posted by din merican–August 29, 2009
Singapore: A Model of Judgment for the United States?
Tom Davenport*
Harvard Business
Friday, August 21, 2009
We often talk about judgment with regard to individuals, but organizations and countries can have good and bad judgment as well. I was recently in Singapore for a SAS customer event. Every time I visit, it has struck me as a country with good judgment. Singapore just celebrated its forth-fourth birthday as an independent country, and it deserves to congratulate itself (although it rarely engages in self-congratulation — another aspect of good judgment). In fact, I’d argue that in many ways Singapore is a great example for the United States. Why? Here are a few reasons:
1. Singapore is a hardworking, disciplined country. It decides what it needs to do, and then does it. Every year for National Day, for example, the government publishes a list of challenges it needs to overcome. This year’s list included such bracing issues as “How to maintain high economic growth and improve living standard?” and “How to stamp out new diseases and keep health-care costs down?” There is also the lighter, but sociologically problematic challenge of “How to get younger Singaporeans to marry and have children?” The list of challenges is enormously appealing in its clarity and directness.
2. Singapore is obsessed with education — not just for children, but throughout life. Another of its declared challenges is, “How to design job-training programmes and wage supplement schemes for low-income older workers?” The country tops the ranks of educational achievement regularly. While it was once justifiably criticized for emphasizing rote learning, it has introduced programs that encourage creativity.
3. Singapore is a highly capitalist society, but its government plays a strong guiding role. Some of the country’s smartest citizens go into government. The government creates industrial policy and actively facilitates growth and capability-building in those areas. It did a masterful job emphasizing IT and building up that industry, and now it’s actively pushing biotech and services. For example, in services the government wanted to build on organizations with great service like Singapore Airlines and Raffles Hotel. So it encouraged Singapore Management University (a private university that was established by the government) to start an Institute for Service Excellence, and stimulated the development of a Singapore Customer Satisfaction Index that would be applied to all service industries.
4. Like the US, Singapore is a highly diverse society , with lots of citizens with Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Arab backgrounds. Yet they all seem to get along pretty well, and the country’s culture is greatly enriched by the diversity. Public housing is ethnically and religiously integrated. Other countries could probably use a version of its “Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act,” which prohibits religious rabble-rousing.
5. Singapore invests heavily in infrastructure — housing, roads, IT, airport (only one, but Changi is a very impressive facility). 83% of its citizens live in public housing, but it’s clean and well-maintained. The country is rolling out a new high-bandwidth fiber optic network. Buses and subways are clean and run on time.
6. Singapore’s economy is doing pretty well. It does anticipate a decline in GDP of about 5% this year, but there are signs of a strong recovery. Its stock market is booming. Its banks didn’t go crazy with subprime lending or bizarre derivatives. One economist told me that the Asian financial crisis of 1997 was worse than the current recession for Singapore.
Okay, it’s not a Utopian society. The government is a bit authoritarian for my tastes, but not as much as in the Lee Kuan Yew (its first prime minister from 1959 to 1990) days. The prohibitions against spitting and selling chewing gum are a little much — though I really like the clean streets. Yes, you may be caned if you misbehave, but it might be better than locking up the world’s highest proportion of citizens in jails. I feel that Singapore destroyed much of its interesting architecture in the headlong rush to modernize. And it seems to me that too many of its citizens are obsessed with luxury brands and conspicuous consumption. These are relatively minor concerns, however, compared to the country’s strengths. And many of the seemingly autocratic regulations might be justified by the ethnic diversity and high population density of the country.
Singapore is tiny compared to the United States (and most other countries, for that matter), but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a model. Barack Obama keeps saying that we need to buckle down and work hard to build an economy based on real production, not hollow financial chicanery. We need a little more social order, and a little less individualism. Singapore has already pulled off both objectives, and continues to provide a good example of good judgment for the United States and the rest of the world.
http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/davenport/2009/08/singapore_a_model_of_judgment.html
*Tom Davenport holds the President’s Chair in Information Technology and Management at Babson College, where he also leads the Process Management and Working Knowledge Research Centers. His books and articles on business process reengineering, knowledge management, attention management, knowledge worker productivity, and analytical competition helped to establish each of those business ideas. His website is tomdavenport.com
din,
is there anyway for you to pass a copy of this article to idris jala? i think he will need it and should find it useful.
