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At the Tanah Merah MRT rail station in Singapore, hundreds
of iPhone-infatuated commuters appear to be as oblivious to fellow
commuters as they do to the sign strung before them: ''Value Life
Act Responsibly''.
It is the kind of behaviour-regulating message that is thrust
down their throats daily, though some observers are cynical about
their effectiveness. "This is campaign city," a marketing
specialist says. "There's a 'Smile' campaign, 'Be on time to
weddings' campaign, a 'Courtesy' campaign … there are just too many
campaigns."
In a country where people are regimentally law-abiding and
clean, happiness and civility are also deemed to be in need of
outside enforcement. Visitors to Singapore know they will be
greeted by spick-and-span public spaces, hoovered grounds and
streets free of chewing gum and spit; yet many say there is no such
assurance of finding good manners and a caring society.
In a letter to The Straits Times Sabrina Chen said that
''achieving true kindness boils down to having one characteristic
which is missing among us: initiative. Singaporeans lack the
initiative to care".
Under slogans such as ''Kindness rocks'' and ''Be a smile
champion'', the Singapore Kindness Movement has been campaigning
relentlessly for a more benevolent society. The movement's second
State of Graciousness in Singapore Survey, found ''S'poreans'' had
conducted themselves better on public transport over the past year,
amid hefty state-waged campaigns to improve consideration among
commuters.
But half the respondents were negative about behaviour in
public, on the roads, at work and at home, said the movement's
general manager, Teh Thien Yew. "Levels of indifference and
unhappiness are still high … we are all concerned about
graciousness in our country."
Some foreign workers in the city have few kind words about
Singaporeans' manners. "They are the rudest f---ing people I have
ever seen; they need some basic training in civic awareness," said
Paul Stapleton, an IT manager from Sydney. "They don't feel that
anyone else exists outside this tiny island."
The resounding verdict points to a Singapore rigorously
controlled at the expense of humanitarian values. So will more
state initiatives such as the Singapore Kindness Movement, whose
patron is the Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, reap change?
"The problem is the sole concern of most Singaporeans is money
and economic wellbeing," a long-time British resident says. "The
only reason the churches here are packed to the rafters is because
people attend in order to network."
It’s no secret that Singapore is a “campaign city”.
The National Courtesy Campaign, Speak
Good English Movement, the Singapore Kindness
Movement and even toilet campaigns like “Aim Right”,
“Wash Your Hands Right”, “Don’t Wet The Floor” are clear
testaments to this.
But Sydney Morning
Herald writer Tamara Thiessen takes this a step
further in a provocative piece entitled “Singaporeans asked to
chew on their manners” that was published on the
newspaper’s website on May 31.
In it, she questions the level of courtesy and graciousness
in Singaporeans as well as how constant reminders to be courteous
have to be “thrust down their thoats daily”. The article
further goes to portray Singapore as a regimentally
law-abiding and clean country, where “happiness and
civility need…outside enforcement”.
But despite the city-state’s spick-and-span spaces
free of chewing gum and spit, “there is no assurance of finding
good manners and a caring society”, she writes.
An IT manager from Sydney who is based in Singapore, Paul
Stapleton, is quoted in the article saying, “They
(Singaporeans) are the rudest f***ing people I have ever seen;
they need some basic training in civic awareness. They don’t feel
that anyone else exists outside this tiny island.”
Another long-time British resident staying here added, “The
problem is the sole concern of most Singaporeans is money and
economic well-being. The only reason the churches here are packed
to the rafters is because people attend in order to network.”
General manager of the Singapore Kindness Movement, Teh Thien
Yew, is also quoted in the paper as saying, ”Levels of
indifference and unhappiness are still high … we are all concerned
about graciousness in our country.”
Invariably, every society has its fair share of bad social
graces. But is it fair for an Australian or Briton to pass
judgement on Singaporeans as a whole based on personal experience
and a few opinions?
A 24-year-old Singaporean student, who wanted to be known as
Jen, told Yahoo! Singapore that Thiessen’s article is a
case of the pot calling the kettle black.
“Who is the writer to say that Singaporeans make
up an ungracious society? Yes, there may be some rude
people in Singapore. But there are always bad eggs in every
society. Personally, I’ve met my fair share of rude Australians
while studying there, but I don’t dismiss Australia as a country
of ungracious people.”
To Singaporeans’ credit, according to the State of
Graciousness in Singapore Survey, people
here conducted themselves better on public transport over the
past year. Also, the country’s “Graciousness Index” — an indication
of how citizens rate the level of graciousness within society —
climbed 3 points from 58 to 61 in the same time.
Having said that, while Thiessen’s article borders on
being one-sided and slightly extreme, could the ugly truth be
that she’s actually right?
After all, in the same survey, only 37% out of 1,000
Singaporeans interviewed were happy with the level of graciousness
in the city-state.
In light of such harsh criticism, do you agree that the
level of courtesy and graciousness in Singapore society leaves much
to be desired? Are state campaigns effective in inculcating
kindness and consideration in local citizens?
http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/02/singaporeans-slammed-for-being-rude-in-australian-newspaper/