January 2008
Wah-Lau, Non-Conformist Singaporeans, Leh!
“Singaporeans conformist? Education system ‘says no’” – headline of a report in The Straits Times on Oct 20, 07. Naturally, that astounds cuz we are proudly proclaiming ourselves to be a conservative society at the same time. So, how can this be a conservative society when Singaporeans are not conforming to some largely shared norm of a national character? Got it! Singaporeans are not conforming to the norm of being conservative but somehow, someway, we still remain healthily conservative through an inexplicable dynamism cuz we are Uniquely Singapore. Or perhaps, because we are Uniquely Singapore, hence the inexplicable wonder of the ‘paradox’. Whatever it is, the report just tells me one thing – there’s nothing short of a miracle at work here. For this reason, I wonder why we are ranked in the world’s top 5 as an educational system and not no.1? Can’t imagine the top 4 could have achieved a more miraculous twist of dynamism. Simply can’t, no matter how hard I try to think out of the box there. Damn!
“What hiring a lawyer can cost you” – headline of another ST article on Oct 21, 07. Not more than S$3 million, we hope, to help backup each of our four (including President) leaders’ transparency. Any more, we’ll have to P.A.P. (‘pay and pay), y’know! Aiyah, small price lah -- $3 million -- to pay for being an economic wonder, a super ‘safe’ country and 5th best education system in the world. But please don’t go looking for efficiency proofs anywhere you choose, hor. Best stick to the 5-star hotels where backside covering is secondary to a smart tux! It may be unfair of me to quote the following as an example but it does show up the kind of system we have in reality.
Someone wrote in The Sunday Times’ Inbox complaining about noisy rag-&-bone men plying their trade. “When I complained to the police, they suggested I go to the town council instead. But the town council directed me back to the police!” (Oct 21). Passing the buck is surely one clear manifestation of covering one’s backside. Lord knows how accountability has a way of scaring the shits out of poor folks’ livelihood.
On that subject, ever wondered how accountability can be so counter-productive for the local, say, broadcasting media? When one supposed rival radio station complains about the most inane dare committed by another radio station, our authorities must be seen to act upon the complaint and, usually in the course of covering one’s back, anything remotely ‘radical’ gets stamped out in the process. How do you think that tallies with the education system’s proclamation of daring to be non-conformist?!
Now, I think we all know that our masters achieved a lot of good for Singapore. But that feather in the cap has not stopped them from being incredulous in strategizing their power to control and gain greater control. What’s that nonsense I hear now about citizens now being able to withdraw their CPF (Central Provident Fund) earnings ‘til they reach the age of 85? Our masters’ ceaseless win-win methods only lead me to deduce that they will probably strategically lower the CPF-withdrawal age when the next General Election comes around to garner positive reaction. Never mind that it may be a ‘rightful’ election move but we all know that if and when that happens, we will be told that the timing of the change is sheer coincidence. Just like the last two ‘bonus’ handouts – Singapore Shares and Progress Package – were coincidentally given out just before the GE… and no one would even consider it a vote-buying measure! I wouldn’t. Would you… when you know how you’d fare in the courts of law?
The ‘miracle’ of Singapore is that, ultimately, it’s our fault that we are so un-pro-active with our voices when no regard is given to why our voices are ‘muted’ in the first place. And don’t you even try to say our voices are muted, cuz if you do the national press will have 1,000 reasons to prove there’s no such muting at all.
In short, they will split hairs with you to a micro-biotic level but there’s no way you can even get pass the surface pigment to find a hair to split! Not that we don’t know why. Just that, really, hands are tied tighter than ever even as they proclaim we are non-conformists to the world!
Frustrated? What dat mean, hah? -- X’ Ho
