Singapore Archives

We are too greedy for our own good. Is this reflective of your society?

Greed is a concept which suggests that one consumes or takes more than what is required. Survivalists support the concept of greed, stating that it is a practical solution in today’s world. There are others who believe that greed is immoral and selfish. Die-hard Singaporeans will swear that greediness runs deep in Singapore. It can be said that some segments in society are greedier than others but greediness is not rampant in Singapore. In fact, there are measures in place to counter the detrimental effects of greed within Singapore.

Greed is a natural human tendency, but some people take it further than needed. Dr Tan Gek Young sold more than 2300 litres of cough syrup to drug abusers just for profit-making. His actions proved that greed to earn extra money was more important than the lives of his patients. Similarly, the Sim Lim Square incident clearly shows the greediness of Mobile Air owner Jover Chew who sold phones at a higher rate to a Vietnamese tourist. Such incidents portray Singapore as an overindulgent society where people care to serve only their self-interests. Thus, greed can be seen in some sections of society where people care about profit more than morality.

It is well documented that the majority of Singaporeans have a kiasu mentality. They believe that having more is better than less. This is especially true in the case of educational qualifications. Singaporeans develop a high level of competitiveness for getting into reputed universities and polytechnics. However, chasing good educational qualifications is not a bad thing as it is a stepping stone towards success. This mentality of getting top grades from top universities is normalised in Singapore. Thus, it is clear that greed is considered normal even in educational achievement.

Success comes at a price. The cost of living is high in Singapore compared to other Asian countries. This also leads to materialistic tendencies in the population. Owning houses in private condominiums and driving luxurious cars are seen as status symbols. The rich are revered in society and are appreciated and admired for the wealth they have accumulated. Pragmatism which is taught at a very young age to children makes them believe that being wealthy translates into happiness. The idea of being rich and successful is a constant motivation for being greedy. However, it is not all that bad because it shows that Singaporeans are more aware of their financial goals and strive to improve their situation. Thus, being greedy to achieve financial goals is not bad until it has detrimental effects on society.

However, on the flip side, there are also counter-measures being taken within the Singaporean society to tackle the issue of greed. Government has been very helpful in assisting people who take care of the elderly in their homes. Singapore is a welfare-oriented oriented nation today compared to earlier times. Moreover, businesses today are also committed to bring change within society. For example, Boxgreen Singapore, a snacking company, donates a portion of the proceeds from the sold snacks, to provide meals for the needy. In this way, they allow compassion to dominate greediness. Moreover, they not only help the poor but are also mindful about the environment and use recyclable packaging. The growth of such assistance policies and businesses show people within the society an alternate way of living, which is filled with empathy and compassion. Therefore, even though greed is prevalent in the Singaporean society there are counter-measures in place to tackle the issue.

Any modern metropolis will have its share of greed. This factor is inbuilt in capitalists systems. So, greed is evident in the Singaporean society in various sections. In education, businesses and even in individuals. However, to balance out the situation there are private and government entities that play an important role in countering these issues. Singaporeans pragmatism leads them to be greedy in some areas however, they are not too greedy for their own good.

How can national identity be fostered in a society like Singapore?

The racial issue has always been one that arouses passion and often, animosity amongst rival races. Indeed, since time immemorial, conflicts have been waged by people of different racial backgrounds. The prospect of further racial confrontations was greatly enhanced after the Second World War, in which many multi-racial countries were hastily carved out of the ruins by the victors. The rifts between the peoples of different races often run deep and take centuries to heal. Hence, in a multi-ethnic society like Singapore, the importance of fostering a national identity cannot be overemphasised

What is national identity? How does it heal the deeply entrenched animosity between two ethnic cultures? The importance of national identity lies in its ability to help integrate peoples of various backgrounds by creating a mindset focussed on the national, rather than racial unity

By seeking to bridge the centuries old racial gap, individuals are encouraged to regard themselves as citizens of a nation instead of members of a race, and to gradually discard the suspicions of old

In most countries, the inculcation of a symbol of the nation’s uniqueness is a long, arduous process. The most basic, fundamental step is the creation of the pillars of the national constitution. This includes the national flag, anthem, language, pledge and constitution. The Singapore national anthem, Majulah Singapura and pledge, aptly represents the ideals of the Malay forefathers who had founded the nation. The daily enunciation of such ideals, though criticised as a subtle form of brainwashing is essential to the development of national pride and unity.

