Think a LOT has been written about it, and yup, agree that Mr/Ms Sixiang made a very good point. Though what I'm REALLY worried about is her dad's response - I think it's VERY, VERY worrisome.
Think this is important, that before we jump in to judge, we need to stop and listen first to both sides. As Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him."
Still, if what the rest of the bloggers have been saying is true (even partially), then all the more we gotta pray for our leaders to have humility and servant hearts... else Singapore is going to be in deep, deeper, deepest doo-doo in the next few generations of leaders.
*******
So sourced out all the relevant posts:
Derek Wee's original entry: Still up at http://derekwee.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 02, 2006
When I read the Straits Times article (dated 24 Sep) on PM Lee calling the young to be committed and make a difference to Singapore, I have so much thought about the issue.
I am 35 years old, graduated from University and gainfully employed in a multinational company. But I cannot help but feel insecure over the future of Singapore. Lets face it, it’s not uncommon to hear, “when you are above 40, you are over the hill”. The government has been stressing on re-training, skills upgrading and re-adapt. The fact is, no matter how well qualified or adaptable one is, once you hit the magical 40, employers will say, “you are simply too old”.
We have been focusing our resources and problem solving on low unskilled labour. But in reality, our managerial positions and skilled labour force are actually fast losing its competitiveness. I travel around the region frequently for the past 10 years. It didn’t take me long to realise how far our neighbours have come over the past decade. They have quality skilled workers, and are less expensive. When I work with them, their analytical skills are equally good, if not better than us.
It’s not new anymore. Taxi drivers are fast becoming “too early to retire, too old to work” segment of the society. I like to talk to taxi drivers whenever I am heading for the airport. There was this driver. Eloquent and well read. He was an export manager for 12 years with an MNC. Retrenched at 40 years old. He had been searching for a job since his retrenchment. Although he was willing to lower his pay expectations, employers were not willing to lower their prejudice. He was deem too old. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have another No. 1; having the most highly educated taxi drivers in the world.
On PM Lee calling the young to be committed and make a difference. Look around us. How dedicated can we be to Singapore when we can visualise what’s in store for us after we turned 40? Then again, how committed are employers to us? But we can’t blame them. They have bottom lines & shareholders’ gain to answer to. Onus is really on the government to revamp the society. A society that is not a pressure cooker. A society that does not mirror so perfectly, what survival of the fittest is. But a society, where it’s people can be committed, do their best and not having to fear whether they will still wake up employed tomorrow. Sadly, Singapore does not offer such luxuries and security anymore.
On the issue of babies. The government encourage us to pro-create. The next generation is essential in sustaining our competitive edge. Then again, the current market condition is such that our future has become uncertain. There is no more joy in having babies anymore; they have become more of a liability. It’s really a chicken and egg issue.
Many of my peers, bright and well educated have packed up and left. It’s what MM Goh called “quitters”. It’s sad but true, Singapore no longer is a place where one can hope to work hard their lives and retire graciously. It’s really the push factor. A future is something we sweat it out, build and call our own. Unfortunately, people like me, mid 30’s going on 40’s, staying put by choice or otherwise, we can’t help but feel what lies ahead is really a gamble.
To PM Lee and the Ministers, we are on a different platform. Until you truly understand our insecurity, the future of Singapore to me remains a question mark.
Ms Wee's blog reply:
Thursday, October 19, 2006
mom's friend sent her some blog post by some bleeding stupid 40-year old singaporean called derek wee (WHY do all the idiots have my surname why?!) whining about how singapore is such an insecure place, how old ppl (ie, 40 and above) fear for their jobs, how the pool of foreign "talent" (dismissively chucked between inverted commas) is really a tsunami that will consume us all (no actually he didn't say that, he probably said Fouren Talern Bery Bad.), how the reason why no one wants kids is that they're a liability in this world of fragile ricebowls, how the government really needs to save us from inevitable doom but they aren't because they are stick-shoved-up-ass elites who have no idea how the world works, yadayadayadayada.
i am inclined - too much, perhaps - to dismiss such people as crackpots. stupid crackpots. the sadder class. too often singaporeans - both the neighborhood poor and the red-taloned socialites - kid themselves into believing that our society, like most others, is compartmentalized by breeding. ridiculous. we are a tyranny of the capable and the clever, and the only other class is the complement.
sad derek attracted more than 50 comments praising him for his poignant views, joining him in a chorus of complaints that climax at the accusation of lack of press freedom because his all-too-true views had been rejected by the straits times forum. while i tend to gripe about how we only have one functioning newspaper too, i think the main reason for its lack of publication was that his incensed diatribe was written in pathetic little scraps that passed off as sentences, with poor spelling and no grammar.
derek, derek, derek darling, how can you expect to have an iron ricebowl or a solid future if you cannot spell?
if you're not good enough, life will kick you in the balls. that's just how things go. there's no point in lambasting the government for making our society one that is, i quote, "far too survival of fittest". it's the same everywhere. yes discrimination exists, and it is sad, but most of the time if people would prefer hiring other people over you, it's because they're better. it's so sad when people like old derek lament the kind of world that singapore will be if we make it so uncertain. go be friggin communist, if uncertainty of success offends you so much - you will certainly be poor and miserable. unless you are an arm-twisting commie bully, which, given your whiny middle-class undereducated penchant, i doubt.
