No U-turn syndrome
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In Singapore, drivers are not allowed to U-turn unless instructed
otherwise, as shown by this traffic sign.
No U-Turn Syndrome (NUTS) is a term first coined by Singapore
entrepreneur Sim Wong Hoo, to prominently describe the social
behaviour of Singaporeans having a mindset of compliance to higher
authorities before proceeding with any action.
In his book Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium, he uses a
comparison of traffic rules in Singapore to those found overseas,
to describe the phenomenon : In Singapore, drivers are not allowed
to make a U-turn unless a sign specifically allows them to do so,
while in some other countries drivers may make U-turns freely so
long as the 'No U-turn' sign is not present. Following that, this
analogy is used to explain the red tape he has encountered with
hard-nosed bureaucrats, which in turn stifles the very creativity
that the Singaporean government has been trying to promote in the
recent years.[1]
NUTS is also considered as one of the major criticisms of the rigid
Singapore education system, where students are taught from a young
age to obey instructions in an unquestioning manner, in a society
where grades and paper certification are emphasised at the expense
of some life skills
Sim Wong Hoo was born in Singapore and graduated from Bukit Panjang
Government High School and then the Electrical & Electronic
Engineering faculty of Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore. In 1 July
1981, Sim Wong Hoo, with his school friend Ng Kai Wa, began a
business in Pearl Centre in Singapore. He got his start running
Creative as a computer repair shop. While doing this he developed
and sold an add-on memory board for the Apple II computer. Later,
Creative began creating customized PCs adapted for the Chinese
language that included enhanced audio capabilities so that the
device could produce speech and melodies. The success of this audio
interface led to the development of a stand-alone sound card named
Sound Blaster that Creative marketed.
Sim Wong Hoo helped guide Creative to success with the landmark
Sound Blaster line of audio card products. It was among the first
dedicated audio processing card to be made widely available to the
general consumer. Creative dominated the PC audio market and
remains unchallenged by a major competitor since the late
1990s.
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Achievements and recognition
At age of 45, Sim Wong Hoo became the youngest millionaire in
Singapore. He was also the first person to be named the Businessman
of the Year[2] twice, in 1992 and 1997. In 2002, he was named
Person of the Year[3] by the Singapore Computer Society in
recognition of his contribution to the IT industry. Sim is widely
considered to be the star entrepreneur of Singapore and he
currently chairs Singapore's Technopreneurship 21 Private Sector
Committee.
In 1999, Sim Wong Hoo released a book entitled Chaotic Thoughts
From The Old Millennium. He also coined and made famous the term
"No U-turn syndrome" to describe the social behaviour of
Singaporeans having a mindset of conformity to higher authorities
before taking any action