OTGV #12 - Polytechnic Seminar
Broadcasted On: 23/09/02
The Goh Chock Tong administration has brought about a greater level of consultation.
I came from the eighties vintage where students never have the chance to ask Ministers questions, and
even if we do, we wouldn't dare to suggest to them that the local political environment is stifling.
But that's what a number of polytechnic students broached with their ministerial guests during the various polytechnic fora.
Join me Chong Ching Liang as On the Grapevine peeps into the Polytechnic Forum on Re-making Singapore.
This year's organising Chairwoman, Sharon Cheong, on the tradition of the annual polytechnic forum.
"Polytechnic Forum has been an annual event in the polytechnic calendar since 1996. Each forum sees the gathering of some three hundred students from the four polytechnics to discuss key issues in Singapore and other parts of the world that impact on youth and the future of Singapore."
Last year, the Polytechnic Forum focused on how the government can communicate with the youths.
Mr David Lim, the Acting Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts was the guest.
In 2000, the guest was Rear Admiral Teo Chee Hean, the Education Minister.
This year, the fine tradition continues with the Minister of State for National Development, Vivian Balakhrishnan.
This year's Polytechnic Forum also coincides with an event that could be racially charged.
So Dr Vivian threw the gauntlet to the polytechnic students, and encouraged the students to pick up the discussion on ethnicity.
"How many of you have read today's paper, can I just have a show of hands? [Laughter] More accurately, how many of the students have read today's papers [more laughter] Okay. That's an interesting start. Well, I am sure you will read the papers later on and you will see we started off with bad news. The government has announced that another 21 had been arrested under the Internal Security Act for activities related to the terrorist agenda. So I think it would be artificial to talk here as business as usual when real things are occurring out there."
But almost all who stood up failed to pick up the ball when Dr Vivian hit to their courts.
Here are a couple of the students’ questions.
"I'm Jermaine Teo; I'm from the School of Engineering, Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Today I am here, to pose you a question from my discussion group - Beyond Careers. In the process of Re-making Singapore as you are trying to do right now, uhm, will people be able to embrace all types of careers not just the common traditional ones like doctors, lawyers. Will we also be able to do the alternative ones, the arts, designs and the likes? How do we do this? Okay take for example, if I have a passion for music, and I want to stop my engineering studies, if I tell that to my parents, my parents are going to ask me, 'Jermaine, are you thinking okay today?' My friends and my teacher are going to say, 'okay, I need to talk to you'."
"I'm Alex from Temasek polytechnic. It’s a long standing issue, polytechnic students entering university as compared to J-C students, the number of poly students entering local university are so low that in a course of 60, one to two of them are from poly. The rest of from JC. What I want to ask you sir is, Is it possible for Poly students to have an equal standing with JC students when it comes to entering a local university. [loud applause]"
Most of the students came prepared with questions and they seem unwilling or unable to ask questions on ethnicity even when openly prompted by Dr Vivian's opening speech.
To be fair, most who stood up to ask questions were chosen representatives of various sub-groups that had discussed topics concerning Beyond Cars, Beyond Careers, Beyond Clubs, Beyond Credit Cards, Beyond Cash, and Beyond Condominiums.
So perhaps they felt an obligation to ask those questions and therefore didn't respond to the Minister-of-State's call for a dialogue on ethnicity and racial diversity in Singapore.
But even if the polytechnic students can be accused of being bound to their pre-deliberated questions, they cannot be accused of being politically apathetic.
A number spoke on Singapore's polity. Here's an example.
"I'm Rakesh from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Basically this is my question. You can find many political cartoons in foreign newspapers. But we don't find it in local newspapers. Why is this so? Are our politicians unwilling to accept criticism?"
After the session with Dr Vivian, another student tried to explain to me why youths end up being apathetic.
Ironically, the very emotional force of his comments suggests he is far from apathetic.
"We hope that our views is treasured and being heard. Why? Because we are encourage to be a thinking nation. And if our voices are not heard, we think, what's the point? Most of the younger generation has this mindset about joining politics. If you want to join politics in Singapore there are 3 things you have to observe. First, you are have to have a lot of money, so that in case of being sued, you resources to fall back on. Second, your asset must not be in Singapore in case everything fails and you have nothing to fall back on, you still can run away. Third aspect, if you don't have the previous two? You better join the PAP because it's the safe path to politics. "
The polytechnic students forwarded a list of suggestions came up to the Remaking Singapore Committee after 3 days of discussion.
The dialogue element is not quite there judging from this year's event, but at least one knows that the polytechnic students concern is able to make there way to their ministerial guests, year after year.
This is Chong Ching Liang, for Newsradio 938.
Related Websites:
Newsradio938
http://newsradio.mediacorpradio.com/
Remaking Singapore Committee
http://www.remakingsingapore.gov.sg/
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
http://www.np.edu.sg
Singapore Polytechnic
http://www.sp.edu.sg
Nanyang Polytechnic
http://www.nyp.edu.sg
Republic Polytechnic
http://www.rp.edu.sg
Temasek Polytechnic
http://www.tp.edu.sg
The Goh Chock Tong administration has brought about a greater level of consultation.
