Singaporean Forum

I wrote this with the intention of sending it in to the Forum. But, things cropped up, and I didn't. Here's a sample of the text:

"Dear Editor,

I was bemused when I read the recent article on the Post-65 MPs commenting on Singaporeans’ whinging and whining (ST /11/06). Their castigation of the populace at large need to be tempered. It is telling that it is this cadre of newbie politicians who are complaining about their generation, whereas the old guard are apparently more tolerant.

May I attempt to bring this strange development into perspective:

1) Almost every employed Singaporean, especially males who have dutifully served their National Service, would have come into contact with quality improvement and service excellence through such instruments as Work Improvement Teams (WITs), and the submission of individual submissions. Civil servants would also be very well-versed with this, what with WITS, ESSS, Quality Circles (QCs), and the PS21 initiative to up service excellence. In the corporate world, business and industrial quality manifests itself through the ISO standards of quality processes. I daresay that it is a fixture on almost every Singaporean’s mind that they demand such excellence in quality in standards and service when they are on the receiving end;

2) Ironically, it is a testament of the government’s good governance of the people that Singaporeans have come to expect only the highest standards of living and provision.

In a world that has embraced a culture of excellent service standards, especially in a country that celebrates meritocracy and excellence in everything we do, Singapore has created a demanding citizenry that is quick to spot a lack of service and quality excellence in many areas of public and private concerns. True, Singaporeans are demanding, critical, and perhaps whiny. It is also inevitable that some ugly Singaporeans may choose to display their unhappiness in inappropriate ways. However, it should be borne in mind why this is so. Simply denouncing them en masse is not dandy."