Stand up for S'pore.......

No matter how others might judge S'pore, no matter how many times we complain abt S'pore, no matter how much we hate having 2 listen 2 e govt, no matter how we always 've 2 get tt piece o paper at all cost, I STILL LOVE SINGAPORE!!!!

ST Nov 25, 2004

Hats off to an admirable state
By Lin Bao Ling

SOMETIMES, I must take my hat off to Singapore. As I say this, I am in central-northern Malaysia. So, I do not have the love-hate feelings about Singapore I would have if I were in Johor Baru, which is a strip of water away from the Republic. But like 'Federation people', as we are known to Singaporeans, I am both envious and jealous of our small but rich neighbouring state.

The Republic is a truly amazing country and its government is remarkable. But even as I say this, I still think that Singapore is too modernised and orderly, lacking freedom, imagination and creativity. And I still feel contemptuous of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's policy on Chinese education in the past.

But I have always admired Singapore for its determination to advance towards the goal it has set for itself without being bothered by what other countries think. Such an attitude, which is neither overbearing nor servile, has propelled the country from a tiny barren island to become one of the Asian dragons.

I feel many Third World and developing countries require 'iron-fist' rule, because of their low levels of education and civic consciousness.

But I also think that Mr Lee is a most outstanding and clever 'dictator'. He built a development track for Singapore and it went on to pursue its dream of becoming a modern city and free port, dumping Chinese education and most of the culture and the arts.

Reality proves that he has succeeded. While others are judging his successes and failures, and even as the disputes with Malaysia go on, Singapore stands tall, delivering a sterling performance in efficiency, non-corruptibility and law and order.

Mr Lee chose to emphasise science and commercial subjects for Singapore schools, for practical reasons, and de-emphasise languages other than English, in the process resulting in the closure of the Nanyang University.

However, what I find most admirable about Singapore is not its success but its approach in dealing with mistakes. In the eyes of many people, Mr Lee is not a charming leader. But he is serious in admitting, as he does now, that it was a mistake to give up on Chinese education.

Immediately after his remark, Singapore implemented plans to reform the teaching of the Chinese language in schools, and to introduce the 'Recognise First, Write Later' way of teaching.

This is yet another example of the government's efficiency. It will not make policy changes
overnight. But once it is determined to do something, it will carry through with it and results will show very quickly.

This is the reason why many Malaysians are afraid of Singapore. Based on objective circumstances, we should have done better than Singapore, but we have not. So whenever foreigners give Singapore bad reviews, or low scores on press freedom, or for being too modernised and orderly, we cannot help but feel gleeful.

Even as Singapore moves fast on Chinese education, many Malaysian Chinese still snort in contempt, saying that even if Singapore were to revive Chinese education, the materialistic place would not produce any Chinese literati.

Responding to such criticisms, Singaporeans will shrug them off with a smile and a 'so what?'. It irks you but you have to take your hat off to it.

I guess as I ramble on, Singapore has taken another stride forward.

-- This commentary, translated from Mandarin, appeared in Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily last Saturday.