By Tamara Thiessen from Sydney Morning
Herald
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.”
http://www.smh.com.au/world/singaporeans-asked-to-chew-on-their-manners-20100530-wnjm.html
