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"Singapore
21" - Talk by Mr. Eddie Teo, PS(PMO) to Aljunied National Grassroots Organisations
on 11 Jun 2000.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Singapore 21 is a distillation of the hopes and dreams of 6,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life of the kind of Singapore they want to have. It should, therefore, not be surprising if we find that we identify with most of the dilemmas presented because they are what many ordinary Singaporeans face and have to grapple with every day. The Singapore 21 vision is what we hope to achieve sometime in the future, when we finally resolve the dilemmas and achieve nationhood. When that will be nobody knows, because the vision will be difficult to achieve.
The Five Dilemmas
2. Let me go over the five dilemmas in some detail because they are as interesting as the five key ideas, and more immediate since they encapsulate what Singapore is today. First, Less Stressful Life vs Retaining the Drive. Singaporeans feel that life is very stressful in Singapore and there is stress everywhere, at every stage of life - in school, at work, at home and as a citizen. In school, students are told to excel academically and constantly reminded by parents, teachers, peers, and society at large. Children come under stress at a very, very young age - before kindergarten, before even nursery school. When I visited our airforce in Luke Airbase, Arizona, many mothers came to ask me when the Ministry of Defence was going to send Mandarin teachers to teach their children. When I asked them how old their kids were, they said "Three years old". At work, the men worry about having to keep up with changes in technology and the threat from foreign talent while women find it increasingly difficult to juggle between having a career and raising a family. Working mothers in my focus groups on the marriage and procreation committee I'm chairing are convinced that this is why the total fertility rate in Singapore is declining. At home, parents feel responsible that their children should score well in exams and some parents are even more stressed out than their children when exams draw near. As citizens, Singaporeans say that the government is constantly telling them to excel and work harder so that Singapore will continue to stay competitive - that government pushes them into moulds and treats them like economic digits and not human beings. Yet they accept that the onset of globalization and technology mean that the world is moving faster all the time and Singapore has to keep up with the pace to continue to do well.
3. Second, Needs of Senior Citizens vs Aspirations of the Young. We have a rapidly aging society, and if we do not marry and have babies earlier, we will age even faster as a society. Today, those over 65 years old constitute 7% (235,000) of our population; by 2030, they will comprise 19% (796,000). The old people worry about whether they can pay their medical bills if they fall ill, whether they will have enough savings for a decent life after retirement and whether they will have someone to look after them. The young people worry if they can cope with the responsibilities of looking after their parents and their children at the same time. Both wonder if they should live together, live apart but close by, or live completely apart. In the West, the old people value their independence greatly and many of them opt for the last option. In Singapore, we are shifting from the first to the second option, because both the young and the old value independence but still continue to value family ties.
4. Third, Attracting Talent vs Looking After Singaporeans. Singaporeans fear that foreign talent will steal their jobs, deprive their children of places in school and enjoy the privileges of citizens without their obligations. Many Singaporeans accept the rationale for attracting foreign talent, viz. that the pie will grow bigger, that if we drive foreign talent away they will go elsewhere and help other countries compete against us, that their presence will enrich Singapore with new ideas and diversity. But they accept the arguments with their head, not with their heart. They react emotionally when they worry that the presence of foreign talent will affect them personally.
5. Fourth, Internationalisation/Regionalisation vs Singapore as Home. As Singaporeans go oversea to study and work, how do we ensure they want to come back? How do they continue to have a sense of belonging, commitment and loyalty to Singapore? People leave or do not return for different reasons, some are "push" factors, such as the stressful life here and some are "pull" factors, such as the quality of life elsewhere. How do we minimise the "push" factors and enhance the quality of life in Singapore so that even the "pull" factors do not seem so attractive?
6. Finally, Consultation & Consensus vs Decisiveness & Quick Action. Some Singaporeans want the government to be more open and to consult them more. They want the government to be more tolerant of diversity and different viewpoints. Yet they want government service to be quicker and government policies to be more responsive to the fast changing world. The Civil Service did a customer survey recently. Before e-government, people were prepared to wait three days for a reply. Today, when they e-mail a government department, they expect an answer on the same day, forgetting that the civil servant needs just as much time to prepare the answer, whether to a letter sent by post or by e-mail.
