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Written on April 5, 2009 by Kelvin Teo

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Can Singaporeans think?

Can Singaporeans think?

(photo credits:e-wander)

SINGAPORE – It would not be surprising if such a question has been weighing on every Singaporean’s mind at one point of time or another. This is by no means an exhuastive topic, and it may not be possible to cover every inch of ground.

Singapore has always been governed using a top down approach. Put simply, the government decides every facet of a Singaporean’s life from the management of his national savings to the type of flat he is supposed to stay in. Ordinary Singaporeans have no part to play in the decision-making process. In a discussion on different types of citizenship participation and non-participation in a seminal piece titled “A Ladder of Citizen Participation”, Sherry Arnstein defined citizenship participation as a form of power re-distribution that enables under-privileged citizens who were excluded from the political and economic processes to be included. In a way, this will lead to the empowerment of such citizens.

Sadly in Singapore’s case, all ordinary citizens inclusive of under-privileged ones have no say in the decisions that concern them. And it is ironical when the government turns around and exhort citizens not to be reliant on it. The problem is that if citizens are not empowered through their participation within the decision-making process, when will they ever learn to be independent of the government?

That is not say Singaporeans cannot think in general. It is quite comforting to note that there are substantial number of Singaporeans who seek ways and means to highlight their concerns. In the past, it used to be sending forum letters to our mainstream media. The problem is that the chances of such letters getting published depends a lot on the political sensitivity of its contents and a huge dose of chance of course. Thus, the online media offers an attractive alternative. And it is pretty easy to set up an online interest group for individuals with a common interest to band together. In fact, the online media is fast becoming the collection vase for the thoughts of thinking Singaporeans.

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24096 CommentsCan+Singaporeans+think%3F2009-04-05+15%3A44%3A25Kelvin+Teo on "Can Singaporeans think?"

Fargoal on Sun, 5th Apr 2009 11:27 pm

Honestly, does the government really control every aspect of our lives, down to what sort of housing we live in? I personally thought I made a pragmatic choice to buy a good-sized HDB flat when the market was down. My peers mostly went for condos and paid a bomb for their efforts. Yes, the state in Singapore looms large and fills up most of the space with its intrusive policies. But that doesn't mean we cannot maneuver and thrive in the empty spaces in between. It's up to individual ingenuity and determination to make that happen.

Kelvin_Teo on Mon, 6th Apr 2009 1:51 am

Hi Fargoal:

I was rather alluding to the fact that monthly income determines the number of rooms of HDB flat. If you read my earlier article on upgrading (Green party in Singapore politics), do citizens get a choice whether they want upgrading? Residents do end up spending for upgrading but do they get a choice to choose the type of upgrading they want, i.e. a cheaper type of upgrading as compared to more expensive type?

Sincerely yours

The Void Deck on Mon, 6th Apr 2009 11:00 am

Of course Singaporeans can think – just that as in any society, there will be a spectrum of people of who can think better to those who can’t do it well. Is it deterministic that Singaporeans as a whole are doomed because of the top-down government approach and are conditioned not to think and let the government do the thinking for them?

In the area of politics and its critique, I think the answer is that Singaporeans can think critically, cynicism and complaints are symptoms of some thinking all things equal. Just that they take the extra step and don’t follow up with the thinking and think that they are helpless. People have been harping on the plethora of rules as obstacles to free-spirited creativity, thinking and entrepreneurship. In fact, these so-called obstacles are the very instructive instruments which forces us to think how to get around the rules, to subvert them, to undermine them and get ahead. Singaporeans can usually think critically, it is just that we are too sluggish to do anything about it.

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 6 Apr 2009 on Mon, 6th Apr 2009 11:21 am

[...] – Blowin’ In The Wind: The world according to Kishore Mahbubani – The Kent Ridge Common: Can Singaporeans think? – Sgpolitics.net: Self-Censorship: Singapore’s Shame (2nd Edition), Chapter [...]

Anonymos on Tue, 7th Apr 2009 6:55 am

I like what you wrote about the John Hopkins and A*Star tie-up.

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 15 on Sat, 11th Apr 2009 12:09 pm

[...] “Sherry Arnstein defined citizenship participation as a form of power re-distribution that enables under-privileged citizens who were excluded from the political and economic processes to be included.. Sadly in Singapore’s case, all ordinary citizens inclusive of under-privileged ones have no say in the decisions that concern them.” Kelvin Teo [...]

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