Din
There you go, I am not the only one harping about Singapore. Its got no resources, only a port. I used to remember as a kid, how the transformation of a mosquito ridden swamp and coolies changed every six months, when my dad used to bring me with him.
One of vivid impression we had was, when we came back from Singapore, our car was full of trash coz my dad wont throw it out of the window. Mind you this was in 1969 and if we had followed the example of Singapore, Malaysia today would be paradise, a rich diverse, integrated, clean society where race and religion is second to the prosperity of the Nation. Note the poll in the Star today, 79% participating in the poll think that race should not be included in government forms. I know I am treading on thin ice, talking about religion and race. That is the fundamental issue, here, the root cause of all the problems in our beautiful country. To put it aside is surely convenient, but to resolve it, is what it takes to give to our future generation, a country that all of us can be proud of.
And just to let all of you know, one of my sister in law is a Malay, and she married my elder brother in Singapore. The integration of races in Malaysia could have happened, but the barrier was religion, and we will never have an integrated country until that is removed.
Back to the country with good judgment. I say it is not the good judgment. Good judgment comes when the leaders of the country are sincere, and place common good before self interest. Singapore had no choice, it had to transform and emerge from a mosquito swamp. Malaysia on the other hand, had many resources to squander, and squander everyone did. For me, the only true Malaysian leader was and has been the Tunku. The rest are just selfish people that has no place in our history except as thieves.
My apologies. I should have included notable leaders such as Jaafar Onn and Tun Hussein. In haste, these notable people were excluded as leaders I admire and Zaid Ibrahim, yet unproven, is getting there.
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Agree with James about religion. Will we ever learn that the only way is to keep religion well away from politics?
James Chua,
Singapore in 1965, after separation from Malaysia, started as an underdog. Malaysian leaders thought that Singapore would be a gonna without us and the trade we funneled to its port. It took a great but tough and uncompromising leader, Lee Kuan Yew, and his team of brilliant, dedicated and committed ministers who struggled from 1959 till 1990 when LKY handed over the reins of power to Goh Chok Tong to transform Singapore into a nation state with links to the global market. Today, Singapore is a financial center together with Tokyo,London and New York with world class infrastructure,and a very efficient civil service.
Tom Stewart gave 6 reasons for its success, but I would add at Number 1: Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, the dynamic and strong leader who thought only of Singapore’s interest. That is why I personally rank LKY as one of the greatest Asian leader and why I admire the man for his intellectual brilliance, integrity, tenacity and vision. He is Singapore, and I say that without exaggeration.
I could write more. But it is suffice for me to say that it was my privilege to live and work in Singapore from 1988-1991. It was one of the best periods of my life abroad. During that time, I learned to know what made Singapore tick and to respect Singaporeans for their sheer determination and competitive spirit. If there is one word I could use to describe it all, it is DISCIPLINE. —Din Merican
AND mahathir said if LKY wants war with no water, I would have stopped the water. One macho guy with no substance.
“I could write more. But it is suffice for me to say that it was my privilege to live and work in Singapore from 1988-1991.” Din Merican
Your last assignment with the corporate giant Sime Darby. Yes.
Din,
Frankly, I don’t like Singapore. The word “kiasu” is famous because Singaporean would do anything to win despite the suffering of others.
Untill today, Singapore is still paying 3 sen per 1000 gallon of water from Johor.
During the financial crisis 1997 – 98, Singapore took advantage of the short facilities available at KLSE then, intensified the attack on our market and currencies causing many people jobless, hopeless and some even committed suicide while Singaporean were only looking at their P & L account.
Until today, banks in Singapore are safe heaven for many corrupt leaders in this region. The peoples of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos and even Malaysia are living is misery while their leaders are allowed to park billions of their assets in Singapore. Just find out where corrupt generals in Burma keeping their loots if not in Singapore. Who bought Thanksin’s business before he became the PM of Thailand.
