Politics in Singapore

Singapore has a distinct political culture, where the civil service and the politics are closely intertwined. Yet, on many occasions, the civil service has reiterated that it cannot be political, that in the end, it still has to obey the directions as laid out by the political leaders. 

That said, when we evaluate candidates, we may not have to look too closely at manifestoes and pledges; the qualities to look out for in candidates are highly personal ones; the ability for critical thinking and the insight required to critique policies and issues when raised; their capacity for compassion in serving the people; their integrity; and their ability to facilitate - because after all, MPs work in a team and decide together on issues. 

A short note on Singapore's GE2011

Whether or not massive political change will happen on May 7, the issues facing Singapore will remain.

A global economy still in the midst of an uncertain recovery; an uncertain geopolitical environment; a changing climate and other natural disasters; increasing food and fuel prices; the threat of a pandemic... the list goes on and on.

These issues will continue to haunt us, and some of these issues could come to a head within the next couple of years. No matter who will be elected on May 7, they will have to steer Singapore through the whole list of issues, and then some. 

The objective for a flourishing Singapore remains, and there has to be debate about how this flourishing should be attained and maintained in the face of these uncertainties and complexities. Having a resilient, vibrant political environment is probably the best way to go about achieving that. 

Present Directions

 Some years ago, I thought that being in the position of an activist was a good one. I thought only of finding ways to deliver assistance, to change the lives of others in direct, tangible ways. Over the years, I've shifted my positions. Given the chance, I would really love to dedicate my time to doing something small, personal, and direct to someone else in need. I would savour the chance to do the acts that we have come to honour and respect: helping the poor, the sick, the elderly.

I also had this debate about whether to help those who were suffering in the far reaches of the world or to help those most closest to us, in our neighbourhood. That debate still stays with me.

Many years now, I'm now at a different position from that 18-yr old gin-nah who was finding out the fastest way to Africa. Now I'm older, and hopefully, wiser, and having a better sense of what the world is, how it works, how to live in it, and about the options to pursue if the goal remains the same: to find ways to contribute something to the world, to alleviate/eradicate injustice, to help others live lives in dignity.

For now, academia is an obvious choice, a place where one could obtain the respect and recognition from others, a place from where people in power sometimes turn to, for advice. And given my inclinations, academia is a nice place. The desire for action remains, but I now learn that action can take many forms, and the world needs all of these forms; some will be on the ground, helping out; some will be planning; others fundraising; still others finding ways to make help more effective. With that perspective, the world becomes wide open again, full of possibilities, full of the thrill of exploration, of finding one's own place in the world once again.

But I will not stay in one position, I will likely move to another place, do something else, keep pushing myself, finding new ways and means to contribute. To continue on this journey.

So help me God.

In Liminal Space

This is probably not the first time I'm saying this out, but the liminality of my present life status continues to exert pressure. "Liminality" is the sense of being in two psychological states, or so Wikipedia tells me (quoted from Victor Turner). I'm using the word in a difference sense though, because this has got very little to do with religion. Actually, this liminality has more to do with having "different lives". When in school, I'm not just a student, but someone who has been able to make connections with the outside world, and trying to find ways to make the different worlds connect in ways that will be productive to peers. I have interests and hobbies that could become full-time jobs, or at least that seems to be the trajectory given my extensive readings in strategy, technology, and all the rest of it. This is the life that is full of tension, which keeps me on the edge, which I suspect, also drains me psychologically, especially when support is not as accessible as I would like it to be. Yet in a way, it's also a life that calls, haunts, or evokes something in me, that drives me towards what I'm doing now. I attribute that to God; I'm not sure if any worldly motivation could have brought me this far, this much.

Friends, thanks for being on this journey with me, for tolerating and forgiving of my flaws, and my failures. For cheering with me in successes, for just walking, during the mundane.

 

Old things made new

Ran tonight. And old things come back to me. Strains, breath, fatigue, and the reminder that running is still about the focus, the perseverance. I'm still slow; will get faster.

Monsoon and Future of Power - I return back to a comfortable space, to readings on politics, of strategy. Old connections reforged, freshened, rejuvenated, augmented with new experiences. 

I'm returning to my synthesis mode; new lenses, new tools, to make new things out of old tools. Steven Johnson, James Gleick entwined in braid. 

A return to dreaming, and to make true those dreams. 

Rawr.