After hearing the Prime Minister’s National Day Rally speech a few days ago, I couldn’t help wondering what actually is our Singapore’s dream and success story?
Though the Prime Minister has tried to bring in live testimonies of Singaporeans making it in their own personal capacity to the audience, he didn’t really successfully helps the nation realised what is the true Singapore’s dream.
A friend also wrote to me saying that she couldn’t really felt inspired by his speech which carried alot of propaganda and feel-good message but lacking depth and hope for those who are being left behind in the meritocratic chase.
Moreover, more significantly, I have never seen Singapore so divisive before in my life and it is indeed worrying so having a common Singapore’s dream will hopefully unite the country together.
But what is the Singapore’s dream in the first place?
To the many foreigners who flocked to our small island state lately, their personal dream is probably more direct – to make a living in our country and hopefully settled down nicely with a job and family with citizenship rights.
How about for those native citizens who have live their whole lives here?
Is the Singapore’s dream all about the 5 Cs – condo, credit card, car, cash and include all material things?
Does the average Singaporean measured how successful he is by how much money he has in the bank account and the number of toys he can show off?
Is the Singapore’s dream merely wrapped up with the huge dollar sign or have we discovered our own unique Singapore’s dream yet?
Which brought me to the next relevant question – do we even have any notion of our own Singapore’s dream in the first place?
Surely, the Singapore’s dream can’t be just the concern with the dollars and cents only…
That will be really shallow!
I used to watch movies showing how Asian and European migrants made a bee line to the United States in order to chase after the American dream.
There is something to seek after – a middle income lifestyle, passions to realise and dreams to fulfill.
For ourselves, we probably have taken over the place of the Hong Kongers now as the number one society that values money above all else.
I have seen how family members sued each other over property dispute especially when the rich dad has passed away.
I have been to gatherings with friends and they talked nothing other than the stock market, property price and the type of cars they drove.
After a while, I left the gatherings as firstly I dont enjoy such conversation and secondly I don’t have much to contribute to the conversation anyway.
I used to feel very lousy when I have to go off in a church friend’s car after our weekly cell meetings in the evening.
Most of the guys drove and it made me felt that I am useless and not belonging in the mainstream.
Even churches could not escape the claws of the materialistic hold as I heard of a pastor now staying in the multi-millionSentosa Cove and the prosperity messages seem to be very popular in many mega churches nowadays.
Even our famous monk Ming Yi went for expensive holidays abroad and bought branded bags for his stuff!
I guess for many Singaporean right now, having enough money to last the whole month may even be a problem in our high-inflation low-salary-base society – let alone go and reflect on our own Singapore’s dream.
Someone has also told me on Facebook this morning, when I asked the same question on our own Singapore’s dream, that maybe we should follow the lifestle of the Bhutans who are happy despite the lack of infrastructure and apparent poverty prevalent in the third world country.
She said plainly: “We should learn from Bhutan nationals. Although their country is not rich but they are happy. We shouldn’t be too materialistic.”
I remembered 20 years ago when I was newly married, my wife asked if my civil servant pay check of $2500 a month can substain the whole family.
She was also working then but could only brought in less than $2000 a month.
We were about to have our baby daughter then and finances were top-most on our mind and our dream then was to earn enough for the whole family to survive on.
We were thrifty then and didn’t even drive at all in Singapore as cars were still beyond us.
We were happy then as a small family unit but something was missing within me as I was rather unhappy and also struggling with the meaning of life.
We were also working harder and later but there was not much communication within the family.
The fatter bank account did not really translate into happier relationship for the family and cracks were already happening in the marriage.
Meanwhile, we have moved to a condo, got the services of a foreign domestic helper and could travel quite a bit.
Maybe as one gets older, you tend not to focus too much on the physical stuff and more on things of the intangible.
So do our Singaporean’s dream changes over our own time line and it is constantly shifting?
