sad raving
Two sad things.
Just found out that Mrs Che, our biology tutor at NJC, has passed away. That's the 2nd NJ teacher to have gone. She was always so knowledgeable and somehow had all the right points stored in her head for the essay questions, including insightful ones not mentioned in the notes (okay, so I didn't do much further reading). RIP.
Second, the 'elitist' issue which happened in October (see here for original articles, or search on wikipedia for 'Wee Shu Min'. The Straits Times article with her father's comments is displayed here).
(The following info has been amalgated from various sources. I wish to highlight the fact that I found out about the issue once again from talkingcock.com's satirical articles. Nice one, fellas.)
I think it's sad for her to make such statements. The plain fact is that the internet is not fully private (even if you have restricted access), and what you write or say can be utterly damaging (even if you have a disclaimer).
To have the person in question say such a thing, she must be pretty damn pissed about the state of the ordinary, working class in her country. However, at least she is not losing anything, so even if she keeps her mouth shut nothing would be worse. It's not like in the UK (or other western civilisations that LKY likes to berate) where there is a state-paid benefit programme, where one could potentially be paying for his unemployed neighbour's welfare. In Singapore it's cut-throat; you work and pay for your own future. So it is sad that she, still a student, has so much to say to someone who has experience first hand the difficulties of working life.
All right, suppose for a moment she understands the difficulties of the ordinary citizen, and is trying to bring her point across that it is just his own bad luck that he feels insecure. But to insist that it is because of the guy's own poor attitude and performance is to blame for the society and his feelings are totally uncalled-for. She is a highly-educated student at Singapore's highest-ranked college, topped her cohort, on the Student Council (elected, mind you-- makes me wonder about how), is on the Humanities Scholarship Programme. So she is very capable. But she isn't driving home any point by attacking the man. She might not want to promote elitism, and might just be being sarcastic in her parting salvo "get out of my elite uncaring face", but that was wrong. It just won't work. That just smacked of... elitism! For a person with such a command of the language (or so it has been said) she must have been in no doubt as to the severity of her words, and for such an accomplished 18-year old, that was well disappointing.
So I went to an independent school, was sponsored for most of my studies, schooled at a top junior college, was in the student council. I have the exact background to be snobbish and selfish man. However I don't believe in putting others down when they seem to have accomplished less in life. I don't look down on others and don't take the face value of things. There is a difference in being an elite, to being elitist. I just hope the gulf between those two words is still as wide. People complain for a reason, and the genuine complainants know their arguments are capable of standing up to a challenge.
Linking this back to the issue...
He was a university graduate. In a multinational company. And he voiced his concerns about the government and society. My preliminary position is that he knows what he is saying, and he has some real concern about certain policies.
She was a student who took offence at his statements and lambasted him for not being successful enough. My preliminary position is that she did not study the facts/did not care to/ did not know the facts. Or she chose to ignore the facts. Because there was simply no reason for her not to know, given her privileged background, and her father who was a member of parliament (not really elected though, since he went in with the PM on a GRC). This is elitism. To look down on someone just because he is from a lower social standing as you are...
The worst thing was that her father the politician had to come out and apologise on her behalf. It was hardly emphathetic, and the feeling after hearing his comments are that they didn't mean to apologise at all. They just had to because they would otherwise be labelled 'elitist', which they probably were. However it would be bad for his (political) career to be branded so, and for her as well since she might jeopardise her chances of quick progression in future. So it was important to be an elitist but not to let others know.
Her father further commented, "I think if you cut through the insensitivity of the language, her basic point is reasonable, that is, that a well-educated university graduate who works for a multinational company should not be bemoaning about the Government and get on with the challenges in life."
Who are you, a Member of Parliament, to say that someone who seems to be fairly successful should not complain about his insecurities? How the hell is it not reasonable for him to do so? If such an educated person has issues with the government, isn't it more likely the government really has issues?
Secondly, someone who bemoans about the government can also concurrently get on with his challenges in life. Who are you to assume that he is not doing so?
Thirdly, why should a father come out to defend an 18-year old's personal comments?
Fourthly, what sort of attitude was the father holding when he said "some people just could not handle the brutal truth"?
Fifth, how did such snobbish turds get "elected" into office?
But I would be very surprised if
1) he got to run again as MP in the next election
2) she lost her chance to fast-track her future as a scholar
I am certain there are many more elitists running Singapore, with the gerentocratic LKY still very much at the top, his son the PM's "mee siam mai ham" comments (another classic first pulled off talkingcock for me) totally losing the common touch, and even the snobbish views of the Moses guy at the Ministry of Education a few years ago when he derided the ASEAN scholars for wanting to choose the colleges they were to be educated in. That was no saviour, and no way to speak to a bunch of talented foreigners invited to Singapore on scholarhip to study. They could have excelled elsewhere you know too, you kiasu Singaporean! That must have been why he was so afraid of them getting their wishes.
We live in a free society. Thank you.
