Of over six billion people in the world, about 599,994,000,000 have a place, however flawed, they can count as their country. The remaining six million people are called Singaporeans.
We are simultaneously miracle and tragedy. Economically speaking, Singapore has prospered far beyond what anybody thought possible. Less than half a century in existence, we are already considered a first world country – we punch far above our weight and no one can dispute that. Ours is a story to be envied. Yet, it is not a story I want to be a part of. Not any more. Singapore’s economic progress has bred a lethargic apathy amongst the general populace so monolithic that any mandate is meekly swallowed and adhered to. Every moment, six million sheep go where their shepherd bids, blissfully unaware that when the time comes, they will make a final trip to the slaughterhouse, to be carved up and sold, without a single ounce of profit sacrificed.
I have never paid much heed to the mutterings of what I always thought was a small-minded, vocal minority. Whenever people ranted about how ours was perhaps the worst illusion of democracy to have ever existed and that the powers-that-be were little more than the polished amalgamation of history’s greediest, cruellest dictators, but far more sinister in that they committed their atrocities clad in a cloak of orchid smiles, I simply shrugged. What was there to complain about, I wondered. Things are fine. Don’t these people have anything better to do? Why fix what ain’t broke?
But now I wonder. Is Singapore truly as immaculate as it seems? Have I been so blinded by the glitter of her city lights that I failed to notice the simmering malaise docked at our shores? I would like to consider myself an adult, a grown-up. Already, I am beginning to entertain notions of bringing children into the world, to perhaps start looking for a place of my own. These are just mere thoughts though, because I now realise I fit perfectly into a growing bracket of Singaporeans for whom options are becoming increasingly limited. While I am fortunate to not be impoverished, I am not wealthy either. The best that can be 
said is that I manage to get by. But owning a property is far beyond my current financial means, and as for raising a child, I don’t think it would nice to introduce her to an environment as soulless as ours. I do not want her to go through an education system where dreams are stymied and aspirations pigeon-holed. I do not want her to be told that she can be a musician in her spare time and that she ought to focus more on mathematics in the meantime because that way, she can get into business school and join a bank upon graduating. But I will have to say those precise words to her should she stay in Singapore. I will have to ignore how quickly I dispel her innocence, how mercilessly I execute her dreams. Because I possess the wisdom of age, I will know that she needs to secure lucrative employment as an adult if she is to ever be able to cope with the demands Singapore will put on her. As I see the dust gather on her guitar and her calculator becoming worn with use, I’ll be able to smile a little, because I know she’s safe. She’ll be able to survive in the nation she was born.
How could anybody do this to a human being? However practical, it is wrong to construct an individual, to mechanise her every move, to create a cog from flesh. If doing so is the only way for a person to be a part of a successful Singapore, then perhaps Singapore is not the proper country to be in. But that’s the thing isn’t it? Apparently, Singapore should not be considered a country per se. In the now notorious words of K. Shanmugam, Singapore is “a city, not a country.”
In one single sentence, Shanmugam effectively erased the identity of Singapore entirely. He accomplished a historic first – the obliteration of a nation in one single salvo of saliva. If this island is not a country, what does that make its people? Why am I here? And why on earth should I stay?
But it does make a certain sort of sense. Because we are not a city, we welcome everybody to come play in the multi-million dollar playgrounds we build. We let real estate prices sky-rocket because that only means more profit, in any case, nobody really stays in a city for long. You go to the city to get things done, to be entertained, to conduct your business before heading back to the suburbs you call home. A city does not have a permanent population, only inhabitants who stay variable durations. All that is fine and great, for a city. It’s vibrant and exciting, glamorous and intoxicating. But is that what a country should be? How am I, born and bred here, supposed to feel secure in a city? Cities are built and cultivated on dollars. Countries are formed by its people. When I am no longer an economic asset, when I fail to contribute the dollars, where do I go? Apparently, we’re advised to head over to Malaysia when we’re older. We can’t after all be reasonable expected to take up Singapore’s scarce space if we can no longer contribute can we? Singapore is a city, so if you can’t make the cut, get the f*ck out. We want members that can produce the goods. What’s the point otherwise?