I came from the eighties vintage where students never have the chance to ask Ministers questions, and
even if we do, we wouldn't dare to suggest to them that the local political environment is stifling.
But that's what a number of polytechnic students broached with their ministerial guests during the various polytechnic fora.
Join me Chong Ching Liang as On the Grapevine peeps into the Polytechnic Forum on Re-making Singapore.
This year's organising Chairwoman, Sharon Cheong, on the tradition of the annual polytechnic forum.
"Polytechnic Forum has been an annual event in the polytechnic calendar since 1996. Each forum sees the gathering of some three hundred students from the four polytechnics to discuss key issues in Singapore and other parts of the world that impact on youth and the future of Singapore."
Last year, the Polytechnic Forum focused on how the government can communicate with the youths.
Mr David Lim, the Acting Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts was the guest.
In 2000, the guest was Rear Admiral Teo Chee Hean, the Education Minister.
This year, the fine tradition continues with the Minister of State for National Development, Vivian Balakhrishnan.
This year's Polytechnic Forum also coincides with an event that could be racially charged.
So Dr Vivian threw the gauntlet to the polytechnic students, and encouraged the students to pick up the discussion on ethnicity.
"How many of you have read today's paper, can I just have a show of hands? [Laughter] More accurately, how many of the students have read today's papers [more laughter] Okay. That's an interesting start. Well, I am sure you will read the papers later on and you will see we started off with bad news. The government has announced that another 21 had been arrested under the Internal Security Act for activities related to the terrorist agenda. So I think it would be artificial to talk here as business as usual when real things are occurring out there."
But almost all who stood up failed to pick up the ball when Dr Vivian hit to their courts.
Here are a couple of the students’ questions.
"I'm Jermaine Teo; I'm from the School of Engineering, Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Today I am here, to pose you a question from my discussion group - Beyond Careers. In the process of Re-making Singapore as you are trying to do right now, uhm, will people be able to embrace all types of careers not just the common traditional ones like doctors, lawyers. Will we also be able to do the alternative ones, the arts, designs and the likes? How do we do this? Okay take for example, if I have a passion for music, and I want to stop my engineering studies, if I tell that to my parents, my parents are going to ask me, 'Jermaine, are you thinking okay today?' My friends and my teacher are going to say, 'okay, I need to talk to you'."
"I'm Alex from Temasek polytechnic. It’s a long standing issue, polytechnic students entering university as compared to J-C students, the number of poly students entering local university are so low that in a course of 60, one to two of them are from poly. The rest of from JC. What I want to ask you sir is, Is it possible for Poly students to have an equal standing with JC students when it comes to entering a local university. [loud applause]"
Most of the students came prepared with questions and they seem unwilling or unable to ask questions on ethnicity even when openly prompted by Dr Vivian's opening speech.
To be fair, most who stood up to ask questions were chosen representatives of various sub-groups that had discussed topics concerning Beyond Cars, Beyond Careers, Beyond Clubs, Beyond Credit Cards, Beyond Cash, and Beyond Condominiums.
So perhaps they felt an obligation to ask those questions and therefore didn't respond to the Minister-of-State's call for a dialogue on ethnicity and racial diversity in Singapore.
But even if the polytechnic students can be accused of being bound to their pre-deliberated questions, they cannot be accused of being politically apathetic.
A number spoke on Singapore's polity. Here's an example.
"I'm Rakesh from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Basically this is my question. You can find many political cartoons in foreign newspapers. But we don't find it in local newspapers. Why is this so? Are our politicians unwilling to accept criticism?"
After the session with Dr Vivian, another student tried to explain to me why youths end up being apathetic.
Ironically, the very emotional force of his comments suggests he is far from apathetic.
"We hope that our views is treasured and being heard. Why? Because we are encourage to be a thinking nation. And if our voices are not heard, we think, what's the point? Most of the younger generation has this mindset about joining politics. If you want to join politics in Singapore there are 3 things you have to observe. First, you are have to have a lot of money, so that in case of being sued, you resources to fall back on. Second, your asset must not be in Singapore in case everything fails and you have nothing to fall back on, you still can run away. Third aspect, if you don't have the previous two? You better join the PAP because it's the safe path to politics. "
The polytechnic students forwarded a list of suggestions came up to the Remaking Singapore Committee after 3 days of discussion.
The dialogue element is not quite there judging from this year's event, but at least one knows that the polytechnic students concern is able to make there way to their ministerial guests, year after year.
This is Chong Ching Liang, for Newsradio 938.
Related Websites:
Newsradio938
http://newsradio.mediacorpradio.com/
Remaking Singapore Committee
http://www.remakingsingapore.gov.sg/
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
http://www.np.edu.sg
Singapore Polytechnic
http://www.sp.edu.sg
Nanyang Polytechnic
http://www.nyp.edu.sg
Republic Polytechnic
http://www.rp.edu.sg
Temasek Polytechnic
http://www.tp.edu.sg
posted by CHONG Ching-liang | 5:26 PM
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