Remaking Singapore: Get rid of Kiasuism

Remaking Singapore: Get rid of Kiasuism

There is a book on Fighting Against Terrorism.
What we need is a book on Fighting Against Kiasuism.
Just like the book on Somebodies and Nobodies, about rankism.

We talking about remaking Singapore, about raising entreprenuers who are risk takers and independent thinkers. Yet we insist on so much safeguards to ensure we don't get hurt.
What the man at the top says doesn't quite translate on the ground yet.

If we don't let our children run and fall, when will they ever learnt?
If we have to tell our citizens what to do and what not to do, to make every decision for them, when will they ever learn think for themselves?

When the Chick flu break out, the people were least alarmed.
"The government will know what to do," they said.

Remember the reason give for the previous ban on bar top dancing?
They were afraid people will get hurt.

Why has it been so difficult dealing with civil servants?
They don't want to be responsible for their own action.
This kind of thinking permeates to everyone.

Recently a mother was heart broken because a govt-board took her child away
for months for alleged child abuse. She wanted to go abroad for a while to recuperate before she lose her mind.

Her lawyer advised her against it.
Why? Scared the agency thinks she was running away.
So the lawyer wrote a letter stating that he had advised her against travelling and he would not be responsible for the consequence.

"It's not my fault."
"Don't blame me."

If we truly want a remaking, a transformation, we probably need a new campaign - "Don't Be a Kiasu"