Singapore is fast becoming a playground where the world’s elite can easily purchase membership and exclusive privileges. They can easily afford a hundred-thousand-dollar car, a home for a million dollars, they will not bat an eyelid over excessive tolls, they will even get more properties for investment purposes. All these are part and parcel of city life. And to cater to the city’s elite, Singapore can easily bring in people from less-developed countries. It’s the perfect system!
Singapore, I was born to think you were a country. I submitted willingly to how you shaped and moulded me. I cut my hair the way you said I should, made sure my shoes were white. I coloured within the lines and aced my examinations like you asked. I donned the colours of your armed forces for two-and-a-half years, and still don them on a yearly basis, which is rather ironic because I have never heard of a city having an army. I carry a pink identity card and a passport, again, both items I thought only a country had. I have never questioned anything you did, taken pride in everything you accomplished, accepted that banning chewing gum was for the greater good. Though I didn’t know it then, I guess I did all that because you were where I was going to spend my life. Now, I no longer have a clue as to who or what you are.
I’m tired of the city and I want to go home, but I don’t have one to go to. And if I do manage to obtain relocate myself in an actual country, I know that the token pat on the back you give me will be made solely for the purpose of sticking a “quitter” label on me. Because I should give as much as I possibly can and more to you until you finally decide to exile me.
.
--Kevin C
December 24th, 2010 | 
Author:
Sad but true. That’s the current state us true-blue citizens are in because of how our country is ruled and managed. It’s all about making money for our leaders. Who cares about the people.
We have an opportunity in a lifetime to make a difference now. We need an alternative government that cares and serves the people. Let’s make that change.
thanks for writing this heartfelt piece. it totally resonates with me and i believe also with all those who ‘dont know what they’re defending for’ anymore.
In refusing to participate in the Singapore narrative you have deftly created a stirring narrative of your own. You write well!
I got tears in my eyes after reading this *sniff*
Temasek Review is like Speakers’ Corner without the need to apply for license to speak in public. Yes, you can vent all your anger, you can complain about everything. But everything is just gonna be passing clouds. Nothing gets done.
Singapore use to be a wonderful place.
We don’t have much resources but many hard working people who send their beloved children to defend this place.
Everything change when Nepotism from some selfish individual in power creeps in and now it’s a bloody mess for pioneers.
@Kelvin C:
I emphatise with you, I am probably standing at where you are now. Instead of ending this story and begin another one, I am determined to be part of the many, who flips the page of the Singapore Story and write a new chapter.
What can I say ? You have uttered the cries of Singaporeans. No matter how loud we cry, we shall never be heard. I am actively planning for the future and waiting with my pen to cast the vote. THEN PERHAPS the day will come when our cries will be heard.
Come on. When you say:
Quote
“Of over six billion people in the world, about 599,994,000,000 have a place, however flawed, they can count as their country. The remaining six million people are called Singaporeans.”
Think of the Palestinians or the people from the Darfur region in Sudan, before your start the whole self pity thing….
Very true and I feel the same way too.
We should surrender ourselves to Malaysia and be able to use our CPF money to buy houses in Malaysian states like Johore.
I rather become a Malaysia and have more options to purchase a home.
I am a 51 yrs old Sinagporean, jobless without a home but with more than hundred thousand in CPF. I am renting a room from a PR. Its like being house arrest, can’t do anything, depressed and sick of living in this Country that I hardly leave my room.
@kwek60:
Even if Opposition takes over nothing is going to change because of globalization ? Don’t put too much hope on Opposition !
The writing has been on the wall for a very long time.
PAP has never tried to disguise its true master plan for Singapore.
Yet Singaporeans like you feign and claim ignorance of the true plan.
I am not trying to belittle your situation.
But seriously, who are you trying to kid?
Surely, you could not have possibly acquiesced and gone along with the master plan of the PAP all this time without having any doubts.
