go down to China. I can't imagine the explosion of joy if the Great Wall crumbles. We can see more of such events in the future now that the golden formula has been confirmed to work. If we increase our budget tenfolds, we could have ten times to cheer and feel elated. But that might be asking for too much. Perhaps we can be more targeted in spending the money by going for individual sports. One talent is enough to win a gold. Go to Jamaica for sprinters, and Australia for swimmers. Discover a raw diamond that may turn out to be a Bolt or a Phelp. An Olympic gold is not within our reach. We can afford it.