Singapore - Thoughts

I had an interesting discussion this morning with my colleague on Singapore. In brief, she's a German lady married to a Singaporean. It was an interesting debate on the Singapore school system that started my train of thoughts - about how she moved away from Singapore because her daughter needed to go to school, and the Singapore school system is too restrictive and too competitive. Of course it is.

That's why we have scholars. And thats why we have the PAP.

Singaporeans don't get a chance to think much. By that, I mean independent expression of their own ideas. Most of our thoughts are curtailed by the government - in its quest to keep dissenting voices down, the school system has suffered, changing from one which children have vivid imaginations and can argue and think critically, to one where rote learning and memory work is valued over creativity and critical thinking. Result: A society where there are invisible boundaries for each and every single citizen - where no one bothers to voice their opinions because of the climate of fear - fear of prosecution (aka mrbrown), fear of being ostracised... Just plain fear.

Of course - The PAP will say - HEY! We allow dissent (with conditions a: That it is within the party, b: that you don't air your views to the media to show PAP solidarity and c: you better listen to those people who have the surname Lee).

Then again, when I read in the Sunday Times FRONT PAGE - about the PAP secretary general Lee Hsien Loong at a PAP gathering, I wonder why party news is in a National Newspaper. And the headline reads- BATTLE BEGINS NOW FOR NEXT POLLS, SAYS PM.

PM. Not secretary General of the PAP. PM. PM Lee Hsien Loong.

And poor Sylvia Lim, a Temasek Polytechnic Lecturer, can only air her party opinions in Worker's Party newsletter. Then again, SPH may just be the publishing arm of the PAP - A BIG party newsletter publisher.

Called the Straits Times.

Excuse me while I puke over my computer.

And a few pages in, is an article on Mr. Li Hongyi, who garnered a PSC scholarship to study at MIT. Excuse me. Why do we need to know about this certain Mr. Li Hongyi? Oh!!!! He's the PM's SON!!!! Of course the party needs to know about him wayyyy before he ever enters politics - it's the party newsletter after all!

I'm disgusted and sick of Singapore. Be sure, I'm going to vote WP in 2011. And if I ever earn enough money, so I can pay my lawyer fees when I get sued for defamation, I will join the opposition:)

This is what happens when the government allows critical thinking and dissent only among the top 2% of the population. You get a body of drones working, and the top minds leave Singapore.

At last count - 15000 Singaporeans studying abroad (according to Confluence 2006). And I bet you, not all 15000 are going back to the Sunny Island we call... Home.

lip
ranting