OTGV #15 - SIF Cynics
Broadcasted On: 27/07/2002
One by one, the university-age students stood up to seek answers from their distinguished guest, Minister of State for National Development, Vivian Balakhrishnan.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is an appropriate guest for the 11th Singapore Student Symposium as he is also holding the Chair of the Remaking Singapore committee.
The questions came one after the other, even took up the time allotted for the refreshment break.
And all the questions asked by the inquisitive young minds bore a common thread.
Hi Welcome to On the Grapevine with me Chong Ching Liang.
Dr Vivian spoke passionately of the areas in which Singapore need to remake itself. Such, as taking a re-look at laws that maybe too restrictive for the new age.
Very exciting ideas but the questions by the student highlighted their underlying scepticism.
One ponder how the government can bridge this cynicism, this seeming divide between the government and the people.
"My name is Kenneth, studies in California. I know of this ERC sub-committee long-distance between Mr Tharman and some students in Stanford and Berkeley. This was held in March. I think it was good start where people of the ministerial level actually speak to students on the ground. And I managed to tell this to some Singaporeans and the reaction was that 'yeah, they can pretend but actually they won't listen to you.' So my question therefore is how are we to implement these strategies if there is this existing resistance and mis-perception on the part of the general consensus."
For another, the cynicism is directed at the attempts of public planners, such as those at the Urban Redevelopment Authority, to become more open.
"I did conservation journalism. I studied in Singapore then California, I wanted to highlight what Dr Balakhrishnan had said about we will be concerned about how we make decision, especially with regards to land-use. So my questions pertain to Environmental Impact Assessment, as far as I know, in other countries, they require EIAs be conducted before an entity get a land parcel so that they can see whether they plan to is appropriate to that place not just ecologically but socially as well. As far as I know EIAs are not mandatory and the information is not made public. So how can citizens’ participation be included in decisions in land use if EIAs are not implemented?"
Even the present system of meritocracy is not spared.
And it wasn't a Singaporean student who spoke up, but a foreign student who wanted to know if the meritocracy had been mis-interpreted by local companies.
And he drew the loudest applause from the audience.
"My name is Rodrigo Fernandez, I am studying civil engineering at the NUS. I found that in Singapore that job market is selective. If you got first honour you got job but those who are in lower grades, you won't get a job. And recently a friend who's a scholar but then he didn't get first honours so he was rejected by the company you know, for me it's a little tricky you know, is there an opportunity for those us who are not just first class honours and we do other kind of things? [applause] "
Dr Vivian spoke candidly and passionately about his vision of a new Singapore.
He spoke of how the new generation leaders are consultative and may be tolerant enough of alternative cultures to permit bohemian villages that have more relaxed out-of-bound markers.
But even this progressive "concession" is questioned.
"My name is Dominic Soon, I'm studying in Cambridge at the moment. I just want to ask about this concept of bohemian villages. It sounds very great and every thing where we all have a place where we prepare to get offended but the question is, is this going to be characteristics itself? Is society at large going to be a society where we don't want to get offended. Only under very special circumstances. In other words, are we only going to have open discussions in close forums? [thank you]"
I caught up with Dr Vivian after the event and asked him if the dominance of such scepticism in the next generation of Singaporeans is worrying.
"No I think these are commonly held perceptions and I honestly it won't go away just because I say so or because any number of people say so. I think what I said so earlier was that the proof of the pudding is in the eating so young Singaporeans in particular are going to have to see that reality has changed and the rules of engagement and even the way we interact with each other and even the nature of relationship between state and citizens and between citizens and citizens has changed."
Dr Vivian said that he's unperturbed because eventually these students will see that there have been changes.
He's optimistic the scepticism means that these youngsters do care about Singapore.
But the recent transport debate in Parliament yielded nothing for the commuter despite the public furore.
Will this send the signal that the government listens but don't budge?
Dr Vivian explains the importance for the government to stay firm for the good of the big picture.
"You can't take each incident that comes up. One swallow doesn't make a summer. I would be a lot more worried if every issue changed simply because there is contrarian feedback. Then you have a government which is running by polls, will be completely from trying to shift directions with every slightest alterations with the wind or in the current. But we're making sure that when we navigate this ship, we've heard all the weather reports, that we've listened to all our crew members. That we have optimised our crew members and we know where we are going."
Tune in next week as I look at the symposium's plenary session on the Social challenges facing Singapore.
This is Chong Ching Liang for Newsradio 938.
Related Websites:
Newsradio938
http://newsradio.mediacorpradio.com/
Singapore Student Symposium by Singapore International Foundation
http://www.sif.org.sg/os/sgstudents_symposium_past.html
Remaking Singapore Committee
http://www.remakingsingapore.gov.sg/
Urban Redevelopment Authority
http://www.ura.gov.sg
One by one, the university-age students stood up to seek answers from their distinguished guest, Minister of State for National Development, Vivian Balakhrishnan.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is an appropriate guest for the 11th Singapore Student Symposium as he is also holding the Chair of the Remaking Singapore committee.
