made in singapore

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Originally uploaded by hanmao.

today is national day! just watched ndp on tv with mika and read the straits times section about my singapore in the afternoon. yup. it’s the time of the year where we share our love for the nation and appreciate the blessings we’ve had as a singaporean.

for me, the one value that i immensely appreciate in singapore is that of meritocracy. cos without meritocracy and singapore’s emphasis on education, i would not have been able to here and wat i am today.

well i was born to a family with modest background. my parents were chinese educated and held only o-level certificates. they did odd jobs and hence our family income was not very high. but yet, through many bursaries, subsidies and a study award, they were able to see me through until tertiary education. and today i’m holding a university degree and enjoying a comfortable income. to me, this is not by chance or by my own talent (if i have any) or my effort alone.

it’s thanks to a national policy to provide for all, “regardless of race, language and religion”. it’s not just about money or subsidy per se. it’s about creating an environment whereby anyone who’s willing to work hard will be able to reap his or her reward.

when i was in ri, i felt q stressed out initially. not just that the guys there were smart or that they were rich. it was also that most guys there had a strong family support. they spoke absolutely powerful english because english was their “mother tongue”. they could do projects in a such wonderful manner because their parents are so knowledgeable and capable. to be frank, i was then v jealous and resentful. but the thing was that: i was not alone. i had many friends who were in the same predicament and this so-called “adversity” did not appear as difficult as it seems.

but it’s easy to take this meritocracy for granted. i was reminded of the importance of meritocracy when i was in kolkata, india. i was helping street kids there and through their stories and wat i saw i realised how precious meritocracy was.

the kids were born to parents who were practically unemployed. the parents saw no value in education (some would rather pay for a cassette tape than to pay for a pencil and paper for their child) and had little interest in sending kids for education. however, some kids do show interest and may perform well in the “communal” schools. but when these kids enter mainstream schools, they are usually isolated and ostracized and end up back in the slums. it’s a vicious cycle and it’s sad to see the lack of hope amongst some of these people.

and it’s during such moments when one appreciates things that we have at home. yes. sometimes our concept of “meritocracy” may be skewed to some “merits”. however, the existence of meritocracy had given opportunities to many pple like to benefit and grow. so, we must continue this spirit and perhaps spread it to other “merits”. we shall encourage and help our fellow comrades to live their dreams!

majulah singapura!