Try writing using the below points:

Hosting the Youth Olympic games.
National education in Singapore.
Racial Harmony Day and Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act.

Is it possible for your society to be fair and inclusive?

Singapore is known as a multi-cultural society. It is believed society is fair when people are judged on their abilities and efforts rather than factors like race and religion. Inclusiveness in a society means that all members of society benefit from progress and development. It also means that all people have opportunities to do well and raise their status. Diversity is celebrated and respected in an inclusive society. In these terms then, Singapore is a pretty fair and inclusive society.

The Singapore government adopts policies that benefit all. The government understands that all people regardless of race, religion, gender and age have something to contribute to the nation. The annual budget plan of the Singapore government generally focuses on creating neighbourhoods and transport systems which are elder-friendly. Apart from that, the government also has adopted GST vouchers that help in uplifting people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Similarly, healthcare has integrated and streamlined to make it more affordable. Singaporeans also come together to celebrate various festivities. The Chinese host open houses during Chinese New Year, as do Indians for Deepavali. On the political front, chief-of-army, ministerial positions as well as heads of state have been graced by minorities. Thus, Singapore tries to be fair and inclusive by introducing policies that benefit all and appoint leaders based on meritocracy.

Singapore also ensures inclusivity and fairness in its educational system. The government has ensured that the education system is affordable for all. Educational policies ensure that everyone in society progresses and tries its best to prevent social exclusion. The education system also ensures that it better integrates the learning needs of the students. The government tries its best to ensure that no child is excluded from basic education that provides them with literacy and numeracy skills. Even prisoners have access to education and can complete Cambridge exams while serving time. Increasingly, disabled children are also integrated with peers from regular school systems. Thus, there is inclusiveness and fairness in education systems in Singaporean society.

However, despite the educational policies of the government, educational systems continue to create a divide within society. Educational systems tend to be unfair when rich parents are able to afford tuition and extra classes for their children. This educational disparity creates a rift between the rich and the poor. Nevertheless, self-help groups do exist to provide extra classes outside of school hours to those that need it. It is also easily observable that only a small proportion of people with disabilities are employed and many face discrimination in the workplace. Those above 45 also have trouble finding jobs in Singapore as foreign workers are often favoured over locals. No society is perfect, but Singapore tries its best to ensure no one is left behind.

The Singapore pledge reminds people about the idea of equality. Thus, it can be said that Singapore in many ways is a society which welcomes and accepts people from all walks of life regardless of their differences. Thus, it possible to have a fair and inclusive society in Singapore when people actively practice it in their daily lives. It is surely possible to have a fair and inclusive society in Singapore, by the implementation of government policies, education, and awareness on an individual level.

Can patriotism be taught?

Many believe that young people today are less patriotic ~~today~~. They argue that young people view their country more negatively than older generations. ~~They believe that the reason behind this is the younger generation is not taught to respect their country and be patriotic.~~ However, patriotism is an enlarged and extended form of love for one’s country which cannot be forced upon people. One should be patriotic not because they were taught to do so but because an individual considers themselves to be part of the country. Therefore, it can be contended that patriotism cannot be taught to a large extent because only through the citizen’s personal development and experiences will they be willing to sacrifice and contribute to the wellbeing of their country.

In many countries across the world, governments try to integrate patriotism in the educational curriculum. Patriotism is taught in schools by singing the national anthem, repeating the national pledge and even by teaching historical events that happened in the country. ~~However, this association of education with patriotism is not correct as it makes people rigid in their views and opinions.~~ The concept of patriotism is unique to every person and the idea of loving one’s country can differ from one person to another. For some being proud of the military is patriotism and for the others supporting the athletes who are representing the country at international level is patriotism. ~~The aim of drilling patriotism in young people’s mind is ineffective because in using education when we try to integrate patriotism it can also lead to distortion of facts.~~ For example, in countries like Pakistan history text books present a very skewed view of the India-Pakistan partition and war. Therefore, patriotism should not be taught instead young people should be given an opportunity to love and respect their country through personal experiences.

