this is for the benefit of those don't subcribe to the safe
times:
The world doesn't dislike Singapore
I REFER to last Saturday's commentary by Ms Chua Lee Hoong, 'Why
they hate Singapore'. Singaporeans celebrated National Day last
Saturday and deserve the world's congratulations.
Trying to describe why Western democracies may 'not like' Singapore
is absurd and na�ve, and is probably based on a lack of general
understanding and knowledge of how most of the Western world
perceives Singapore today.
Western perception
Trying to describe why Western democracies may 'not like' Singapore
is absurd and na�ve and is probably based on a lack of general
understanding and knowledge of how most of the Western world
perceives Singapore today.
The world has other problems and people elsewhere simply do not
care about having Singapore on their radar screen of dislike
... more
I was born in Belgium, lived in four European countries, the Middle
East and Hong Kong.
I have worked and lived in Singapore for the past 10 years; my wife
is Singaporean, and so are my two youngest children. Yes, Singapore
is a very good place to live and work in, probably one of the best
globally. Singapore is very well 'managed' and that's where its
difference from many other countries lies. Singapore is not
governed, but managed as a company with 4.7 million
shareholders.
You have a vision and you have good managers who understand how to
implement that vision and its strategies.
You hire the best to ensure you remain competitive and highly
profitable in order to secure the future of your citizens.
Singapore's business model achieves its aim, and I am sure many of
its achievements can be 're-packed' into potentially highly
successful export products.
Success is the creation of balance, stability and prosperity
between the managers, employees and shareholders or citizens.
Western democracies, on the other hand, have their successes
too.
Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Norway and Finland - as well as
some Middle East countries - are all worth studying and
emulating.
Putting China and Singapore on the same page because both are
so-called authoritarian states is wrong. There is nothing common to
both, except for the ethnic origin of the majority race.
China is a country of 1.3 billion, pushed into a highly regulated,
market-driven economy at lightning speed, causing lots of
collateral damage.
We all know what Singapore is. I am sure Chinese and Russians, and
many other nationalities, visit Singapore to study and learn its
best traits.
They also visit many other countries - as do Singaporeans- which do
certain things better than the Republic.
It's na�ve, (or arrogant?), to think that the whole world visits
only Singapore.
The meaning of the word, 'hate' should be carefully weighed before
using it. There are two meanings to hate: intense hostility and
aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury; or
extreme dislike or antipathy.
I have travelled the world for the past 32 years. I have never
encountered or heard a single person or group who hates Singapore -
or even dislikes the Republic. At most, Singapore is criticised for
banning 'chewing gum' and for its lack of freedom of speech.
Mostly, however, and especially among Westerners, Singapore is
praised for being clean, affordable and secure, and for its
wonderful food.
The world has other problems, and people elsewhere simply do not
care about having Singapore on their radar screen of dislike.
Bruno Serrien