The questions came one after the other, even took up the time allotted for the refreshment break.
And all the questions asked by the inquisitive young minds bore a common thread.
Hi Welcome to On the Grapevine with me Chong Ching Liang.
Dr Vivian spoke passionately of the areas in which Singapore need to remake itself. Such, as taking a re-look at laws that maybe too restrictive for the new age.
Very exciting ideas but the questions by the student highlighted their underlying scepticism.
One ponder how the government can bridge this cynicism, this seeming divide between the government and the people.
"My name is Kenneth, studies in California. I know of this ERC sub-committee long-distance between Mr Tharman and some students in Stanford and Berkeley. This was held in March. I think it was good start where people of the ministerial level actually speak to students on the ground. And I managed to tell this to some Singaporeans and the reaction was that 'yeah, they can pretend but actually they won't listen to you.' So my question therefore is how are we to implement these strategies if there is this existing resistance and mis-perception on the part of the general consensus."
For another, the cynicism is directed at the attempts of public planners, such as those at the Urban Redevelopment Authority, to become more open.
"I did conservation journalism. I studied in Singapore then California, I wanted to highlight what Dr Balakhrishnan had said about we will be concerned about how we make decision, especially with regards to land-use. So my questions pertain to Environmental Impact Assessment, as far as I know, in other countries, they require EIAs be conducted before an entity get a land parcel so that they can see whether they plan to is appropriate to that place not just ecologically but socially as well. As far as I know EIAs are not mandatory and the information is not made public. So how can citizens’ participation be included in decisions in land use if EIAs are not implemented?"
Even the present system of meritocracy is not spared.
And it wasn't a Singaporean student who spoke up, but a foreign student who wanted to know if the meritocracy had been mis-interpreted by local companies.
And he drew the loudest applause from the audience.
"My name is Rodrigo Fernandez, I am studying civil engineering at the NUS. I found that in Singapore that job market is selective. If you got first honour you got job but those who are in lower grades, you won't get a job. And recently a friend who's a scholar but then he didn't get first honours so he was rejected by the company you know, for me it's a little tricky you know, is there an opportunity for those us who are not just first class honours and we do other kind of things? [applause] "
Dr Vivian spoke candidly and passionately about his vision of a new Singapore.
He spoke of how the new generation leaders are consultative and may be tolerant enough of alternative cultures to permit bohemian villages that have more relaxed out-of-bound markers.
But even this progressive "concession" is questioned.
"My name is Dominic Soon, I'm studying in Cambridge at the moment. I just want to ask about this concept of bohemian villages. It sounds very great and every thing where we all have a place where we prepare to get offended but the question is, is this going to be characteristics itself? Is society at large going to be a society where we don't want to get offended. Only under very special circumstances. In other words, are we only going to have open discussions in close forums? [thank you]"
I caught up with Dr Vivian after the event and asked him if the dominance of such scepticism in the next generation of Singaporeans is worrying.
"No I think these are commonly held perceptions and I honestly it won't go away just because I say so or because any number of people say so. I think what I said so earlier was that the proof of the pudding is in the eating so young Singaporeans in particular are going to have to see that reality has changed and the rules of engagement and even the way we interact with each other and even the nature of relationship between state and citizens and between citizens and citizens has changed."
Dr Vivian said that he's unperturbed because eventually these students will see that there have been changes.
He's optimistic the scepticism means that these youngsters do care about Singapore.
But the recent transport debate in Parliament yielded nothing for the commuter despite the public furore.
Will this send the signal that the government listens but don't budge?
Dr Vivian explains the importance for the government to stay firm for the good of the big picture.
"You can't take each incident that comes up. One swallow doesn't make a summer. I would be a lot more worried if every issue changed simply because there is contrarian feedback. Then you have a government which is running by polls, will be completely from trying to shift directions with every slightest alterations with the wind or in the current. But we're making sure that when we navigate this ship, we've heard all the weather reports, that we've listened to all our crew members. That we have optimised our crew members and we know where we are going."
Tune in next week as I look at the symposium's plenary session on the Social challenges facing Singapore.
This is Chong Ching Liang for Newsradio 938.
Related Websites:
Newsradio938
http://newsradio.mediacorpradio.com/
Singapore Student Symposium by Singapore International Foundation
http://www.sif.org.sg/os/sgstudents_symposium_past.html
Remaking Singapore Committee
http://www.remakingsingapore.gov.sg/
Urban Redevelopment Authority
http://www.ura.gov.sg
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