JC SiLent:You cant be that far away from me ; if we're looking on the same side of the moon
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
On last sun [03/07/05] Newpaper, there was an article abt a dialogue session with MM Lee regarding racial difference as a part of NUS 100th yr anniversary. A name caught my attention.
"Lawyer Michael Loh, 41". AHH.. look very familiar leh. do i noe him?? OHHH.. isn't he the spokesperson of the local acappella group Budak Pantai. OHHH no wonder lah.. i do noe tt Mike is a lawyer ard tt age.
if anyone saw tt article, pls reply if tt is Mike pf BP...
this is the article..
Scruffy neighbours? No thanks
IT began with a flattering question about Spore's multi-racial 'success'. And it received an honest answer from no less than modern Spore's founding father, MM Lee Kuan Yew.
No, we're not the Utopia you think we are, and it's not just abt race. There's also a worrying 'class divide'.He said: 'You don't mind ur neighbours not being of the same ethnic group, but you don't want them to be scruffy and dirty. And you don't want your kids to mix with oth kids who are filthy and speak in vile language.'So although Sporeans are still 'better off here' than in many oth parts of the world, Mr Lee admitted 'there's still segregation of sorts'.
The MM was taking part in a 90-min dialogue with some 100 uni chiefs and academics fr around the world as part of NUS' centennial celebrations.
A surprising statement, considering he was addressing foreign university dons?
'Actually, I'll be more surprised if he DIDN'T say it,' lawyer Michael Loh, 41, told The New Paper. 'Because of his role as a mentor, I think MM's come to the stage where he's more willing to reveal painful and sensitive realities. Obviously, he feels Singaporeans can take the hard knocks.'
Class consciousness, for example, has always been inherent among the Chinese, Mr Loh added. A concern that could well worsen as the income gap grows wider.
Mr Loh admitted he would be more comfortable living next to an educated, well-to-do Malay or Indian neighbour than one who 'just struck the jackpot and moved up... to a condo.' The initial question to Mr Lee, however, was centred on race.
With so much 'global strife' due to religious and ethnic differences, the president of Pennsylvania State University, Dr Graham Spanier, had earlier asked, how did Singapore succeed in 'embracing' so many different backgrounds?
Mr Lee's response: 'It's a very difficult ideal... and I'm not sure we've achieved it.'
'What we HAVE achieved is a certain accommodation. You will never get a completely fluid and fiction-free multi-racial society.'
Sobering words, coming fr a man who has lived through and grappled with the country's ups and downs over the past 40 yrs.
Spore's colonial masters, the British, Mr Lee reminded his audience, 'had not catered for education' when we became independent in 1965. So in the early days, the different racial communities ended up building their own schools, dormitories and free hospitals.
'We were like different kinds of fish in a pond with different degrees of salinity. The fish meet occasionally, but they're really more comfortable where they are, in their own eco-structure.'
That's why the Govt introduced a compulsory balloting system for HDB flats, he explained. So that Chinese, Malays, Indians and others will become one another's neighbours and their children will attend the same neighbourhood schools.
'This was discomforting,' Mr Lee recalled, and there was some adjusting to be done on everyone's part.
'We have got as far as we have by persuasion... (But) it's not been completely successful, because the rate of inter-mingling and acceptance is faster among certain groups than in others.'
He singled out the Malay community, saying they're 'centred around the mosque more than the other social centres that we've got'.
'Not quite what we'd hoped for, but that's the end result. We live with that.'
Responding, former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin, 45, told The New Paper he agrees that 'there's little harmony, but just co-existence'.
'It's true that there's now greater religiosity among Malay-Muslims. My fear is this might lead to greater exclusiveness, at the expense of multi-culturalism,' he said.
'As a Singaporean, I'd like to see us celebrate our diversity. I agree we're not there yet.'
& 12:05 am
Monday, July 04, 2005
happy happi bday to you guys..
3rd - Shannon Sim + Tom Cruise
[wow shannon you get to celebrate ur bday wif a handsome leh. but i belive you prefer anoth guy to be wif you on tt day..]
8th - KK BP
[wonder which e-card to send you.. dunno ur preference an stuff. so hard to choose]
10th - JC [my dad] + gallen's dad
11th - CW [my dear's dear]
24th - mr ou [pycho brother]
if i forgot anyone's bday.. pls go ahead and scold me. i deserved to be scolded. how can i forget ur bday rite?
& 11:54 pm
Sunday, July 03, 2005
On wed [29/6/05], I rec���d a sms fr a long lost frend as we din contact for abt a yr so i consider them as long lost pals.
���I having party on fri. called you and Belinda. Can you make it?���
OH MY��� times really flies. I have known for more than a decade. I can���t imagine tt she is celebrating her 21st bday in 2 days��� time. Memories flash thur my mind. So beautiful and happy. We had a great chat too to keep updated abt e rest. Can I travel back in time to these precious childhood moments again? Very happy to be invited by her and I had a excellent time.
To my surprise all of them are attached. They are ���pressurising��� me to have the same status as them. Sorry to disappoint you guys, no one is on my potential list and I am nt on anyone���s potential list. So I think won���t be attached recently. Another 3 more members in the ���Peer Pressure Group��� for my romance is concerned. They seems to be more anxious than I am. I am mentally prepared to stay single for now. have lot of big plans waiting for me. unsure if the 'bf' will be the pillar and by my side or will be a hinder for my future. no one has an ans for tt. leave it aside for now 1st lah huh. maybe nt now..
Anoth interesting discovery is tt when is a gals gathering somehow the topic of 'marriage', 'bf', 'starting a family' and stuff will creep into the conversation. Some frends even have made marriage plan aft their studies and a stable career.. which mean ard 25 yr old. Actually heard of some schmates have already married.
OH MY.. marry at such a young age. cannot believe it. i have nt seen the vast world yet. i even told my gf not to get marry so early. no money for 'ang pop'. pls dun me such surprise / shock. i can't take it..
Maybe our biological clock is ticking and sending as alert tt is time to plan/think abt such matter? i admit i am one of them esp when my gf keep mentioning their romance. start to feel tt i am 'left on the shelves'. [heheeha jus a joke lah] maybe i shld do sth abt it?? anyway i am used to be alone so shld be fine.. i hope.
& 5:54 pm
I have been working as a temp for abt 3 wk. Stress to perform���s creeping into my brain. I have to independence and trouble-less. Yet to achieve tt performance but I will strive for it. I want to leave a nt bad impression there. Maybe I will request for a testimonial in hope it will aid my future job seeking chances. Now is a gd time to learn and gain work experience. I get to noe wat is it like to work in this industry and stuff.
Their workload is huge. Everyone seems to OT till quite late. The senior staff I���m under can work till 11pm lor. I wonder if she can get enough quality rest. Definitely nt much personal time. No wonder there are quite a handful of singles ard. But they may nt be available. Perhaps they are too bz to settle sown / sth. I never will noe since I dun belong to this group.
To come of think of it lot of ppl have sold their life / time to work / career. But wat to do?? quite helpless in a way cos tt���s e way to survive in this competitive world since Spore want to globalise.
Then the top 3 leaders of Spore kept emphasising on stay fit in this competitive market and stuff. Uni grad have to adopt well and be flexible to various changes. I believe they can make it since the uni are doing so well. We have one of the 20 top uni here in Spore. Those who study there must have certain level of intelligence if nt how to manage and study there. Spore���s future will depend on them.
I think I shld worry for myself. I dunno how to position myself in this biz world.. need abit of time to fig out this part then I will have a clearer direction?? Hopefully so
& 3:29 pm