When I was a young student, I used to study hard to try and enter the university but when I couldn’t make the cut, I felt that the Singapore’s dream was beyond me.
How could one make it in life if you don’t even have a university degree?
I spoke to my boss about any potential for a promotion exercise in the near future and sensing a negative reply, I decided to leave the civil service after serving them for eleven years.
What was my Singapore’s dream then as a 32-year-old non-graduate about to start a new family on my own?
Frankly speaking, I was really frightened then as I have a $143, 000 mortgage to pay off on the new HDB executive flat and a baby on the way.
To cut the long story short, I worked very hard and eventually wound up in the high-commissioned insurance sales for a few years - making quite a pile actually.
I attained all the goals set out and ended up achieving MDRT twice in four years.
I remembered cashing in a $32, 000 check for a particular successful month and took the whole month off to rest.
I went twice to Europe and the US with my family for holidays and conventions during that awesome period - I truly thought that I have achieved the Singapore’s dream then.
Singapore was my home and it has provided me such abundant opportunities to make money!
Of course in any transaction, there was a trade-off and I lost much valuable time at home.
I realised that my daughter was distancing away from me alot and I began to stay at home more sacrificing quite alot of deals in the process.
I wanted to make up for any lost time I had with my young daughter before it is too late.
Soon I lost my interest in making money and left the insurance business altogether five years after I have started.
Did I lost the Singapore’s dream when I forego the cash cow in my job and subsequently suffered alot while I searched out my own life’s meaning ?
Now – 20 years later with no family and any substantial cash savings in my acocunt – am I deemed a failure by the society?
For the record, except for the loss of my family, everything has worked out well and truly beyond my wildest dream.
I would never have written another better script for my life right now.
Of course, losing my family has been a very painful experience but I have learned to live my life despite that setback.
Life is probably trying to live it well when you couldn’t have it everything your way.
Though I may have diverted from the money-focused Singapore’s dream, I have personally achieved much more meaning for my life – even though I have no proper income for the past four years.
Sometimes, when you have little you tend to cherish what little that you have.
I have found much more happiness helping others and will carry on doing what I love for the rest of my remaining years.
I know that this is probably my own personal dream – so can anyone tell me what actually is the Singapore’s dream?
Written by: Gilbert Goh
Everyone has ups and downs. You were successful in your career and a doting father but at times in life we have to sacrifice one for another. It’s called opportunity cost in economic terms. I choose my family over a good career to come to Australia. Regret it? Yes at first but slowly learn to deal with it as I do treasure my family more. Thanks for being honest and sharing your life experiences. I do believe that there are two things which make a person successful in life 1) hardwork and/or 2) being smart. If you keep on trying, a break will come your way as the saying goes “every dog has its day”. All the best .
National Day Rally speech focused more on topics like
training, upgrading, university seats, new immigrants, integration, acceptance, fertility rate, marriage, housing, early education, neighbourhood relationship, social enterprise.
It’s not difficult to see that PAP still defends that their policies are all correct by turning their heads away to address what is actually happening on the ground.
They still insisted better jobs, better incomes after receiving training, upgrading, university eduaction. This is what i have read yesterday.
http://www.zaobao.com.sg/gj/gj120828_002.shtml
“(Seoul AFP) – South Korean education universal, graduated from high school last year, the number of people to university up to 72%, however, the Korean economy started to slow down after decades of rapid growth, has been unable to create enough jobs for university graduates, increasingly serious phenomenon of the high unemployment rate of the highly educated.
According to official data, South Korea’s overall unemployment rate is low, only 3%, But 25-year-old to 29-year-olds, the unemployment rate is higher than the overall unemployment rate more than doubled.
The second quarter of this year, the total number of college graduates unemployment estimated 373,000 people, the number is higher than the unemployment of high school students, which is South Korea more than a decade’s first.
Korean emphasis on education, this momentum to Korea to get rid of the post-war poverty, becoming the world’s largest economy.