Five Key Ideas
7. So what are the key ideas that point towards a solution to our dilemmas? First, Every Singaporean Matters. This idea arises from our recognition that we have defined success too narrowly in Singapore, focussing only on academic and material achievements. We are a society that places high achievers on a pedestal and this damages the self-esteem of those with average ability. You either aspire to do well academically or, if your paper qualifications are less impressive, you strive to get rich. If you do not succeed in either, society writes you off. In Singapore, achievements in the arts and sports do not count as much as academic brilliance and wealth.
8. Singapore 21 says that we ought to change this over-narrow definition of success. In the Singapore of the future, we would like to see a society that recognises talent and abilities of different kinds, at all levels. Every one of us matters, regardless of income or education. Every Singaporean ought to feel himself a worthy being and a worthy citizen. It means "being the best that you can be", making the best with what nature has endowed you with.
9. But many of you will still ask - that's all very good, but how do we make our life less stressful? In school, if you ask the teachers, they say it is the parents who are pushing their children too much. If you ask the parents, they say it is the teachers who are to blame. If you ask both, they sometimes say it is the fault of the Ministry of Education. What this really means is that we may all have to share the blame. Are we pressurizing each other in a mutually reinforcing cycle? Do we do it mainly because our friends and neighbours do it? Whatever the reason, the result is that our children have too much homework, too much tuition, and hardly any time to play. The family will have less time to have fun with each other and our children will grow up with inadequate social skills. Many people seem to realize that there is something not quite right here, but nobody wants to get off the roller coaster. They say, "What if I'm the only one doing it? The others will then streak ahead - unfair advantage".
10. At work, the stress continues. Singaporeans are not yet suffering from the Japanese disease called "karoshi" (death through overwork), but if we continue to work the way we work - 46.7 hours a week - more than Korea (45.9), Taiwan (45.6) and Hong Kong (45.2) - we may well end up that way. Many young people work from morning until late at night, day after day. This occurs in both the private and public sectors. Now that we have computers at home, we not only bring files home, the boss can e-mail us and expect an answer immediately. Some of us now bring our laptops along when we travel, even on holiday. The young singles say they have no time to date and the married couples say they have no time for their children and for each other.
11. The choice is really in our hands. If we try hard enough, we can ease the pressure we place on ourselves and our children. We ought to pause to examine our own values from time to time, put them in proper perspective and take charge of our own lives. There is nothing wrong with wanting our children to have the best that we can afford. But in some cases, pushing them harder and harder is not going to make them improve. Too few of us can accept this and learn to love and appreciate our children for what they are, despite their flaws and failings. We forget that we expect our children to respect and appreciate us even though we ourselves are not perfect. We can also choose not to focus only on work and to set aside more time for home and family. After all, being the best that you can be also means being the best father or mother, and husband or wife and not just the best employee, worker or boss. We must all learn to balance home with work and family with career.
12. Second, Strong Families as Our Foundation and Our Future. I think many Singaporeans know the value of a strong family. They know that the family can offer comfort, support and joy through good and bad times. They know that their lives cannot revolve around work alone, that their week-ends, vacations and old age will be empty and lonely if they have no family around. When Singaporeans are asked in surveys what makes them think of Singapore as home, they reply, "family and friends".
13. By and large, the family as an institution is still strong in Singapore. But it is coming under great strain. More people are entering middle age without marrying and the divorce rate is creeping up. So there will be a growing group of people without a spouse and/or children they can turn to for support when they grow old. Families will also come under great stress when the aged fall ill and the children have to care for them. Dual income families now comprise 40% of married couples in Singapore, and as the couples grapple with children, work and aging parents, their marriage may come under serious strain. Collectively, we will need to see how we can ease some of the stress. The government already has many pro-family measures. The private sector companies will have to move towards becoming more pro-family and take a longer term perspective of what constitutes costs.
14. Third, Opportunities for All. This idea addresses the dilemma of foreign talent vs Singaporeans. We hope to see a Singapore where both citizens and foreigners have opportunities and contribute to making our society more vibrant and exciting. A place where foreigners feel welcome and new citizens are accepted and assisted. Where citizens realise that the intangibles of citizenship, such as the right to vote, count as much as the tangible benefits.
15. Fourth, The Singapore Heartbeat. This idea addresses the emotions. Nationhood will be reached when our sense of belonging is so strong that we feel passionately and yearn for Singapore, wherever we are in the world. It goes beyond having assets and property in Singapore because if it were only that, there is nothing to stop all of us from emigrating when economic conditions change.