Just found out that Mrs Che, our biology tutor at NJC, has passed away. That's the 2nd NJ teacher to have gone. She was always so knowledgeable and somehow had all the right points stored in her head for the essay questions, including insightful ones not mentioned in the notes (okay, so I didn't do much further reading). RIP.
Second, the 'elitist' issue which happened in October (see here for original articles, or search on wikipedia for 'Wee Shu Min'. The Straits Times article with her father's comments is displayed here).
(The following info has been amalgated from various sources. I wish to highlight the fact that I found out about the issue once again from talkingcock.com's satirical articles. Nice one, fellas.)
I think it's sad for her to make such statements. The plain fact is that the internet is not fully private (even if you have restricted access), and what you write or say can be utterly damaging (even if you have a disclaimer).
To have the person in question say such a thing, she must be pretty damn pissed about the state of the ordinary, working class in her country. However, at least she is not losing anything, so even if she keeps her mouth shut nothing would be worse. It's not like in the UK (or other western civilisations that LKY likes to berate) where there is a state-paid benefit programme, where one could potentially be paying for his unemployed neighbour's welfare. In Singapore it's cut-throat; you work and pay for your own future. So it is sad that she, still a student, has so much to say to someone who has experience first hand the difficulties of working life.
All right, suppose for a moment she understands the difficulties of the ordinary citizen, and is trying to bring her point across that it is just his own bad luck that he feels insecure. But to insist that it is because of the guy's own poor attitude and performance is to blame for the society and his feelings are totally uncalled-for. She is a highly-educated student at Singapore's highest-ranked college, topped her cohort, on the Student Council (elected, mind you-- makes me wonder about how), is on the Humanities Scholarship Programme. So she is very capable. But she isn't driving home any point by attacking the man. She might not want to promote elitism, and might just be being sarcastic in her parting salvo "get out of my elite uncaring face", but that was wrong. It just won't work. That just smacked of... elitism! For a person with such a command of the language (or so it has been said) she must have been in no doubt as to the severity of her words, and for such an accomplished 18-year old, that was well disappointing.
So I went to an independent school, was sponsored for most of my studies, schooled at a top junior college, was in the student council. I have the exact background to be snobbish and selfish man. However I don't believe in putting others down when they seem to have accomplished less in life. I don't look down on others and don't take the face value of things. There is a difference in being an elite, to being elitist. I just hope the gulf between those two words is still as wide. People complain for a reason, and the genuine complainants know their arguments are capable of standing up to a challenge.
Linking this back to the issue...
He was a university graduate. In a multinational company. And he voiced his concerns about the government and society. My preliminary position is that he knows what he is saying, and he has some real concern about certain policies.
She was a student who took offence at his statements and lambasted him for not being successful enough. My preliminary position is that she did not study the facts/did not care to/ did not know the facts. Or she chose to ignore the facts. Because there was simply no reason for her not to know, given her privileged background, and her father who was a member of parliament (not really elected though, since he went in with the PM on a GRC). This is elitism. To look down on someone just because he is from a lower social standing as you are...
The worst thing was that her father the politician had to come out and apologise on her behalf. It was hardly emphathetic, and the feeling after hearing his comments are that they didn't mean to apologise at all. They just had to because they would otherwise be labelled 'elitist', which they probably were. However it would be bad for his (political) career to be branded so, and for her as well since she might jeopardise her chances of quick progression in future. So it was important to be an elitist but not to let others know.
Her father further commented, "I think if you cut through the insensitivity of the language, her basic point is reasonable, that is, that a well-educated university graduate who works for a multinational company should not be bemoaning about the Government and get on with the challenges in life."
Who are you, a Member of Parliament, to say that someone who seems to be fairly successful should not complain about his insecurities? How the hell is it not reasonable for him to do so? If such an educated person has issues with the government, isn't it more likely the government really has issues?
Secondly, someone who bemoans about the government can also concurrently get on with his challenges in life. Who are you to assume that he is not doing so?
Thirdly, why should a father come out to defend an 18-year old's personal comments?
Fourthly, what sort of attitude was the father holding when he said "some people just could not handle the brutal truth"?
Fifth, how did such snobbish turds get "elected" into office?
But I would be very surprised if
1) he got to run again as MP in the next election
2) she lost her chance to fast-track her future as a scholar
I am certain there are many more elitists running Singapore, with the gerentocratic LKY still very much at the top, his son the PM's "mee siam mai ham" comments (another classic first pulled off talkingcock for me) totally losing the common touch, and even the snobbish views of the Moses guy at the Ministry of Education a few years ago when he derided the ASEAN scholars for wanting to choose the colleges they were to be educated in. That was no saviour, and no way to speak to a bunch of talented foreigners invited to Singapore on scholarhip to study. They could have excelled elsewhere you know too, you kiasu Singaporean! That must have been why he was so afraid of them getting their wishes.
We live in a free society. Thank you.
posted by cheez~ at
9:06 pm
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