The so-called SKY University in Korea, Seoul National University (Seoul National University), Korea University (Korea University) and Yonsei University (Yonsei University) referred three top universities. Enter university, especially prestigious universities has always been the common aspiration of the Korean students and their families, because a college degree is a way to improve the economic and social status, but also help to find the object.
However, in 2011, even if is to get young doctorate by the Seoul National University, nearly 30 percent can not find a job, much higher than two years ago, about 15%. Dr. prestigious universities have such tremendous difficulties, and other universities do not have more to say.
The 23-year-old student of the famous universities Ewha Womans University in Korea the Song Aixian (transliteration), Premium Health University, went to Hong Kong for cultural exchanges, English ability, with internship experience. Since graduating soon, she sent more than 40 copies of resume to apply for a job, but all refused.
She said: “Everybody outstanding ability in English, but also have internship experience, my resume is not prominent than others. … I am very efforts to achieve good qualifications, but too many people like me, work The opportunities are too few. ”
In 2008, South Korea has about 83.8 percent of high school students admitted to tertiary institutions, reduced to about 72% last year, but still the highest in the world. The Korea Labor Department warned in a recently published report in 2020, the number of college graduates entering the job market will far exceed the needs of enterprises, the excess number of up to 50 million, in contrast, the high school graduation serious human resources shortage of 32 million people.
Encourage work after graduating from high school”
Stop asking us to accept the new immigrants for fertility rate, GDP growth sake. It is already too crowded here. Over at those jobfairs organised bt e2i, CDC, wda, I also have to compete with many new immigrants & PRs over a job vancancy. This is just only the job issue. How about other housing, medical, education issues?
It is not that we can’t accept immigrants or foreigners but there are too many of them now.
Obviously, lossing one GRC is not enough. Have to let PAP lose a few more.
I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I’ll cross the stream – I have a dream
I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I’ll cross the stream – I have a dream
Sounds like Martin Luther King.
Isn’t this song from ABBA?
1) My dream is that singles, especially those with low incomes, can buy HDB BTO flats at a higher subsidy. Maybe we should have double subsidy since we are paying it solely on our own compsred to a couple. If we buy a flat near our parents’ home, we should have additional grant.
2) I also hope that the govt should stop persuading us to get married and have kids. Many poor singles cannot afford to. We will be contended if we can manage our own bills with high inflation. Even if our TFR drops to such a low level that FTs, PRs outnumber native Singaporeans, I won’t be alive at that time to witness it.
3) I also dream that there will be more opposition voices in parliament to champion the causes of the underprivileged in society.
4) I dream of work life balance in all workplaces. I hope that everyone will get a fair wage with reasonable working hours. Labour laws should be enhanced to cater for daily rated workers, freelancers, temp/ contract workers, pregnant women etc.
5) Everyone will have compassion for the less fortuate in soceity regradless of race, nationality, religion etc.
6) The CPF employer contribution should be increased to withstand higher inflation.
7) WIS and medisave grants for all regardless of age. Now, the older ones will usually get more money. The older ones may be healthier than the younger ones, but the rules now assume otherwise.
8) Staggered/ flexible work hours to ease congestion in buses/ MRT.
9) Narrow the income gap with higher taxes for the super-rich and no taxes for middle-income and below. Raise wages at the bottom 20% and stop growth of income for the top 20%.
10) To give priority to the long-term unemployed or older seniors if there is a job vacancy that is suitable for them, instead of employing FTs.
1) HDB flat is always under demand. That is the reason they rather give to a married couple with or without children rather then a single person.
2) We do not even bother when the govt persuading us to get married and have kids because unlike our parent time,today we have many educated Singaporean & foreigners who witness how Govt treat their citizen and Singapore well known low salary but high living cost standard.
3) Have more opposition voices in parliament also will not help because they are at their own parties’s view instead of one group of opposition party to tell the Govt & PAP from how bad to worst their direction for Singapore is now!