Patriotism through rigid and repetitive exercise can acquaint one with patriotism, but may not fully convince them.

Teaching patriotism does not work because when it is taught the efforts are taken for granted. When patriotism is taught through acts like singing national anthem and holding flags, then patriotism is taken for granted. This is because the true meaning behind patriotism is lost and people do not really understand the sacrifice of the freedom fighters. Patriotism when taught leads people to respect a country only for a moment. This is evident from the fact that in many countries people only celebrate national day or Independence Day like a holiday without understanding the true meaning behind it. The meaning behind patriotism cannot be taught and therefore the efforts of instilling patriotism are futile. Moreover, when people are taught patriotism, they might just follow the trend instead of really respecting or loving the country. Therefore, patriotism should not be taught because it does not truly make a person patriotic.

Patriotism can only be learned through personal experiences and struggles. Patriotism that consists of the experiences people have living in their country can be a life-long learning experience. Only through their experiences, people feel more inclined to love and respect their country. For example, during the Covid19 pandemic, many governments encouraged citizens to buy local products. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the call for “vocal for local”. Similarly, French citizens were asked to fulfil their patriotic duty and eat more cheese to help the dairy industry amid the coronavirus. Furthermore, citizens of many countries maintained social distancing and staying at home so that their country can emerge victorious in the battle with coronavirus. Hence, it is not essential for education to teach patriotism. Rather, patriotism is an ideal which has to grow within individuals through experience.

From a practical perspective, young people can be taught about historical events that can build a sense of patriotism and national identity among the youth. The events can also serve as lessons that help in guiding the young into the future. The knowledge of a country’s history can serve as a source of inspiration for people. The organic nature of patriotism can be seen at sports meets and even in cuisine. The Iranians show excessive pride for their wrestling athletes as do the Russians for their gymnasts. Brazilians believe that their soccer team is endowed with supernatural abilities by the soccer Gods, while the New Zealand rugby team proudly perform their Hakka to show strength and pride.

Singaporeans and Malaysians constantly argue over who makes better chicken rice and other hawker food staples like satay and crab curry. In 2014, the Israelis set the record for the largest plate of hummus, cooking some 4,000 kilos of the stuff. A few months later, Lebanon responded with a humongous 10,000-kilo dish. Countries have argued over the origins of the pavlova, kimchi and even cheese. These aspects cannot be taught but are felt in every living fibre of the patriot.

Thus, patriotism cannot be taught through education or by singing the national anthem. It has to develop in individuals voluntarily in order for ideals of patriotism to be deeply rooted. As the world becomes flatter, it is difficult to wave the flag of patriotism as people become more connected through movies, music and even muses. While teaching patriotism can be considered a starting point to imbibe in each citizen the fervour to love their country, the overall nature of patriotism is that it has to be felt, consumed and defended particularly when pride is at stake.

Protected: Do you agree that efforts by the government to ensure greater inclusion in your society have done more harm than good?

Young people today never had it so good. Is this true of Singapore?

There is a widely held view that Singapore’s youth has grown up in sheltered, comfortable environments and enjoy high standards of living – a far cry from the struggles and hardship that the older generations had to overcome.

The young never had it so good. There is a widely held view that Singapore’s youth has grown up in sheltered, comfortable environments and enjoy high standards of living – a far cry from the struggles and hardship that the older generations had to overcome. While this view is not an unreasonable one, we must also consider the fact that youths today face challenges in a world that is becoming increasingly uncertain. The prevailing set of challenges in the political, economic and social domains may be radically different from those in the past, but they are no less daunting and pernicious. It would be superfluous to agree that young people in Singapore lead easier lives than ever before.