16. Fifth, Active Citizens who Make the Difference. Singaporeans want to be consulted by the government before policies which affect them are formulated and be kept better informed. The government welcomes this because it recognises that it does not have the answers to every problem. There is knowledge and expertise in the people and private sectors which the government does not have and to produce better policies, it must take into account different and divergent views. All civil servants have been told to change and in future, their appraisal will include an assessment of how well they have been able to consult and communicate with others, including the public. It will take some time for us to change, because civil servants are only human. We make mistakes, we get confused, we suffer stress, and we lose our patience just like other normal human beings. Not every government reply will be to everyone's satisfaction, but we hope that more and more replies will be more informative and responsive and where we need to be firm, we can sound less offensive. When we make mistakes, we should admit our shortcomings and say how we will do better the next time round.
17. We also want to set a good example by ensuring that the Civil Service itself practises the Singapore 21 principles. For instance, we are looking into how to enhance our existing pro-family policies and also intend to introduce new ones. We already have maternity leave, no pay leave for child care, leave to look after sick children, flexible working hours and part-time work. In trying to improve these benefits and add new ones, we have to maintain a careful balance between looking after our staff and ensuring that service quality to the public and productivity do not drop.
18. Singaporeans, however, should become more active citizens. This means doing something about their problems and the community's problems by initiating action themselves. As grassroots leaders, this is where you can play a very important role. The Singapore 21 Facilitation Committee has no specific instructions for you on how to spread the Singapore 21 idea and make our citizens more active. In fact, it would be contrary to the spirit of Singapore 21 for the committee to tell you precisely what to do. It is up to you and the people in the community to think of creative and new ideas and diverse ways of making Singapore 21 a reality. In small and big ways, many people are already behaving and acting in a Singapore 21 manner. We can identify these practices and showcase those who practise them as role models for others to emulate, without even labelling them as Singapore 21. Little acts of kindness, instances of consideration and caring for others, selfless dedication in helping neighbours, volunteers helping the poor and the sick - things that make us a more gracious society and help us to close the income gap. Happy families, bonding among neighbours, close cooperation among different racial or religious groups, evidence of strong community spirit, pro-family workplace practices, Singaporeans overseas demonstrating their pride in being Singaporean - these are all instances of Singapore 21. The list is endless but as grassroots leaders, you will be able to spot them easier and faster than many civil servants can. If we persist, slowly but gradually, we will make our way together to the vision we all aspire for.
19. Thank you.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Singapore 21 is a distillation of the hopes and dreams of 6,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life of the kind of Singapore they want to have. It should, therefore, not be surprising if we find that we identify with most of the dilemmas presented because they are what many ordinary Singaporeans face and have to grapple with every day. The Singapore 21 vision is what we hope to achieve sometime in the future, when we finally resolve the dilemmas and achieve nationhood. When that will be nobody knows, because the vision will be difficult to achieve.
The Five Dilemmas
2. Let me go over the five dilemmas in some detail because they are as interesting as the five key ideas, and more immediate since they encapsulate what Singapore is today. First, Less Stressful Life vs Retaining the Drive. Singaporeans feel that life is very stressful in Singapore and there is stress everywhere, at every stage of life - in school, at work, at home and as a citizen. In school, students are told to excel academically and constantly reminded by parents, teachers, peers, and society at large. Children come under stress at a very, very young age - before kindergarten, before even nursery school. When I visited our airforce in Luke Airbase, Arizona, many mothers came to ask me when the Ministry of Defence was going to send Mandarin teachers to teach their children. When I asked them how old their kids were, they said "Three years old". At work, the men worry about having to keep up with changes in technology and the threat from foreign talent while women find it increasingly difficult to juggle between having a career and raising a family. Working mothers in my focus groups on the marriage and procreation committee I'm chairing are convinced that this is why the total fertility rate in Singapore is declining. At home, parents feel responsible that their children should score well in exams and some parents are even more stressed out than their children when exams draw near. As citizens, Singaporeans say that the government is constantly telling them to excel and work harder so that Singapore will continue to stay competitive - that government pushes them into moulds and treats them like economic digits and not human beings. Yet they accept that the onset of globalization and technology mean that the world is moving faster all the time and Singapore has to keep up with the pace to continue to do well.
3. Second, Needs of Senior Citizens vs Aspirations of the Young. We have a rapidly aging society, and if we do not marry and have babies earlier, we will age even faster as a society. Today, those over 65 years old constitute 7% (235,000) of our population; by 2030, they will comprise 19% (796,000). The old people worry about whether they can pay their medical bills if they fall ill, whether they will have enough savings for a decent life after retirement and whether they will have someone to look after them. The young people worry if they can cope with the responsibilities of looking after their parents and their children at the same time. Both wonder if they should live together, live apart but close by, or live completely apart. In the West, the old people value their independence greatly and many of them opt for the last option. In Singapore, we are shifting from the first to the second option, because both the young and the old value independence but still continue to value family ties.
