skmBy Howard Lee

Singaporeans are growing more aware of the need to be kind and gracious, although they believe that more can be done to improve Singapore as a gracious society, according to an annual survey conducted by the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM).

SKM’s annual Graciousness Index measures the percentage of Singaporeans who perceive and experienced acts of graciousness, and this percentage has moved up from 53% in 2013 to 55% in 2014, and currently to 61% in 2015, a significant increase given the survey’s sample size of 1,850 residents, the majority of which were Singaporeans.

Dr William Wan, general secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement
Dr William Wan, general secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement

The results were announced at a media briefing today, 5 May, where SKM attributed this year’s increase to a growing sense of positive perceptions about kindness and graciousness in Singapore, with respondents rating both themselves and others higher when it comes to being considerate, courteous and showing appreciation.

SKM’s general secretary Dr William Wan said that this increase is a promising sign. “The increase in positive perceptions and overall sense of improvement is encouraging. If we as a nation continue this positive trend, then kindness and graciousness can become part of our norms and national identity.”

However, when asked who should make Singapore a gracious place to live in, 72% of respondents felt the government should be responsible, while only 60% saw themselves as sharing that responsibility.

SKM Graciousness Index 2015 s2Dr Wan acknowledged that “maybe we are over reliant on the government” although there is really no issue if the government wants to help with creating a more gracious society. SKM also works regularly with the Ministry of Education to spread the kindness message to the young.

Among the other influencers, the role of parents (50%) was seen to be marginally higher than that of schools (48%), indicating an understanding that education and inculcation of values is done both at home and in school.

Nevertheless, he said that there is room for improving this 60%, where Singaporeans can take greater ownership in the society they want to create.

SKM Graciousness Index 2015 s1The Graciousness Index is an annual study commissioned by the Singapore Kindness Movement to track experience and perceptions of kindness and graciousness in Singapore. It studies attitudes towards various pertinent community issues.

In addition to eight key Graciousness Index Components, this year’s survey, conducted from December 2014 to February 2015 also included questions on neighbourliness, the role of parents, online behaviour, assimilation of foreigners, and sense of entitlement.

Questions on Amos Yee, STOMP, shaming and hari kiri

When asked about his position on the online and offline assault on Amos Yee, Dr Wan referred to an earlier statement issued by SKM on the issue. “There needs to be some general rules for conversations,” he said, “and this should not be different whether they are online or offline.”

16 year-old Yee was verbally abused online and publicly slapped outside the courts when he was attending hearings for charges laid against him for allegedly posting an inflammatory video against Christianity and the late former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Shanmugam Amos Yee“We are all watching this trial, and it is wrong to take the law into our own hands,” he said, referring to Yee’s assailant. “If not, we will just go back to being cowboy towns.”

“The law will take its own course. I don’t agree with the slapper – I can understand his emotions, but (such actions) should not be tolerated, or we will do something even more wrong.”

Another editor present also asked Dr Wan about STOMP, and whether news media should be held more responsible for encouraging a more gracious society.

“There is a difference between shaming and guilt,” he responded. “It is fine to have guilt, as it reflects on an act, compels us to do the right thing. Shame, however, goes to the person, and has been a part of Japanese society where (there is) hari kiri. Shaming is not the right thing to do, and STOMP is about shaming.”

Nevertheless, Mr Ceasar Balota, associate general secretary of SKM, said that SKM had tried to do a “take-over” of STOMP in 2012 where the website carried SKM’s messages on its landing page, which he felt resulted in a more positive outlook for the website.

As such, he believed that STOMP is not averse to doing the right thing, and he also noted that the website has been noticeably more muted in the past six months.

khaw boon wanOn the issue of public shaming, TOC asked Dr Wan, given that 72% of respondents deferred to the government to build a gracious society, if more recent remarks made by Ministers in Parliament against opposition members referred to the practice of hari kiri might actually encourage Singaporeans to have a wrong mindset.

“The government can say what it wants, but it does not mean that we have to agree,” responded Dr Wan, although he noted that there could be instances where the government needs to take a hard stance if its feels that it cannot allow certain things. “There is always room for different opinions, and we need to learn that Singapore can survive despite these differences.”

Nevertheless, he advocated for a need to engage the government, and for the government to do likewise, in order to build a better society.

Subscribe
Notify of
31 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Reviving the Minimum Wage Debate (Part 4)

In Part 3 of a series of articles on the minimum wage,  Gordon Lee…

“欢迎回来协助调查” 卫生部、警方和监狱署联合反驳费雷拉指控

针对美国男子费雷拉在今早脸书反驳未曾盗窃和泄露艾滋病患机密资料,并对我国卫生部等机构作出指控,卫生部、警方和监狱署发表声明反驳,并欢迎费雷拉回来新加坡协助调查。 费雷拉爆料,指泄露资料者乃是另一名为Zachary Levine的洋汉,对此警方在声明中表示,在2016年已经根据费雷拉的举报,对Levine展开调查,甚至骇搜查了后者的住所,但没有证据显示他拥有卫生部相关文件,或曾分享艾滋资料库的数据。 至于费雷拉指他在扣留期间被虐待,警方称经查已证实子虚乌有。 “已调查证实被性侵一事不实” 而费雷拉自称在狱中被性侵才感染艾滋,但警方和监狱署回应,对于费雷拉举报被性侵一事,当时交由犯罪调查部门调查,惟最后证实不实。 同时当局也透露,在监禁期间费雷拉涉多次违例,包括袭击其他囚犯。而他早在2016年6月入狱前,就承认他自2008年就已是艾滋阳性带原者。 未干预费雷拉在狱中接受艾滋治疗 此外,费雷拉指有检察官干预他在狱中接受治疗,对此监狱署表示自2016年6月入狱,费雷拉拒绝验血,最终透过在卫生部协助下才得以给他必要的治疗,总监察署不曾干预其治疗。 卫生部则在文告中指出,卫生部长颜金勇昨天已在国会发表部长声明,详述了整个事件的事发经过。 卫生部指费雷拉继续做出虚假、无根据的指控。对于后者恐吓将公布更多资料,卫生部表示将和警方联手“采取适当的行动”。 卫生部也否认费雷拉所指,有关艾滋数据库乃是特别针对男同性恋,而是用于记录艾滋病感染率的统计数据,也会每年对外发布。…

Manpower Minister says new citizens have negligible effect on unemployment rate among Singaporeans

On Monday (3 February), the Minister of Manpower Josephine Teo said in…

KJ: An Open Letter to Christine Lagarde Managing Director of the IMF

18A Smith Street Singapore 058932 28th June 2012 Ms. Christine Lagarde Managing…