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This came up over a twitter conversation with @bimbo_observes when she (I assume with that nick, a ‘she’) responded to my previous post that people have to make a first time in proposing changes for change to happen. That’s a logical point indeed, and perhaps also the fundamental idea behind the call for a National Conversation. The government needs to hear our concerns, our ideas so that they can make relevant changes. What I really do not like however, is how some Singaporeans are abusing such platforms and mistaking them as an avenue for their ranting. Telling the government or PAP to ‘fuck off’ is in no way constructive. If you made the effort to get to their Facebook page and leave a comment, you can make an effort to be constructive. You can be cynical, critical or downright negative but ‘fuck you PAP’ is totally unacceptable. What is your point exactly?

Of course there are many other comments that have left me feeling indignant for the organizers. For instance, there are people saying that the National Conversation FB page is redundant because there are plenty of other websites that the government should just go to to ‘LISTEN’ to citizens. It’s a blatant show of lack of appreciation isn’t it? I’ve always believed that if someone is making an effort, then reciprocate before he stops trying. One more platform to air our views is not a bad thing at all is it? The attitude of ‘I’ve already said everything I want to say and it’s not my problem you weren’t listening,’ is uncannily like a lover’s spat, or a teenager-parent argument. Hey, we are talking about issues on a national level here. I think pettiness like that has no place in a conversation. Why can’t we appreciate the gesture? The truth is, our government has a solid hold on power for now and at least a few more elections to come. They don’t have to talk to the common people you know? If they so prefer, we could go into military government tomorrow and lock up people who talk under the ISA. That’s a far stretch I know, but what I’m saying is, our government does not HAVE TO do this. That they are doing so at the risk of opening the floodgates to dissent and criticism is something we have to appreciate.

Running a government and taking care of a nation is not easy. I wish people had more patience and empathy for a government trying their best. Our nation is made up of so many groups however you want to categorize us. We are Singaporeans, PRs, FTs as much as we are the super-rich, the rich, the middle-class and the poor. We are also multi-racial, and multi-religion. We are CEOs, common employees, SME owners, MNC investors.. So many groups we are, all fighting for our slice of cake when the cake is only so big. There is no way the government can hope to please everyone. We only have that much money at the end of a fiscal year. Which scheme gets what is perhaps the biggest headache a cabinet has to figure out every year. There are many things Singaporeans want, like ‘Ang Pows’, like more housing grants or free flats even, higher wages, more welfare.. It’s an endless list of wants that the government has to cater to so as to stay in favor. Some of these items are not beyond what they can do for us citizens, but others are logically not plausible. In us demanding our rights and expressing our wants, I hope we are logical and reasonable people. I hope also we are understanding people who are able to see others needs come before our wants. When we throw tantrums and hurl profanities when we don’t get GST rebates or excessive housing grants, I hope we see that the money that wasn’t spent on us was poured into the much more needed Workfare schemes and healthcare upgrades. I hope that we haven’t been pampered into selfish individuals.

At this stage, I do see Singaporeans as rebellious teenagers with raging hormones. Maybe we are not rebelling for the sake of rebelling, but more often than not, we are not being mature in our relationship with the government. Criticism is not of the thoughtful kind, accusations are flying, anger is the default tone of voice.. And it all boils down to resentment. The spiteful, hurtful remarks are saddening to see. Why do we hate the government so? What exactly have they done to deserve that? I feel like Singaporeans are fueling this resentment with the negativity it produces like a vicious cycle. Recently with the #Dinerenblanc fiasco, I was surprised to see how some people could draw parallels with the event’s all-white dress code to the PAP’s attire. The thread of comments soon deviated from the anger we felt at #Dinerenblac ‘s disrespect to anger at PAP for a wide-range of issues! Are we so blinded by anger that we would heap blame on PAP for everything? These days, it would seem like Singaporeans do make it sound like EVERYTHING is PAP’s fault, EVERYTHING is the FT’s fault. Seriously? Are we so juvenile? It seems we are. When I asked people why they had voted for the opposition during the last election, they told me it was to make a statement to PAP. That’s like a teenager staying out after curfew to spite his parents isn’t it? I hope when you voted, you did so thoughtfully and not spitefully.