4. Third, Attracting Talent vs Looking After Singaporeans. Singaporeans fear that foreign talent will steal their jobs, deprive their children of places in school and enjoy the privileges of citizens without their obligations. Many Singaporeans accept the rationale for attracting foreign talent, viz. that the pie will grow bigger, that if we drive foreign talent away they will go elsewhere and help other countries compete against us, that their presence will enrich Singapore with new ideas and diversity. But they accept the arguments with their head, not with their heart. They react emotionally when they worry that the presence of foreign talent will affect them personally.
5. Fourth, Internationalisation/Regionalisation vs Singapore as Home. As Singaporeans go oversea to study and work, how do we ensure they want to come back? How do they continue to have a sense of belonging, commitment and loyalty to Singapore? People leave or do not return for different reasons, some are "push" factors, such as the stressful life here and some are "pull" factors, such as the quality of life elsewhere. How do we minimise the "push" factors and enhance the quality of life in Singapore so that even the "pull" factors do not seem so attractive?
6. Finally, Consultation & Consensus vs Decisiveness & Quick Action. Some Singaporeans want the government to be more open and to consult them more. They want the government to be more tolerant of diversity and different viewpoints. Yet they want government service to be quicker and government policies to be more responsive to the fast changing world. The Civil Service did a customer survey recently. Before e-government, people were prepared to wait three days for a reply. Today, when they e-mail a government department, they expect an answer on the same day, forgetting that the civil servant needs just as much time to prepare the answer, whether to a letter sent by post or by e-mail.
Five Key Ideas
7. So what are the key ideas that point towards a solution to our dilemmas? First, Every Singaporean Matters. This idea arises from our recognition that we have defined success too narrowly in Singapore, focussing only on academic and material achievements. We are a society that places high achievers on a pedestal and this damages the self-esteem of those with average ability. You either aspire to do well academically or, if your paper qualifications are less impressive, you strive to get rich. If you do not succeed in either, society writes you off. In Singapore, achievements in the arts and sports do not count as much as academic brilliance and wealth.
8. Singapore 21 says that we ought to change this over-narrow definition of success. In the Singapore of the future, we would like to see a society that recognises talent and abilities of different kinds, at all levels. Every one of us matters, regardless of income or education. Every Singaporean ought to feel himself a worthy being and a worthy citizen. It means "being the best that you can be", making the best with what nature has endowed you with.
9. But many of you will still ask - that's all very good, but how do we make our life less stressful? In school, if you ask the teachers, they say it is the parents who are pushing their children too much. If you ask the parents, they say it is the teachers who are to blame. If you ask both, they sometimes say it is the fault of the Ministry of Education. What this really means is that we may all have to share the blame. Are we pressurizing each other in a mutually reinforcing cycle? Do we do it mainly because our friends and neighbours do it? Whatever the reason, the result is that our children have too much homework, too much tuition, and hardly any time to play. The family will have less time to have fun with each other and our children will grow up with inadequate social skills. Many people seem to realize that there is something not quite right here, but nobody wants to get off the roller coaster. They say, "What if I'm the only one doing it? The others will then streak ahead - unfair advantage".
10. At work, the stress continues. Singaporeans are not yet suffering from the Japanese disease called "karoshi" (death through overwork), but if we continue to work the way we work - 46.7 hours a week - more than Korea (45.9), Taiwan (45.6) and Hong Kong (45.2) - we may well end up that way. Many young people work from morning until late at night, day after day. This occurs in both the private and public sectors. Now that we have computers at home, we not only bring files home, the boss can e-mail us and expect an answer immediately. Some of us now bring our laptops along when we travel, even on holiday. The young singles say they have no time to date and the married couples say they have no time for their children and for each other.
11. The choice is really in our hands. If we try hard enough, we can ease the pressure we place on ourselves and our children. We ought to pause to examine our own values from time to time, put them in proper perspective and take charge of our own lives. There is nothing wrong with wanting our children to have the best that we can afford. But in some cases, pushing them harder and harder is not going to make them improve. Too few of us can accept this and learn to love and appreciate our children for what they are, despite their flaws and failings. We forget that we expect our children to respect and appreciate us even though we ourselves are not perfect. We can also choose not to focus only on work and to set aside more time for home and family. After all, being the best that you can be also means being the best father or mother, and husband or wife and not just the best employee, worker or boss. We must all learn to balance home with work and family with career.