I cannot believe that it has taken you such a long time to realize PAP’s master plan for Singapore.
My sense is that, like you, most Singaporeans who now claim that they have realized the evilness of the PAP regime — are simply trying to hide their guilt and the fact that while they were voting PAP, they were AWARE of the problems that they now admit to.
In short, you are complicit in PAP’s evil scheme and you went along with it while knowing what it is — now that you are screwed over by PAP, you start to claim that you have no knowledge of what you have known all along.
As such, I have no sympathy for you.
Singaporeans like you messed up your own lives and the lives of your children — now you are paying the price.
Moving forward, I suggest that you either work absolutely to your fullest ability to remove the PAP regime and repair the damage that you have caused — or, simply migrate to another place.
Australia, U.K. and Canada are great countries with true first world systems and life-styles.
Throughout history, megapolis were built by megalomaniacs, and as much efforts as it took to build these megapolis, the effort to turn the megapolis into dust will also take some misplaced energy to implement the blind policies of vain megalomaniacs attempting to perpetuate themselves permanently in history.
Can there be any permanence in a relationship with megalomaniacs – who treat human resource as he would any material resources, to be discarded when used ?
It is not a surprise that K Shamugam would have slipped his intellectual honesty that “Singapore is not a country but a city” – as this cannot be his own view but that of the Cabinet, or even the thinking of the inner circle of the “Pro Alien Party” !!!
Surely, the “Pro Alien Party” would have regular intellectual discourse amongst the inner circle, and that the political leadership cannot possibly be isolated in their intellectual thoughts ?
There is a sinister and darker national agenda that is not told to Singaporeans, as there is a trend in which the political leadership from the “Pro Alien Party” has said something but does something different altogether – which explains for themselves and their actions to be beyond public questioning; as they hold themselves unaccountable in a non-transparent system shrouded in insisted ‘SECRECY’ !!!
After 51 years, Singaporeans will need to take back ownership of the government and the country from the “Pro Alien Party” deliberately building itself a territory for its monolithic political party similar to the efforts of Stalin dominating his CCCP over Soviet Russia !!!
@Kevin C
If you don’t like Singapore stories, please try Fairy Tales.
@Ex Aussie student:
Hello, can u be more empathetic…
Please think carefully before you point your finger.
Are the Palestinians not looking for a better life?What is wrong with XINGAPOREANS hoping for a better life.
Why the holier than thou attitude? You speak just like a group of people we know of who are always changing the subject and making bad comparisons and arguments that slide down the slippery slope.
Some interesting reading:
‘Mr Lee Kuan Yew, apologise unreservedly to this nation and its people’
http://jacob69.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/mr-lee-kuan-yew-apologise-unreservedly-to-this-nation-and-its-people/
More MUST read articles…
‘S’pore’s Nepotism & Legitimised Corruption Defined in Dictionary’
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sg_Review/message/1730
@Kevin C : thanks for this. Think it expresses my sentiments too. But if we stop here, then it will also become meaningless. What shall we do : pack up and go or vote for change
Its one thing to live in an impoverished country run by clearly corrupt and evil individuals without hope. At least it clear why things are the way they are. It is another to live in a wealthy country based on democratic principles and merit but yet still not feel like you’re a part of it or have any role in its future. I feel the same. Its like no matter what you do or what you build all you have is these few square kilometers to enjoy it in and those few square kilometers are being sold off more and more everyday to feed the greed. When its all sold off what happens then.
Er… But there are only less than 3 million of us born and bred Singaporeans.
Anyway, if Singapore is a city, that makes LHL the mayor. Can we pay him less?
@ Singaporean:
Quote:
‘What shall we do : pack up and go or vote for change ‘
DO BOTH!
Good one. We should hire less mayor assistants and pay less for them!
It is dreadful for the average Joe in Singapore which was reflected in this article.
However, PAP sucks did mentioned a very good point, that is most of us are part of the system and go along with it by voting for it and it is not a small percentage.