I can write down a long list of business dealings in which Singaporean are screwing other countries in the region for it own interest.
Let me end by quoting what Mahathir wrote about Singapore recently.
Quote; However when we concluded the water supply agreement Singapore raised a lot of issues regarding our railway land, the CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine) at Tanjong Pagar, training flights by Singapore warplanes over Malaysia and the Central Provident Funds.; end quote. Mahathir.
My 2 sen view is that they learnt it from Israel – the discipline i mean. The standing joke is that if the entire population of Jakarta were transferrred to Singapore – it’ll sink with Pedro Blanca.
There is a very thin line to thread when we talk of ‘discipline’ – LKY was/is a visionary and a highly intelligent plutocrat, with his own version of a Orwellian society, but its not benign – ask any Singaporean who attempts to be individualistic…
On this side of the Johore Straights, we are a veritable ‘Animal Farm’. All sorts of species, with our leaders being more wary of external form than substance.
Do you know that people living in Negri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor are drinking water polluted by “najis babi” from pig farms own by Singaporeans. Yes, they keep Singapore clean but they dumb shit in Malaysia.
I ask this Tom guy, Is it easier to maintain a 1 room house compared to a castle?
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C’mon guys!! C’mon, Chua-san!
Let Malaysia be the tong sampah that it has always been over the years. There are few countries I find myself in where I could sit in my car and throw rubbish out the window every which way.
I want to be able to drive drunk after a night of binge drinking and not be stopped and if stopped be able to negotiate with the policeman as to what should or should not make him happy over the weekend.
.Where else can I do a kereta rosak without the help of some financial inducement to the policeman?
Where else can I expect to find health centers where health is not their concern?
Where else can I walk into a pub and a restaurant and wine and dine as I smoke?
Where else can I find a restaurant open at all hours and into the wee hours of the morning? Where else can I find a restaurant to have my dinner and not having to tip the waitress?
Where else can I find a court clerk willing to lose a file, and a property valuer willing to change his valuation report for a few hundred ringgits?
If this is the price we have to pay for being a developed country, I want my country to remain underdeveloped.
“On this side of the Johore Straights …” Menyalak-er
Never knew Johore has gone straight! Sexual orientation has always been an issue back home.
We can do with a wee bit of anarchy, to get the juices flowing, Bean. It’s the ‘corrupted’ confusion that drives us nuts!
Oh yes.
Where eilse can I go without being stopped for driving on the wrong side of the road? Over here we drive on the right side.
And where else can you go out and drink with your Muslim friend and when caught by the religious authorities you go scot-free and your Muslim friend get caned? Only in Malaysia man.
Yes Bean, one man’s meat is another’s poison. It depends on what your soul wants, if you want to make deals, make millions stealing treasury money, Malaysia’s definitely the place. It would make a fine place for me if I had settled down, and seriously done something at home instead of island hopping, diving, and working on small deals that were fun.
But you prefer the safety in a regulated place such as NYC, so you would be in the wrong place, but one has to understand that you are playing devil’s advocate and your message is subtle and sublime. On the other hand, it is true that too much of something is bad, and I definitely wont be able to handle the regimentation imposed by a fatherly state like Singapore. Even NYC is a fun place, where if you want, you can trade in munitions and substances big time, and do out of the world financial deals.
Nevertheless (with the exception of our host Din), we are simply armchair critics about everything, and anything, and it takes tenacity, courage and dedication, esp people like Premier Lee, and we can say all we like, he did it, he proved it, and we were simply lucky or unlucky that he went independent.
On the matter of whether it is a room or a castle, the principles remains the same. The US has far more resources, and at the same time, far more constitutional constraints, and whether Premier Lee could have steered a castle the same way as he did for a room remains at best, a hypothesis never to be tested. In the US the President is a weakling confined in a cage of legislation, whilst in Singapore, the supreme leader is the PM, just like in Malaysia. And for those of you that is not familiar with the power of the US President, his real power is only when there is war.
But show me a US President with the quality of Premier Lee, and I would happily show you sus scrofa scrofa can fly.