Proponents of the view that young people have never had it so good until today point to the abundant education opportunities made available to youths today. It is undoubtedly true that compared to past generations, youth enjoy far greater access to learning in today’s day and age. In Singapore’s context, the government has gradually introduced a greater number of education bursaries and scholarships offered to students from less-privileged backgrounds to ensure that the education system remains a meritocratic one that rewards those who work hard, while not denying access to those who may not afford education. This is a vast improvement from the past where it was not uncommon for young people to skip school because of the need to stay at home to look after their siblings or to work in order to contribute to the monthly household income. In recent years, the government has created diverse education routes and pathways. The musically or artistically inclined can now choose to pursue their secondary education in the School of the Arts (SOTA), while budding athletes can opt to enrol in the Singapore Sports School. In this sense, today’s education landscape in Singapore has made life for young people much more accessible and empowering. If strictly measured by this yardstick, then we can say that young people never had it so good.

Apart from better education opportunities, young people in Singapore today enjoy higher standards of living compared to the generations that came before them. Rapid urbanisation and modernisation in the last few decades have witnessed attap-roof houses and family farms being replaced with high-rise flats, high-technology buildings and manicured streets lined with trees that are regularly pruned to prevent overgrowth. While communal public toilets, non-air-conditioned buses and potholes on muddy roads form a bulk of the memories of many older generations in Singapore, many Singaporean youth today cannot imagine sleeping without air-conditioning or deprived of the many creature comforts they have now. Many, as such, view the young people today as a mollycoddled bunch who are unable to survive physical hardship and discomfort. In addition to increased standards of living, the increase in spending on luxury and branded items amongst the young in Singapore today lead many to regard this as evidence that youth today have a much easier life as compared to before.

However, when one takes into account the circumstances and the new set of challenges that our young people have to face, the perspective that young people never had it so good before appears one-dimensional. In the economic sphere, the vicissitudes of what has been termed the ‘roller-coaster global economy’ has led to much fear and anxiety over jobs, inflation and economic uncertainty. The oldest millennials born in 1981 would have entered the workforce at a time when the global economy was suffering from an unprecedented collapse of the financial sector, and research by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis go as far as to suggest that these millennials might be unable to accumulate sufficient wealth for retirement. Younger millennials born in the 1990s and 2000s have to contend with economic uncertainties like the US-China trade war, the implications of climate change on supply chains, and rapid unprecedented rates of technological disruption to traditional industries. This is a vast contrast to the situation in Singapore’s early days of economic development in the 1960s and 1970s which saw the creation of large numbers of jobs in the rapidly growing manufacturing industry, and strong and sustained economic growth rates. Young people in Singapore today thus face greater pressure to remain competitive and employable, contrary to the perception that they lead smooth-sailing lives with their whole lives charted out for them. From an economic perspective, young people today never had it so good.

Additionally, while young people today are generally more educated than past generations, the overall increase in education standards means that there are greater expectations to do well academically and it is even more difficult for one to stand out amongst a sea of university students, especially when 4 in 10 Singaporean youth will eventually be degree holders. Moreover, the influx of foreign talents in recent years has raised the bar for many graduates, making it more competitive in getting jobs. As a result, young people, despite being given more education opportunities, now face greater difficulty in getting their desired jobs, and often have to make do with jobs that do not match their qualifications or aspirations. A recent research study conducted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute suggest a pernicious, worrying underbelly of underemployed millennial graduates, some of whom are earning less than $2,000 a month from their full-time jobs despite their education qualifications. This suggests that young people in Singapore may not necessarily be better off compared to past generations when we take into consideration the increasingly competitive and uncertain job landscape in which they have to survive and thrive in today.

In our world which is increasingly fraught with fear, insecurity and uncertainty, the young are living in a Singapore that is beset with novel challenges that previous generations did not have to grapple with. As the famous historian R G Collingwood once said, “every new generation must rewrite history in its own way”. In this light, when assessing this or any generation, both the positive and the challenging aspects must be taken into account. Therefore, notwithstanding the better education or job opportunities available to this generation, it would be inaccurate to say that the young in Singapore never had it good if we understand also the myriad issues surrounding today’s generation.

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