I tweeted yesterday that ‘Belief is not enough to keep a government running.’ As much as the government would like to do the best for everyone, they have got to be pragmatic. There are many issues on which it is not appropriate for the government to explain more than they have and it is up to us as citizens to understand the ‘between-the-lines’. I don’t expect PM Lee to out-rightly explain to us how if he gives us “Ang Pows’, that’s another 20M off the budget and not going into HDB upgrading. It’s crude, but that’s economics and it’s also how a government is kept running. Something’s got to give to keep a balance. When we get something, someone else doesn’t get it. When a group of us gets privileges, then another group just got pushed further down the line. We cannot always win, even if we are the true-blue Singaporeans. FTs and PRs have made tremendous contributions to our country and our prosperity. How fair is it to not give them a cut of something they too contributed towards? Already, more and more safeguards are being erected to protect the Singaporean’s interests. How much more can be done before it gets too much and entirely alienates the FTs? Singaporeans have to understand that we actually do need FTs. Just look into hospitals and nursing homes, F&B outlets, sanitation services, construction sites.. Aren’t these sectors operational only because of FTs? If we push the FTs out, are you going to help pick up rubbish off the streets? Or in fact, do we even have enough of us to keep even one of these sectors running? I don’t need the government to point out the harsh reality to me. Truth is, they aren’t too keen to sit Singaporeans down and tell us point-blank either. If they are sparing us from this cruelty, can we be more appreciative?

Are Singaporeans being rebellious? Look online for a bit and decide for yourself. While not everyone is like that, resentment and negativity spreads like a virus. When numbers do reach a critical point, a certain mob mentality happens and rationality will break down together with civilized society. I hope we as Singaporeans are educated enough to be above that. Think before you speak, consider before you criticize. While proposing change is a good thing, we should also be our own critic and think about the feasibility of our ideas. Many problems SG is facing now are multifaceted and affect many levels of our population. While we seek a better future and prospects for ourselves, can we consider others too? Imagine yourself as PM and think if you could benefit one group over another if it meant more votes for you in the next election. I don’t envy the PM’s job because these moral, difficult decisions have to be made daily when you run a government. Nothing is ever so black and white.

So the next time you say a solution is ‘as simple’ as that, think again. Because if you make a mistake, maybe you’ll lose a job or go bankrupt, but if the government gets it wrong, they’ll put thousands out of jobs and ruin many lives. But worse still, a wrong decision will see a government lose the faith of its people for a long long time. And I’m not sure if it can ever be healed as is the case in SG now. Yes, the government made a mistake in underestimating the effects of FTs and also in the property sector. How long are we going to be angry about it? The damage is done, it is irreversible and we can either make do or sink. I liken it to a broken marriage in which someone has been caught cheating. Apologies naturally cannot heal that hurt, but if it is to be saved, shouldn’t we forgive and start picking up the pieces together? It is the only way to reconciliation isn’t it? Unfortunately in the case of SG, your only way to divorce is to give up citizenship. So, maybe not the best analogy on my part. I’m just saying, can we as Singaporeans stop being hormonal and angry for a while and start thinking again? Can we start moving forward again instead of sitting in this puddle of lava and seethe? To those who are instigating the resentment, what exactly are you trying to achieve?

I leave you with this quote from Aristotle, ‘It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.’ Think first, not react with emotions. I don’t need a government torn between trying to cajole its irritated citizens and doing the difficult necessary things to save us. Follow the American Presidential election and you’ll realize how lucky we are in Singapore to have a decent government. Stop taking it for granted and start appreciating. That’s good advice for everything else in your life too.