” ….he (Harry Lee) did it, he prove it, and we were simply lucky or unlucky that he went independent.” James CHua
Some say the only thing straight about Harry Lee is his hair. Some say the Johor ‘Straights’ – according to Menyalak-er
Fans of Mahathir say the only thing crooked about him is his nose.
I would want my whiskey very straight, if i had to drink ‘neuwater’ with it. Somehow it ‘pollutes’ my olfactory discernment – not that i have that much to worry about, bad sinuses and all that.
Hey Bean, don’t knock MM’s nose – its is considered ‘sexy’ like that actor Karl Marsden – ‘konek’ looking, it’s all about konnektions with that flur. In a way, i admire that old coot – at least he sticks to his nasty judgments. Quite unlike our present lallang flur who sways even if there’s no wind. That’s for playing too much with rolly polly.
Nowadays, we are privy to extremely poor judgment wrt a sacred cow’s head. Nothing like a little blood to stir the shit up. Somehow, pdrm is petrified of the mini-ayatollahs. Must have inherited that from their greatest sinner of an igp.
Some say the only thing straight about Harry Lee is his hair. Some say the Johor ‘Straights’ – according to Menyalak-er
“Fans of Mahathir say the only thing crooked about him is his nose. Bean
We can do with a wee bit of anarchy, to get the juices flowing”–.Menyalak-er
“Hello! hello! Moshi!moshi Ozawa-chan. You are not teaching English at high school today?
Oh yes it is weekend!
Can we invite you to help verify the hair, nose and the flowing juices ever here.”
“Oh yes, Ozawa-chan,
We have better beef than Kobe Beef. You should come and try our sacred cow’s head with fresh blood barbecue on the streets.
“Haik! Ozawa Chan.
Oh yes you can bring Sake from Ota Prefecture, Ozawa-chan. Only beer is prohibited in Muslim-majority streets. But if you want to drink beer you can have it on Malaysian Airlines. The Kelabit CEO is now our Minister and a Muslim Tunku is our new CEO. But don’t worry beer still available on board as Hassan Ali only travel by kereta lembu.”
“Sorry Ozawa-Chan,
Dr Bean cannot come home to meet you at KLIA beacuse your yen is appreciating too much against USD. But don’t worry, Din Merican is free this weekend!It is fasting month and the DJ is on leave.” Gambate – neee. Konik kecewa.
tean,
When I first met Ms. Maria Ozawa I was a beef salesman in Kobe. She was so excited just to see me. Before I knew it she was jumping with joy screaming “Show me your meat, baby!”
“Hey Bean, don’t knock MM’s nose – it is considered ’sexy’ like that actor Karl Marsden – ‘konek’ looking ….” Menyalak-er
Mahathir circulated an open letter addressed to Tunku in ’69 in campus in which he referred to the statement made by ‘anak Siam’ that he (Mahathir) is as Malay as his nose is crooked. And during the separation crisis, Tunku credited Harry Lee with straight hair.
Hahaha, Bean a beef salesman? A-so. I would have thought Ms Ozawa would have asked you for tripe – it would have sounded something like: “Bean-san do you have anything-o ‘ripe’?” And of course Tean would counter: “You so very ‘ripe’-o”. And we’d know for sure Tean is straight.
Hi Tean,
Pls get your facts right!! Sg no longer import ‘babi’ fr M’sian anymore since the Nipah virus incident. Now it import fr Indonesia, Australia & China.
Tpg2Sg,
Thank you Tpg2Sg but did I say Singapore import porks? I just said pig farms own by Singaporeans.
Tean,
In this case, pls provide your “fact” to PAS or Umnoputra to chase them out. Whether they are Msian, ex-Msian or Singaporean owned.
Oh Yes Bean, Here is the famous letter.
Batu 6, Titi Gajah,
Alor Star,
17hb. Jun 1969
Y.T.M. Tunku,
Patek berasa dukachita kerana tujuan patek membuat kenyataan kepada akhbar telah di-salah faham oleh Y.T.M. Tunku. Sa-benar-nya tujuan patek sama-lah juga dengan tujuan Tunku, ia-itu untok menyelamatkan negara ini daripada bahaya yang menganchamkan-nya.
