“You Don’t Need To Be Awesome At Hwa Chong”: When Failure Means A Hell Lot More May 7, 2012
Posted by @Karen_Fu in change, education, human quality, life challenges, real power, Singapore, talent.Tags: education, Elite schools, singapore
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Note: Two weeks ago, a number of former Chinese High students spontaneously penned two separate FaceBook notes about their experiences when they were in school.
It’s been about two weeks since Wei Leong’s FaceBook note (here) and Jianrui’s follow-up (here) were published, and I’m pretty sure that most of us within their social circles and even beyond have been charmed by their sentiment and post-graduation enlightenment.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook & Twitter April 20, 2012
Posted by @Karen_Fu in change, Singapore.Tags: communication with the people, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, singapore, Social media
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Just checked on the renewed Facebook site of PM Lee. Within 12 hours, he has amassed more than 19000 likes; and more than 5000 followers on twitter. Its a positive start, and if this momentum is maintained that well, this one-man show can be victorious in the right direction. I sense the direction is already largely right.
The new Facebook page:
It has been almost a year after last year’s general election. PM Lee had invited citizens to talk only days before the election. And I believe that made the cut upwards.
The Old Facebook Page:
I get the feeling he has been closely following the conversations online. I don’t think any leader will lightly miss the interactions and the dialogues right across the online platform. What is happening online is usually what is in reality offline. As social media takes on stage in a greater role, anyone who downplay online power is going to miss a lot. President Obama has certainly created the trend for political leaders to follow suit. The appeal of engaging commoners from the ground is a huge plus in any political setting.
The world has changed. And the world is free because the Internet is free. The revolution of media has taken a course from hard copies in paper format that people are turning away in preference for online global media, that is reachable anywhere in the world with an Internet connection.
I feel that hardcore politics isn’t the way to go these days. This has been the case years ago. It’s the human touch that makes the cut. The ultimatum is to feel the ground and act on the wishes of those who are in need but were unheard of beforehand. This lesson doesn’t just run around in politics. It applies to everyone of us.
While fairness is what we advocate in life, and while we can’t do everyone the same rewards because each and everyone’s input is different; there is always history that tells us that complacency doesn’t pay. In the history of life, it often shows that when the rewards are unjustified, and problems are unheard we will get social upheaval. Its a huge cost. Be fair is of essence. The only way to be fair is to know what is on the ground and solve them impartially. And to listen to the ground and act upon it is the ultimatum.
I think the Prime Minister’s move is not only wise but very clever. It has already gaining a positive start. And on this first day, it’s far more upbeat than expected. In fact, it was a surprise. I was doing my Facebook in the afternoon, and all of a sudden news pop up in my reader.
I want a renewed fresh breeze of air. I think many of my fellow Singaporean friends want that too. Hope this will not only be good, but a great outcome. — Karen Fu
New Facebook Interaction:
Quick MRT thoughts on Prof Lim Chong Yah’s economic proposal. April 19, 2012
Posted by @Karen_Fu in change, Economy.Tags: cost of living, economic policies, Prof Lim Chong Yah, singapore
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Broken MRTs have never been so common since its inception back in 1987. I was running away from the massive after office rush hour by having dinner at a shopping mall. When I was having dinner, I saw an elderly man in his 70s making his slow pace from table to table. When he came to my table, he politely asked me if he could clear my plate. I was looking on as I recalled the many senior citizens who have to work even when they are in their 70s and 80s. It is not a rare sight. One of the most memorable impression was an old lady who was clearly suffering from osteoporosis. She had a 90degree hunched back and had to clean the toilets at Raffles City. I told her to forget about drying the toilet floors and just quit the job. She told me she couldn’t because her middle aged son had trouble making ends meet. For some weird coincidence, she boarded the same MRT train as me later. I gave my seat up for her. And an Indian guy gave his seat up for me and we ended up sitting together. She talked a lot along the journey from HDB flat prices to jobs to her toilet chores at the shopping mall. It left a strong impact on me.
Unfortunately after some 2-3 years, I am still ploughing myself. If I had the ability to hire these old folks for a much higher pay and at far shorter hours, I would without hesitation. If I could really have it, old people should not work.
The cost of living is getting higher. I could dare say it has gone through the roof. Low income earners are making far too low. And when I read the proposal from Prof Lim Chong Yah, I applauded. Not only the old are working with meagre pay but so are those blue collar workers. In due course, everyone will get it in one way or the other. Cutting labour costs has its limits. How low can you go when living costs go up all the time? The law of economics can do up a certain point, often playing around with figures to solve problems. The ultimate is to feel the ground and hear what people are complaining about and act on it. Human factors have different permutation set of issues that contribute to those economics problems. We cannot plainly say we do this policy and that taxation, while insisting that wages must be kept low for businesses to survive. To me, it doesn’t make full sense. The way I see it is that if costs is the way to handle problems so firms don’t crash, then we are all screwed, as costs cannot go any lower. Falling to an unacceptable low point is as good as being unemployed.
I hope Prof Lim’s proposal is taken in somehow. I think we need a flip. And a quick one too. — Karen Fu