While many claimed that they do not have a chance to vote because of walk over, but deep down we knows that the result is the same because we will betray ourselves for that shadow sense of security.
While no government in the world besides dictators and commies dare to name calling their citizens, we are the only ‘democratic’ who allows those that we vote them into power to called us ‘dafts’, ‘lower mortal’ and ‘useless’ because they knows that we are indeed ball-less creatures.
Election is coming soon, but it may only end up proving to the world that we do deserved to be called ‘daft’ serfs.
I LOVE MY COUNTRY BUT I HATE THE GOVERNMENT..!!!
I think no one would disagree that the quality in commuting has dropped. The crowdedness and congestion makes taking public transport a worse experience than before. Quality of life has dropped. Coe has gone mad. Jobs have become scarce. All time high sense of job insecurity . All time high tolerance and acceptance.
No one knows total loss except…. Flat construction cost. How many really support who.
1st world citizen that least participates in political discussions. Untypical of 1st world.
@Kevin C : thanks for this. Think it expresses my sentiments too. But if we stop here, then it will also become meaningless. What shall we do : pack up and go or vote for change
@ Kevin C
Well written, reflects quite accurately the prevailing mood of the natives….countrymen replaced of their identity.
The new ‘Who am I Citydwellers’?
Singapore is booming. Prosperity is everywhere. If you feel that life in Singapore is too stressful or you don’t have what it takes to compete, you can always opt for a more leisurely life in cities like Perth.
And by the way, Sparta had an army and it was a state.
UK, Australia, US? Big countries yes but also screwed up systems except it’s economy is diverse and resources
sufficient to tolerate screwed up system. Yes bigger countries have more options for it’s citizens. City State
has limited options. What happened the last decade was the change in direction of policies and their mismanagement. Uncontrolled immigration policies, debasing of citizens privilege , elitism and arrogance of
the ruling class. The fundamental concepts of meritocracy, equal opportunities, social mobility , mutual respect, compassion for the underclass are sound. What has happened is the ruling class wittingly or unwittingly conscripted the boundaries to these concepts by simply measuring this on a monetary basis whereby the previledge class has the means to distort the concepts of meritocracy, equal opportunities, social mobility et al. I would hope for
a strong opposition to contain and reverse the trend and hubris of the ruling class.
All these Singaporeans talk about moving to Malaysia as if it’s a given. What makes you think Malaysia wants you???
Yes, I feel bad about your situation.
In case you haven’t realized, Malaysia IS a country and is not obliged to take anyone that wishes to come here.
Yes they are. Everyone is hoping for a better life. But when the author says that everyone else except Singaporeans have a country to call their own,that statement seems to be unfair to people such as the Palestinians, who have no country to call their own and whose living and political conditions are much worse than ours.
In the coming election Singaporeans will see some “new citizens” (some even Ang Mo) standing on PAP tickets.
Then just before the next election is say 2016, there will be a new law to increase at least one New Citizen in a CRC!
Mark my words.
Don’t cast blame on each other,but unite to rectify the problems facing us.We’ve been at one time or another been manipulated and hookwinked by the craftiness of this Famineleeches which has caused considerable harms to our social and economic well-being.We shouldn’t feel apologetic over these as their machinaries of explioting us are enormous and that we’ve to be discreet and adamant inorder to break their hypnotic spells.Time is now in our favour and we must maximise the best of our effort to remedy all these ills created by the cunning Famineleeches.The future will be good for us and together we must cherish the great moment to come.
An extremely heartfelt and a beautifully moving piece of writing.
Thank you Kevin for making some of cry.
“ExAussieStudent” is a typical stooge of the establishment. Illogical and out of point to confuse the issue.
So, as long as there are people in the world less fortunate than Singaporeans, we should just shut up and not seek to have a better life? Is realizing one’s true position self-pity? Is seeking to better one’s life self-pity?
It is people like you with such attitude which makes Singapore a poorer place to live.
