I think sbst should be interested in this.....although it's
kinda rare article from Malaysia
Sim Bak Heng
Fri, Apr 18, 2008
New Straits Times
Aren't we good neighbours?
Have you made any negative or sarcastic remarks about
Singaporeans?
Well, keep the answer to yourself.
For many years, we have labelled Singaporeans as 'kiasu' (scared to
lose), without realising that this is a rather common universal
trait.
We tend to stamp them as easily going astray and not being
law-abiding the moment they step out of the island, judging from
the way they drive and dispose of rubbish in Malaysia, without
realising how scary our very own figures of road deaths and
worsening pollution cases can be.
Those who envy the strong Singapore dollar will remark on how vain
those Singaporeans are when spending their money in Johor Baru,
without realising we are no better off when holidaying in Thailand
or Indonesia.
So what! Isn't the Causeway still choked with vehicles every
morning. Are we not still sending our children to schools in the
island state, and seeing workers flock to the republic and coming
back with a smile from the money-changing outlets?
Sometimes, we need to pause and examine ourselves.
Are these negative or sarcastic remarks made out of envy, jealousy
or is that the way we were brought up to treat foreigners?
Forget about how Singapore separated from Malaysia as not many may
be interested in history, although I am sure many are surprised by
how Singapore has transformed itself in about 40 years, considering
the country's lack of natural resources.
Sometimes, I wonder how prosperous the Johor Baru economy would be
without the high spending power and investments of those
Singaporeans.
The retail, entertainment and food sectors in Johor Baru have
generally flourished and businessmen really have Singaporean
visitors and tourists to thank.
Because of the Singapore factor, Johor Baru has become a migrant
city with people from all over the country, including Kelantanese,
Sabahans and Sarawakians, looking for greener pastures here.
Then, again, some hop to the republic, as the lure of the dollar is
too hard to resist.
Singapore is like a magnet. While attracting capable people into
the so-called 'global city of opportunity', with ample job
opportunities and competitive pay, it also draws negative remarks
from its close neighbours.
We can learn many things from the republic which is known for its
highly efficient public administration, and an integral part of its
success is also probably due to its 'kiasu' approach of its
people.
After all, in the eyes of the world, Singapore itself is already a
brand name.
In order to position ourselves on the global platform and strive to
gain the competitive edge, we probably have no other choice but to
be even more 'kiasu' to succeed.
So perhaps we should refrain from being too cynical about our
neighbour from the other side of the Causeway. As the adage goes:
Prosper, thy neighbour.<!-- / message -->
