SINGAPORE: Singapore society has often been
described as "kiasu" - a term used to refer to Singaporeans' innate
fear of losing out.
This label still sticks, according to an independent
survey by local consulting firm aAdvantage and the Barrett Values
Centre.
Singapore residents were asked what values and
behaviours described Singapore today.
Besides being "kiasu", Singapore was seen to be competitive,
self-centred, defined by material needs, and "kiasi', a term which
literally means being afraid of death.
The study polled 2,000 Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents
representing different gender, ages and living in different housing
types.
Experts behind the study said these are potentially-limiting values
- not necessarily negative, but possibly so if sustained in the
long term.
CEO of Barrett Values Centre, Phil Clothier, said: "One of the
numbers we look at is the total percentage of all the limiting
values that respondents picked out. Some nations would have
limiting values like corruption, blame, manipulation. The total
percentage can range anywhere from the high end like 60-70 per
cent, to as low as 4 per cent, which is in fact the figure for
Bhutan. Singapore's number is 41 per cent, which means it's
actually in the lower areas.
"One thing that's interesting about the Singapore current culture,
those limiting values particularly, is that they're much more of a
psychological nature, rather than, on the street really seeing
trouble. So we don't see words like crime and violence, and
corruption."
Mr Clothier thinks Singapore residents' honesty in acknowledging
these potentially-limiting values is a good sign that they are open
to change and improvement.
Mr Baey Yam Keng, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary
Committee (GPC) for Information, Communications and the Arts,
agreed.
He said: "I think it's a reflection that Singaporeans can also be
self-critical, and realise our own shortcomings and there are
certain areas we need to improve. I think it's not necessarily bad,
because it means we're being honest, and hopefully we can turn
ourselves in the direction that we can all improve as a society in
the way we think, in the way we behave."
The survey comes as the government recently announced that it wants
to kick off a national conversation on the future of the
country.
Respondents were also asked what values and behaviours best
described themselves.
And these were family, friendship, health, happiness and being
caring.
But when asked what residents desired in Singapore society, the top
five answers that came up were: affordable housing, caring for the
elderly, effective health care, caring for the disadvantaged and
compassion.
But some said the survey findings don't paint the full
picture.
Director of Behavioral Sciences Institute at Singapore Management
University, Professor David Chan, pointed to the survey methodology
asking respondents to pick 10 values out of a prepared list of
about 90.
He said: "I think it's timely to do a survey as this is to find out
values. But at the same time, we should be very cautious about the
findings of this particular survey.
"My understanding is that there are important values such as
religious freedom, freedom of religion, religious harmony, rule of
law which are not included in the list provided. So it would never
have been able to be endorsed. And these are values which I think
are quite important, as shown by previous surveys done in
Singapore."
Additionally, the survey sought to find out how Singaporeans see
their current and desired workplaces.
Respondents in the private sector saw their current workplaces
being defined by customer satisfaction, cost reduction and team
work.
Those in the public sector picked team work, bureaucracy and
customer satisfaction.
But it was work-life balance, along with employee recognition and
team work, that came up most often when asked what they desired of
their workplace.
However as Singapore gears up for a national dialogue, most
observers agree the survey findings offer compelling food for
thought.
- CNA/ck
