Is LKY's conceptual assumptions taking us to the Next Lap ?

robertteh SG

Most of his conceptual assumptions about leadership and talents have failed to work for modern Singapore since 1970s. For examples, the following are hampering our progress:-

(1) Meritocracy - only succeeded in producing public sector academic scholars interested in securing their career advancement and jumping onto bandwagon of high-speed promotion track without using talents to create a more competitive economy

(2) Education - his grade-centred and elitist education approach neglected broad-based knowledge application type of education needed to upgrade practical skills (posted to Feedback Unit since 2002)

(3) Economic planning - incentives were granted to foreign MNCs and foreign companies. Neglected broad-based knowledge application and creating of opportunities for upgrading and nurturing domestic sector of economy.

(4) Tax-and-recover policy - cost-recovering in every ministry and department has pushed up costs of living from utitlity to medicare, housing and other essential services causing loss of economic competitiveness.

(5) Over-emphasis self-centred leadership - lack of accountability and transparency has set back management and implementation excellence at every level of government which would have brought about upgrading and restructuring of economy based on teamwork and mass knowledge application.

(6) Legalistic controls and regulations - has deprived entrepreneurship and creativity and led to bureaucracy of the civil service which were only interested in protecting their existing status quo and maintaining their own policies.

(7) Ad hoc and intuitive economic management - lack of master economic planning and consistent implementation of hands-on upgrading of economy to produce value-adding and technology-driven world products and brand names.

robertteh SG

We are fast becoming a nation of educated unemployed. Many highly educated citizens are driving taxis and becoming salesmen.

The government only knows promoting conceptual education. This is only the most basic step in nation building.

The creative way to govern the country should be to promote knowledge applications in every field especially the new value-adding technology start-ups, international products and brand names.

Our leaders have governed the country for too long based on some general ad hoc and talent leadership assumptions.

There is very little doen to restructure the economy to value-added technology model. The ministers are only talking about such upgrading with little progress to upgrade to higher model with a lot of practical application of knowledge by all irrespective of whether one is a graduate or non-graduate.

Application of knowledge by every citizen requires a totally different governing philosophy from legalistic controls and regulations to facilitating and creating spin-off benefits to the economy.

If government continues to base its system on taxing and recovering all costs people will suffer and businesses will be killed off by the government.

We will end up becoming a nation of highly educated unemployed so what is the use of education.

robertteh SG

If the Hi-tech are made of the hundrum smaller businesses then it may be asked : who are our hi-tech talents? Are they the straight As people or are they the passionate people who were serious about applying their knowledge they have learned.

Of the 5 leadership pivotal policies most of them are ad hoc assumptions which do not facilitate knowledge application or empower the people except for taxing and recovering all costs.

This kind of government will not lead to any next lap and will only lead all downhill.

No wonder we are very vulnerable to recessions and external conditions. There is no proper promotion of population's knowledge application in every field.