@ExAussieStudent:
I will agree that the first paragraph of the article is a bit of a sweeping statement that is very unfortunate in this otherwise well-written piece. What is your opinion of the rest of the article?
“Apparently, Singapore should not be considered a country per se. In the now notorious words of K. Shanmugam, Singapore is “a city, not a country.”
In one single sentence, Shanmugam effectively erased the identity of Singapore entirely. He accomplished a historic first – the obliteration of a nation in one single salvo of saliva.”
Who does this Shanmugam think he is ? Belittling and writing off all the efforts, blood and sweat that the old guards and the citizens put in to built this small red dot into a young nation. He is now benefitting from all these peoples’ hard work, and damn him to say Spore is a city, not a country.
I think he should go back to India since he called Spore a city. His country is India and not Spore. He should not be a minister drawing his salaries from tax payers of Singapore the country, not city. Only a country has ministers, nor a city.
typo error “Only a country has ministers, not a city.”
there should be less than 6 million native Singaporeans in Singapore since more than 40% are foreigner?
In the now notorious words of K. Shanmugam, Singapore is “a city, not a country.”
Evil men (coincidentally lawyers) say things with a forked tongue to suit their situation. In making Singapore the playground for the rich and greedy, this government has lost its sense of ethics, morality and compassion. The have-nots are not wanted here, in this city-state.
Kevin, thank you for a well thought out and reasoned article. It resonates with many who may not articulate their thoughts but who feel like you feel, brother!
Let’s do one thing that is possible. Next year, we shall these tyrants “enough is enough”.
This is a great article. There’s no doubt that these sentiments are shared between the true blue Singaporeans. Your analogies really paints the picture of life in Singapore.
I have just this thought that I will like to share, in the past ‘migration’ was unthinkable but nowadays it sounds like a very practical decision. Its just sad that we may have to resort to this to salvage a happy ending.
since they like to fix the opposition, we the people must FIXED these bunch of white pigs come election.
@Uninstall
I think this is a piece written by someone who might be of similar age as me. We grew up in this city/country during a time when everything was good. Jobs are not that hard to find and our parents can afford decent housing even when they are not top earners. In the present day when the economic situation is different, we begin to rethink our identity.
Singapore is both a city and a country. We know that. The desire for economic growth has lead to our leaders turning Singapore into a city like Shanghai or New York, where more than half of the workforce is made up of immigrant/foreign workers who are employed in a variety of jobs. But Shanghai and New York are big cities in big countries. If a resident of those city could not find a job because of competition, it is relatively easy to move to another city within China or the US. In Singapore, we are a city and a county. If there is competition for jobs and rising property prices, there are nowhere a lot of us can go. I share the sentiment of the author, being confused about one’s national identity at this point in time.
@Babo
I am not saying that realizing one’s true position is self pity. But if i can quote part of what the author wrote:
“But owning a property is far beyond my current financial means, and as for raising a child, I don’t think it would nice to introduce her to an environment as soulless as ours. I do not want her to go through an education system where dreams are stymied and aspirations pigeonholed. I do not want her to be told that she can be a musician in her spare time and that she ought to focus more on mathematics in the meantime because that way, she can get into business school and join a bank upon graduating. But I will have to say those precise words to her should she stay in Singapore. I will have to ignore how quickly I dispel her innocence, how mercilessly I execute her dreams. Because I possess the wisdom of age, I will know that she needs to secure lucrative employment as an adult if she is to ever be able to cope with the demands Singapore will put on her. As I see the dust gather on her guitar and her calculator becoming worn with use, I’ll be able to smile a little, because I know she’s safe. She’ll be able to survive in the nation she was born.
How could anybody do this to a human being?”
How could anybody do this to a human being, the author said. As soulless as the author put this situation to be, I am pretty sure there are millions of people in the world who would really want to be in this situation.
However, I do feel what the author is feeling. The Singapore that I grew up in is not the same anymore. The compulsory sense of nationalism that was constantly drilled into us when we were in school is slowly disappearing.
