More elaboration.
The previous post about the RJC girl's case was a little too brief to demostrate the point behind what I truly intended to convey. I feel the need to clarify and elaborate.What you are going to read is nothing new. Just that, I, too, needed to rant.
Singapore's society is divided. Indeed, divided in many ways. One simple example would be the focus of our newspapers regarding local news. Needless to say, ST and Zaobao report social incidents from different angles: ST seems to devote less space in discussion of such issues compared to Zaobao. Recently Zaobao's focus has been the Chinese Garden MRT suicide case; ST seems to be much more quiet regarding that. And Zaobao said nothing about this RJC girl's case, except in a commentary on Saturday. Actually, if you compare Wanbao/Xin Ming and Zaobao, you will also sense that there is a huge difference between their foci.
These differences are NOT differences in political viewpoints (there is no such thing in Singapore). They are differences in SOCIAL viewpoints. And it is a fact that these newspapers have different readership.
Even to those of us who read both, there will definitely be a difference in focus. For myself, I'm more inclined towards Zaobao.
In a country as small as Singapore, the effects of such fundamental differences in social viewpoints are likely to be more prominent. If these differences grow and is left unchecked, fundamental values which our society builds upon will be shaken. This is not something trivial.
Hence, we cannot depend on a group of people who has no idea or is indifferent towards how other groups of people lives and thinks to pave the way for our country. This is DANGEROUS. However sadly, our system is designed in such a way that the exclusiveness in educating the so-called 'elites' has created an inevitable seclusion of these people, who will one day take up scholarships and pave the way for our country. This case of concern is simply an early manifestation of the eventual result. This is an intrinsic system fault which needs to be rectified as early as possible.
Well, I shall share some experiences which I had/people around me had over my 12 years in Singapore, which might be unimaginable if someone just stays within the exclusive circle.
> A Single-parent family who lives a in 2-room flat, the mother is jobless and is surviving on support from siblings and the CDC. The children are in P6 and P3, have no interest in studying, though they lead happy lives running around their block playing 'block-catching' with their friends. The P6 kid cooks his own dinner, which is simply just rice and a piece of charred fish which is inedible to me. The mother will come crying to me sometimes, telling me her problems which I, as the kids' mentor, cannot interfere other than reflecting it upwards. What I respect them the most is, despite these circumstances, the family truly cared for the kids, and the kids, too, love their mother and respect their uncles truly.
> Have you ever been a prefect in a neighbourhood primary school? Well, you get people fighting, people challenging you, destroying your water bottle while you have to resist the urge to whack him back, and witnessing people being caned in public. The last time you met your head prefect (probably 3 years back?), he told you that he was waiting to enter poly and was working as a bouncer in some nightclub (well he is really suited for the job :D).
> Representing your school in science fairs, and to your dismay, the only things you have to present is just some hand-drawn posters, hand-drawn booklets and 5 pots of plants which you have fed with different kinds of solution, whereas other people brought with them speakers, projectors, powerpoint slides, and elaborately designed and nicely printed posters. That project of yours took you like a month to do, your Saturdays and Sundays, and many discussion sessions with your teachers. Though once you step out of the school gate, you will face inevitable defeat.
> a) A guy, with IC number starting with 85, reflected in our nominal roll as 'married' to a girl, also with IC number starting with 85 (that's in 2004). b) Somebody who, on the very first day when our allowances are credited, take out a huge chunk for himself to go clubbing, and at the end of the month will start asking you to lend him money. c) Someone who needs to take leave because he needs to go to Court for his brother's probation hearing. d) Someone who cannot do a duty on a Friday because he needs to be around when a witch doctor sees his sister in order to 'get rid of the ghost inside her'.
I am bluffing on none of these. They are all my personal experiences.
Well, clearly, if the RJC girl who ranted in her way had my experiences, interacted with these people I mentioned, is a friend of them, felt for them, and cared for them, will she still have the attitude she had? (Nope, those 6 hours of CIP doesn't work. 6 hours a year, is sadly, useless in generating a sense of civic duty. And in fact, can be a burden to a lot of charitable organisations.)
Much more unlikely, isn't it?
I do not come from the elite class. I do not have a MP dad. My mum left the workforce since I was born. My sister, well, can do decently well but not exceptional. None of my cousins is exceptionally good in their schoolwork. Hence, I am really very grateful that I can be what I am now, doing them proud, and have the chance to really contribute to society.
Will those of my peers that belong to the group that the girl in the case belongs to share the same sentiments I have? I know some do, and I am very glad that they do: it is very difficult for them to feel that way and they would be the exceptional ones that will genuinely do good for our country. What about the rest?
Lastly, the pledge:
We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality,
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.
How many of us genuinely believed in it and lived by it when we recited it every morning, for 12 straight years? Frankly, I can't say that I did.
Time to return to Biochem. I should say no more. (Haha and I finshed reading Billy Budd!!!)