Pendapat-pendapat Tunku berasaskan kepada cherita-cherita yang di-bawa kepada telinga Tunku oleh orang-orang yang mengelilingi Tunku yang chuma suka mencherita kepada Tunku perkara2 yang mereka fikir Tunku suka atau patut dengar sahaja. Benarkan-lah patek bercherita berkenaan dengan keadaan, fikiran dan pendapat2 rakyat yang sa-benar-nya supaya Tunku dapat faham tujuan patek membuat kenyataan yang di-tegor itu.
Tunku biasa cherita kepada patek sendiri ia-itu Tunku mengelakkan rusohan dengan menahan hukum bunoh yang di-jatohkan kepada 11 orang subversif China. Sabenar-nya tindakan Tunku ini-lah yang mengakibatkan rusohan dan kematian yang berpuloh kali banyak yang terjadi semenjak 13 Mei.
Tunku selalu “bertolak-ansor,” ia-itu memberi kepada orang2 China apa yang mereka tuntut. Punchak tolak-ansur ini ia-lah pembatalan hukum bunoh tadi. Pembatalan ini menimbulkan kemarahan yang besar oleh orang2 Melayu.
Orang2 China pula menganggap Tunku dan Kerajaan Perikatan sebagai pengechut dan lemah dan boleh di-tolak ke-sana ke-mari. Sebab itu orang2 China tidak takut lagi menolak Perikatan dan orang2 Melayu pula tidak ingin kepada Perikatan. Sebab itu orang2 China dan India membuat kurang ajar pada 12 Mei kepada orang Melayu. Kalau Tunku biasa di-ludah di-muka, di-maki dan di-tunjok kemaluan, boleh-lah Tunku faham perasaan orang Melayu.
Orang2 Melayu yang Tunku fikir tidak memberontak telah-pun menjadi gila dan mengamok sehingga mengorbankan nyawa mereka dan membunoh orang yang mereka benchi kerana Tunku terlangsong bagi muka. Tanggong-jawab tentang mati-nya orang2 ini, Islam dan kafir, terpaksa di-letak di-atas bahu pemimpin yang salah pendapat.
Patek mohon ma’af tetapi patek ingin sampaikan perasaan orang-orang Melayu kepada Y.T.M. Tunku. Sabenar-nya, orang2 Melayu sekarang, baik PAS baik Umno, betul2 benchi pada Tunku, terutama orang2 yang di-hina-kan oleh orang China dan yang kehilangan rumah-tangga, anak-pinak, saudara-mara kerana tolak ansur Tunku.
Mereka kata Tunku chuma ingin di-kenal-kan sebagai “The Happy Prime Minister” walau-pun ra’ayat menderita. Mereka tahu bahawa dalam keadaan dharurat-pun Tunku ashek bermain poker dengan kawan2 China Tunku. Budak2 polis mencherita yang Tunku mengguna-kan kenderaan dan eskot Polis untuk menchari kaki poker.
Sa-balek-nya pula orang2 China tidak ada sedikit-pun hormat kepada Tunku. Mereka berkata Tunku “naïve” dan tidak ada kaliber. Ada lagi yang mereka kata yang tak dapat patek sebut-kan. Kata2 itu datang dari semua golongan orang China, dari intelek sa-hinggga China becha.
Pada masa lewat2 ini lagi satu kesan burok telah timbul. Orang2 Melayu dalam Civil Servis, dari Perm. Sec. ka-bawah, pegawai2 tentera dan polis Melayu tidak ada lagi kepercayaan dan respect kepada Tunku. Patek tahu kebanyakan mereka sokong PAS dalam undi pos. Pegawai Melayu dari
Polis, tentera dan askar biasa maseh patoh kepada kerajaan oleh kerana arahan sekarang sesuai dengan kehendak mereka sendiri. Kalau Tunku membuat apa2 yang tidak di-ingini oleh mereka, patek perchaya mereka tidak akan menurut kata Tunku.