A mutual sentiment all round//
The letter grew the world population by ard 1000 times… World pop, if using the long scale, is ard 6,800 million. Ard 7 billion using the short scale.
true and i agree totally..but to think back years ago when you cherished this country and see major changes and you suddenly feel lost..and thats you but not all the other thousand people..You are changing and so this country whom i so called singapore..To be honest when i travelled and I saw beautifull weather and snow and its beautifull nature that country have to offer..I am looking at the bright side..yet at one corner people are starving in coldness..the government sucks,,the children are not so well educated and they are living in big ungoverned countries and messy politic changes…I have lived all my lives here and I saw the changes and I am proud to be a singaporean. This country is educating my children the way I cant educate them..everywhere we go my children are well behaved despite all the dos and the donts they have learnt in this country and they are no country bumpkins…they are well civilised modern intelligent soul…At times I too felt lost and lonely but not becoz of singapore ..its the person in me..I still call singapore my home and I carry with me my pink passport and I still eat chewing gum..its ok to break small laws..but I dont carry a gun and my children are safe in big shopping centres…i feel very safe here even though I feel stuffy and chocked sometimes, so are the people out there in those big countries..
First the pap regime tell us to look for old folks home to retire in JB, in his own words, JB is not that far after all
Now they are telling us to seek medical treatment in Malaysia
Very soon they will be telling us to buy a grave in JB and be prepared to be cremated and buried there
what is happening to this country, it has no souls just money generating migrant from Phillipine, india, china, bangla, malaysian
Dont ever die for this country, it is not worth it, they make us singaporean a fool of ourselves, they make a sacrificial lamb out of us,
when times are bad, they cut our old age saving cpf, but still retain their stinking salary of millions
tell me that i am wrong
That is why we must get rid of the traitors from Singapore.
i won’t die for this “country” … never !!!
this is a place where any tom , dick or harry can come in .
this is a place for the rich and famous .
the only privilege you have as a citizen is to vote ?
you must pay everything in market rate or above market rate .
you pay all kind of taxes but you don’t even have standard social welfare .
you have no right to decide when to collect your own saving .
you can jump down or die in JB if you have no money .
you’ll sent to court if you didn’t pay your tv license or S&C .
you’ll feel like you are the foreigner in your own “country” .
it is cheaper to die here then sick !
To mr author,
Don’t be fooled by people with paper that makes them out to be some elite, go with your heart and make the changes that this country needs, spread the word, do your part as a Singaporean, ask questions ,get people to think about the past,present and the future. Being a founding father or founding mother of Singapore ,we should not give up because ,this is our home, if some genius tells you otherwise, you have the option to change that in the coming elections.
Remember brothers and sisters , what we do now, will echo forever in eternity, stay in the line!
Stole that from gladiator
I have just finished my army and wondering what to do in my next stage of my lifes.. I cant seems to decide whats best for me..Seeing so many good post was taken fast by those PR residents or by those immigrants..Firstly I was smitten by the changes that singapore has grown from nothing than a small island to what it is now a Giant pool of gold..SINGAPORE IS NOW A POT OF Gold..So why must I leave my country and not proud of it when it produces gold..People from big big countries flooded over singapore just to have a bit of share of that gold..I too can have a simple life in the country side where I dont need to work and just have a potato everyday if that suits me fine..but it doesn't suits me fine ..not for now, may be years later when I have enough of what I want and my children have enough of what they wants..If things doesnt happens the way I want it ..I have to make it happen and still be gratefull..Even if you wants to have a drink and theres no one around to help you..you need to get yourself a cup and filled your own water to filled your thirst and only than you feel enough..if you still don't feel enough ..I guessed you need an assistant to help you..coz you are aging…So is aging the main problem of your mental distressed..so its not singapore its you!! If small countries like singapore give you asense of loss identity…I suggest you avoid big countries..if you tend to look for peace and serenity just go for a holidays and comes back feeling good..never say you lost touch of singapore coz its a sign of loosing memories…singapore never looses you, its you who looses touch!