12. Second, Strong Families as Our Foundation and Our Future. I think many Singaporeans know the value of a strong family. They know that the family can offer comfort, support and joy through good and bad times. They know that their lives cannot revolve around work alone, that their week-ends, vacations and old age will be empty and lonely if they have no family around. When Singaporeans are asked in surveys what makes them think of Singapore as home, they reply, "family and friends".
13. By and large, the family as an institution is still strong in Singapore. But it is coming under great strain. More people are entering middle age without marrying and the divorce rate is creeping up. So there will be a growing group of people without a spouse and/or children they can turn to for support when they grow old. Families will also come under great stress when the aged fall ill and the children have to care for them. Dual income families now comprise 40% of married couples in Singapore, and as the couples grapple with children, work and aging parents, their marriage may come under serious strain. Collectively, we will need to see how we can ease some of the stress. The government already has many pro-family measures. The private sector companies will have to move towards becoming more pro-family and take a longer term perspective of what constitutes costs.
14. Third, Opportunities for All. This idea addresses the dilemma of foreign talent vs Singaporeans. We hope to see a Singapore where both citizens and foreigners have opportunities and contribute to making our society more vibrant and exciting. A place where foreigners feel welcome and new citizens are accepted and assisted. Where citizens realise that the intangibles of citizenship, such as the right to vote, count as much as the tangible benefits.
15. Fourth, The Singapore Heartbeat. This idea addresses the emotions. Nationhood will be reached when our sense of belonging is so strong that we feel passionately and yearn for Singapore, wherever we are in the world. It goes beyond having assets and property in Singapore because if it were only that, there is nothing to stop all of us from emigrating when economic conditions change.
16. Fifth, Active Citizens who Make the Difference. Singaporeans want to be consulted by the government before policies which affect them are formulated and be kept better informed. The government welcomes this because it recognises that it does not have the answers to every problem. There is knowledge and expertise in the people and private sectors which the government does not have and to produce better policies, it must take into account different and divergent views. All civil servants have been told to change and in future, their appraisal will include an assessment of how well they have been able to consult and communicate with others, including the public. It will take some time for us to change, because civil servants are only human. We make mistakes, we get confused, we suffer stress, and we lose our patience just like other normal human beings. Not every government reply will be to everyone's satisfaction, but we hope that more and more replies will be more informative and responsive and where we need to be firm, we can sound less offensive. When we make mistakes, we should admit our shortcomings and say how we will do better the next time round.
17. We also want to set a good example by ensuring that the Civil Service itself practises the Singapore 21 principles. For instance, we are looking into how to enhance our existing pro-family policies and also intend to introduce new ones. We already have maternity leave, no pay leave for child care, leave to look after sick children, flexible working hours and part-time work. In trying to improve these benefits and add new ones, we have to maintain a careful balance between looking after our staff and ensuring that service quality to the public and productivity do not drop.
18. Singaporeans, however, should become more active citizens. This means doing something about their problems and the community's problems by initiating action themselves. As grassroots leaders, this is where you can play a very important role. The Singapore 21 Facilitation Committee has no specific instructions for you on how to spread the Singapore 21 idea and make our citizens more active. In fact, it would be contrary to the spirit of Singapore 21 for the committee to tell you precisely what to do. It is up to you and the people in the community to think of creative and new ideas and diverse ways of making Singapore 21 a reality. In small and big ways, many people are already behaving and acting in a Singapore 21 manner. We can identify these practices and showcase those who practise them as role models for others to emulate, without even labelling them as Singapore 21. Little acts of kindness, instances of consideration and caring for others, selfless dedication in helping neighbours, volunteers helping the poor and the sick - things that make us a more gracious society and help us to close the income gap. Happy families, bonding among neighbours, close cooperation among different racial or religious groups, evidence of strong community spirit, pro-family workplace practices, Singaporeans overseas demonstrating their pride in being Singaporean - these are all instances of Singapore 21. The list is endless but as grassroots leaders, you will be able to spot them easier and faster than many civil servants can. If we persist, slowly but gradually, we will make our way together to the vision we all aspire for.
19. Thank you.
Copyright © 2000, Singapore 21 Facilitation Committee |
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