4) I also dream of work life balance in all workplaces however in Singapore fair wage with reasonable working hours does not match which Labour laws markers did not dare to enhanced so much to cater for daily rated workers, freelancers, temp/ contract workers, pregnant women etc because SME business will close down & MNC will shift their operation out of Singapore.
5) Almost everyone is busy & compete in their work place & unlikely to slow down to even take notice & have compassion for the less fortuate in soceity regradless of race, nationality, religion etc.
6) The CPF employer contribution should be increased to withstand higher inflation then this will motivate employer to employ foreigners instead of Singaporean or shift their operation out of Singapore.
7) WIS and medisave grants for all regardless of age is one thing but no matter how much Govt give & how much affordable the medical, transport & etc fees are, you will still needs to pay an amount in cash. My question is if we are unemployed mean no salary coming in so where does the amount of cash come from to pay the ‘affordable’ the medical, transport & etc fees?
8) Staggered/ flexible work hours to ease congestion in buses/ MRT mean employer will not want to remain or set up their operation in Singapore because it will be too complicated for manager to plan workload for their worker.
9) If we will to narrow the income gap with higher taxes for the super-rich and no taxes for middle-income and below, the super rich will leave Singapore & Govt will still force middle and below income group to pay more tax then now to pay for MP, Minister & etc high salary & cost. Because of Govt poor sighted, employer is giving a very low salary in a high living cost country & asking the employer to raise wages at the bottom 20% is to ask them to shift their operation to a very low salary in a low living cost country!
10) Govt is not leading by example to give priority to the long-term unemployed or older seniors if there is a job vacancy that is suitable for them, why does the Pte sector do so? In fact, Govt/Public sector like MOE willing to go & employ foreigner from country like India where we do not even know the Quality Assurance of their university & how competent are the graduate to become a teacher in Singapore but will never recognize & employ Singaporean whose distance learning degree is approve for registration with MOE & Pte Sch can use the term “Registered with the Ministry of Education”!
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/current-affairs-lounge-17/st-70-teachers-hired-india-teach-singapore-schools-3180415-3.html
Your dream will always remain a dream & will never become a realty in Singapore. So please wake up, stop dreaming & come back to realty in Singapore.
From the National Day Rally speech, we can confirm that govt only value NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIM & SIT these 6 schools. Graduates from these schools will have better chances to be hire by the statutory boards, unless one is graduated from Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, oxford etc where govt scholarship holders were sent to.
Graduates from these 6 schools will flood the job market. Many employers will prefer to hire graduates from these 6 schools than graduates from other universities, unless one is graduated from Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, oxford etc.
I think it will be quite dangerous for one to enrole for courses offer by those private schools or foreign universities in S’pore.
I doubt employers from private sector or even statutory boards & etc is ready to consider SUTD, UniSIM & SIT the same standard as NUS, NTU & SMU for employment just because PM in National Day Rally speech talk about SUTD, UniSIM & SIT.
If I want to employed a staff which part of the job is designing regrading Architecture and Sustainable Design, Engineering Product Development, Engineering Systems and Design, Information Systems Technology and Design, why should I employed SUTD graduate where they only can design but cannot do more like a BEng/BSc graduate can do as an Engineer?
Why should I employed SIT engineering graduate where PEB Sg do not recognize their degree? Why should I SIT nurse/heath related graduate at graduate salary grade level when they are just a 1 year top up degree graduate with NYP Dip when I have a pool of overseas & NUS graduates?
UniSIM is a 4th Uni & 1st Pte Uni to set up in Sg but in National Day Rally speech to classified as 6th Uni(Last Uni)in Sg? Govt/Public Sector like MOE do not even recognize UniSIM fresh graduate to be a GEO1 unless mid career switch. When I mean mid career switch, I do not mean those fresh UniSIM graduate who use 2 years of NSF, part time job experiences to enter their UniSIM course.
Lets hope that situation will change.
The Spore dreams now….is to make first million $$$ and retire somewhere peaceful, laidback and relax.