<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Meritocracy and its core values will never go out of fashion
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->THE next time one checks into a hotel room in Singapore, it may surprise him to note that adult movies are now available via (paid) in-house cable channels in some properties. Also, if one travels around Singapore, one will even find neighbourhoods where litter is visible.
Today's Singapore is a far cry from the city-state that restricted cabaret performances to pre-approved choreographed sequences, or banned the television serial Sex And The City as inappropriate for public viewing.
In 1965, Singapore's per capita income was approximately US$500. Today, it is over US$37,500 (S$54,300). The country's standard of living and physical infrastructure have made it a role model for developing nations around the world.
But after 44 years of independence, Singapore faces the perennial challenge of how to move forward without forgetting its past. This is not just about whether to demolish an old library building or not. It is about maintaining certain core values in a newly affluent and globalised society. A value system predicated upon an unflinching commitment to meritocracy.
Meritocracy breeds excellence. Meritocracy demands constant renewal, and even rebirth. It takes nothing for granted. It is part of the glue that maintains social equilibrium and without which no dynamic society can thrive.
So if one sometimes wonders how Singapore came to encourage global gaming firms to establish casinos here, do not lose sight of some of the other equally important social developments that have occurred recently.
The Singapore Armed Forces has just promoted a Muslim to the rank of Brigadier-General. Colonel Ishak Ismail's promotion is a first for a Muslim in a country which has been labelled by some as a Chinese city-state and where the role of Malay-Muslims in the armed forces has often sparked controversy. Through this act, Singapore has reaffirmed that meritocracy remains at the foundation of its social structure.
In the battle between modernity and tradition, values such as hard work, dedication and discipline do not go out of style.
Imran Ahmed
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->THE next time one checks into a hotel room in Singapore, it may surprise him to note that adult movies are now available via (paid) in-house cable channels in some properties. Also, if one travels around Singapore, one will even find neighbourhoods where litter is visible.
Today's Singapore is a far cry from the city-state that restricted cabaret performances to pre-approved choreographed sequences, or banned the television serial Sex And The City as inappropriate for public viewing.
In 1965, Singapore's per capita income was approximately US$500. Today, it is over US$37,500 (S$54,300). The country's standard of living and physical infrastructure have made it a role model for developing nations around the world.
But after 44 years of independence, Singapore faces the perennial challenge of how to move forward without forgetting its past. This is not just about whether to demolish an old library building or not. It is about maintaining certain core values in a newly affluent and globalised society. A value system predicated upon an unflinching commitment to meritocracy.
Meritocracy breeds excellence. Meritocracy demands constant renewal, and even rebirth. It takes nothing for granted. It is part of the glue that maintains social equilibrium and without which no dynamic society can thrive.
So if one sometimes wonders how Singapore came to encourage global gaming firms to establish casinos here, do not lose sight of some of the other equally important social developments that have occurred recently.
The Singapore Armed Forces has just promoted a Muslim to the rank of Brigadier-General. Colonel Ishak Ismail's promotion is a first for a Muslim in a country which has been labelled by some as a Chinese city-state and where the role of Malay-Muslims in the armed forces has often sparked controversy. Through this act, Singapore has reaffirmed that meritocracy remains at the foundation of its social structure.
In the battle between modernity and tradition, values such as hard work, dedication and discipline do not go out of style.
Imran Ahmed
