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Aug 10, 2010
Take S'pore from 'good' to 'great'
OUR nation's economic achievement in the past 45 years is a miracle. As a Singaporean, I truly appreciate our past and present leaders who, with their vision and resoluteness, developed Singapore into a prosperous nation.
However, in our pursuit of rapid economic growth, we have adopted a meritocratic system that promotes individualism for the purpose of advancing material wealth. Consequently, this has created social issues such as a widening income gap and a culture of narcissism.
While these issues do not pose immediate threats to Singapore, they are fault lines that will gradually break down our social cohesiveness.
To tackle these issues, I urge our leaders to reconsider our priorities and focus on building our intrinsic values to take Singapore from 'good' to 'great'. During our first 45 years of independence, we concentrated on 'doing the right things' to pull Singapore out of poverty, but in the next 45 years, we should work on 'doing things right' to build our tenacity and wholeness to advance as one united people.
According to a United States National Intelligence Council report, the whole international system will change by 2025 with the rise of emerging powers, the unprecedented transfer of wealth from the West to East, and the growing influence of non-state actors like religious organisations. In short, the next 20 years will be fraught with risks.
As a small nation, we cannot do much to change the global outcome, but we can brace ourselves to overcome the uncertainties by strengthening our national solidarity and resilience.
My birthday wish is for all Singaporeans to work together for a better future. For that, we need to share a common set of core values, which include, among others, personal character, compassion for others, social contribution, sense of community and global connectivity.
Andy Sim
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_564060.html
Take S'pore from 'good' to 'great'
OUR nation's economic achievement in the past 45 years is a miracle. As a Singaporean, I truly appreciate our past and present leaders who, with their vision and resoluteness, developed Singapore into a prosperous nation.
However, in our pursuit of rapid economic growth, we have adopted a meritocratic system that promotes individualism for the purpose of advancing material wealth. Consequently, this has created social issues such as a widening income gap and a culture of narcissism.
While these issues do not pose immediate threats to Singapore, they are fault lines that will gradually break down our social cohesiveness.
To tackle these issues, I urge our leaders to reconsider our priorities and focus on building our intrinsic values to take Singapore from 'good' to 'great'. During our first 45 years of independence, we concentrated on 'doing the right things' to pull Singapore out of poverty, but in the next 45 years, we should work on 'doing things right' to build our tenacity and wholeness to advance as one united people.
According to a United States National Intelligence Council report, the whole international system will change by 2025 with the rise of emerging powers, the unprecedented transfer of wealth from the West to East, and the growing influence of non-state actors like religious organisations. In short, the next 20 years will be fraught with risks.
As a small nation, we cannot do much to change the global outcome, but we can brace ourselves to overcome the uncertainties by strengthening our national solidarity and resilience.
My birthday wish is for all Singaporeans to work together for a better future. For that, we need to share a common set of core values, which include, among others, personal character, compassion for others, social contribution, sense of community and global connectivity.
Andy Sim
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_564060.html