Patek tahu Tunku takut kominis mengambil kesempatan kalau timbul kekachauan dalam negeri. Patek lebih takut kalau kerajaan mula “lose control over the armed forces”. Sa-kali ini terjadi, keadaan tidak akan puleh semula. Sampai bila-pun kerajaan civil mesti tundok kepada tentera. Tunku biasa jadi “Happy Prime Minister” tetapi orang yang akan turut ganti tak akan merasai “happiness” apa2.
Patek harap Y.T.M. Tunku jangan-lah menipu diri dengan berkata “satu hari mereka akan bershukor dengan perbuatan saya”. Ta’akan yang sa-orang itu selalu betul dan yang banyak selalu salah. Patek ingin sampaikan kepada Tunku fikiran ra’ayat yang sa-benar, ia-itu masa telah lampau untuk Tunku bersara dari menjadi perdana menteri dan Ketua Umno.
Patek faham betul2 kuasa yang ada pada Tunku dan patek masih ingat nasib Aziz Ishak. Tapi patek tak akan jadi sa-orang yang bertanggong-jawab kalau patek tidak terangkan apa yang patek sebut-kan. Kalau di-penjara sa-kali-pun patek terpaksa kata apa yang patek telah kata-kan.
Patek di-beritahu ia-itu Tunku berkata patek Pakistani. Patek tidak perchaya kata2 orang kerana patek tahu Y.T.M. Tunku tidak akan berkata begitu. Patek-lah yang selalu mempertahan-kan Tunku apabila orang2 PAS kata yang Tunku anak Siam yang ta’ berhak memimpin orang Melayu. Jadi Tunku juga akan mempertahan-kan patek walau-pun maseh ada dua sudu darah Pakistani dalam tubuh badan patek.
Patek sa-kali lagi mengulangkan ia-itu kenyataan yang patek buat itu ia-lah menchegah kejadian yang akan menambah perasaan benchi orang2 Melayu terhadap kerajaan dan menggalak-kan orang2 China menjatohkan lagi maruah orang2 Melayu. Rusohan yang lebeh besar akan berlaku jika ini di-
biarkan. Tentera sendiri tidak akan dapat di-kawal. Dan lagi kalau T.H. Tan dan dewan orang China boleh membuat kenyataan, kenapa ketua2 Umno tidak boleh?
Patek menulis surat ini dengan hati yang ikhlas dan harapan bahawa Y.T.M. Tunku akan bacha surat ini dengan sa-penoh-nya sendiri. Patek berdo’a ke-hadhrat Allah subhanahuwataala supaya di-buka hati Tunku untok menerima kenyataan yang sa-benar ini walau-pun pahit dan pedas.
Patek Yang Ikhlas,
(Dr. Mahather bin Muhammad)
Time to bid farewell to Senator Ted Kennedy. Happy sailing.
http://dinmerican.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/the-passing-of-senator-edward-m-kennedy/#comment-29063
That Patek yang Ihlas was never sincere.
The Bizarre Behaviour of Singaporeans
- observations made by a German national who has lived in Singapore for 9 years.
44 years of economic and material success have spawned some very strange behaviours among Singaporeans. They spent so much to buy a house or flat, furnished it up like a palace, but spent their time outside, most of the time at work. And the maids are the ones enjoying the million-dollar or multi-million-dollar assets.
Then they pay so much, the highest in the world, for a car only to park at home. Too expensive to drive, too many ERPs and car park charges to pay. And they are encouraged to park their cars at home and take public transport, being cheaper and more convenient.
And when Singaporeans travel, instead of seeing the places, they went shopping. The best part is that they would head for the cheapest bargains, buying stuff that they could get in Chinatown or pasar malam, at even cheaper prices. But they are still happy that they got a bargain.
And while the heartlanders are busy trying to make a life here, being told to bust off if they are not happy, which they could not, the rich and presumably very happy and contented citizens are buying up properties overseas just in case they need to make that escape from this paradise.
While many Singaporeans are thinking of jumping ship, or preparing to jump ship, hoards of new immigrants are rushing in to take their place in this paradise.
And to top it all up, they keep complaining about the govt and all the policies that they found unpalatable, but come every election, they will vote and return the govt to power.
Strange Singaporean behaviour