then again, it's easy for me to say. my future isn't certain but i guess right now it's a lot brighter than most people's. derek will read this and brand me as an 18-year old elite, one of the sinners who will inherit the country and run his stock to the gutter. go ahead. the world is about winners and losers. it's only sad when people who could be winners are marginalised and oppressed. is dear derek starving? has dear derek been denied an education? has dear derek been forced into child prostitution? has dear derek had his clan massacred by the government?
i should think not. dear derek is one of many wretched, undermotivated, overassuming leeches in our country, and in this world. one of those who would prefer to be unemployed and wax lyrical about how his myriad talents are being abandoned for the foreigner's, instead of earning a decent, stable living as a sales assistant. it's not even about being a road sweeper. these shitbags don't want anything without "manager" and a name card.
please, get out of my elite uncaring face.
And, Ms Wee's dad:
A lesson learnt, says MP and dad Wee Siew Kim - ST
'WHAT she said did come across as insensitive. The language was stronger than what most people could take.
But she wrote in a private blog and I feel that her privacy has been violated. After all, they were the rantings of an 18-year-old among friends.
I think if you cut through the insensitivity of the language, her basic point is reasonable, that is, that a well-educated university graduate who works for a multinational company should not be bemoaning about the Government and get on with the challenges in life.
Nonetheless, I have counselled her to learn from it. Some people cannot take the brutal truth and that sort of language, so she ought to learn from it.
In our current desire to encourage more debate, especially through the Internet, our comments must be tempered with sensitivity.
I will not gag her, since she's 18 and should be able to stand by what she says.
The new media of the Internet is such that if you don't like what she has said, you have the right of rebuttal.
Hopefully, after the discussion, everyone will be the richer for it. As a parent, I may not have inculcated the appropriate level of sensitivity, but she has learnt a lesson, and it's good that she has learnt it at such an early stage in life.'
- ANG MO KIO GRC MP WEE SIEW KIM on his daughter's comments
Finally:
Oct 26, 2006
'Insensitive' blogger also lacked humility, empathy
I REFER to the report, 'Teen blogger counselled for her 'elitist' remarks' (ST, Oct 24).
I believe Miss Wee Shu Min has drawn enough criticism for her insensitive and offensive remarks. Hopefully, she will learn from this saga and move on.
The public should spare her further personal insults and allow her to concentrate on her exams, bearing in mind that she is just an 18-year-old with a major examination coming up.
What I am dismayed about is how her father, MP Wee Siew Kim, appears to agree with her opinion and sided with her when he said: 'She wrote in a private blog and I feel that her privacy has been violated.'
If Mr Wee feels that his daughter's privacy had been violated, is he implying that the Government was wrong to punish bloggers who posted racist comments on their supposedly 'private' blogs that were viewable by anyone with just a click of a button?
I should think not. One should always be responsible and conscious of his choice of words, be it in an essay or a blog.
In the article, Mr Wee also stated that '(Miss Wee's) basic point is reasonable' and 'some people cannot take the brutal truth'.
I have read Mr Derek Wee's commentary and I feel that he is not the unmotivated or whiny, discontented worker that he was portrayed to be.
Mr Wee was merely airing his fears about how older workers are finding it difficult to cope with today's competitive and practical reality.
At no point did he state that he was dissatisfied with his job and I believe he will 'get on with the challenges in life'.
It seems that Mr Wee Siew Kim endorsed his daughter's 'elitist' remarks and that her only mistake was insensitivity.
The issue at hand is not merely about insensitivity; it also involves values like humility and empathy.
If Mr Wee's only concern for his daughter is about being politically correct, then I am afraid he is missing out on something fundamental.
Hopefully, Miss Wee will learn from this episode about humility and empathy as well.
Yang Sixiang
*******
A quick overview and analysis of the situation:
Mr Wee's issue was the security of employment of older people, including himself.
Ms Wee's issue was that Mr Wee's concern is not that bad - there are far worse cases than that of his.
Her dad... same lah, I think.
The public's (as represented by the bloggers and Yang Sixiang) issue was the harsh personal attack on Mr Wee by Ms Wee, and how Ms Wee's dad replied.
My view - I think Ms Wee didn't really consider Mr Wee's issue at hand and (carelessly) vented her frustration about people who were complaining and discontented. Mr Wee, if we accept what he said, and the tone of his entry, was genuinely concerned about the unemployment issue at hand and was not just another idle complainer. Her dad... felt rather shocked by his reply, to be honest.
Hmm... think the issue of unemployment is something very critical actually. God really has great concern for the poor and oppressed. Both the OT and NT writers soundly denounce the rich people who don't care for the poor - and worse, exploit them. It's not wrong to be rich... as long as we remember the poor and help them out of our riches. We are going to be accountable to God for what we have done with our money. If we didn't use the money well... and God asks us, how have you used the money that I gave you? Then... if cannot answer, really really really jialat! or put it more bluntly, damn jialat.
Hmm... worrisome issue actually. What do you guys think?
*******
Oh, thank God, I remember an MP, who even though I only got to chat with him for a very short while, was struck by his humility and sincerity. I mentioned about him earlier in one of my previous blogs - if I rem correctly, he's the MP for Marine Parade GRC. :)
There's still hope for Singapore then. :) Prayed that he'll be blessed and go far in life and in his work too.
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