In an opinion piece published by the Straits Times on Sat, American Prof Peter Coclanis wrote that Singaporeans should think again when they complain, given that Singapore is a “pretty good place to live”, all things considered (‘Singaporeans, you think you’ve got problems? Think again‘, 31 Jul).
Prof Coclanis is Albert R. Newsome Distinguished Professor of History and director of the Global Research Institute at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He has lived and taught in Singapore, and often visits Singapore.
“It doesn’t take a visitor long to appreciate the fact that Singaporeans are perhaps most comfortable while complaining and, as a result, have developed the verbal remonstrance into something akin to an art form – or national sport,” Prof Coclanis pointed out.
He observed that Singaporeans would complain about anything – rising prices, hyper competition, the performance of the Government, the weather, reckless drivers, litterers, poor service, crowded trains, etc.
The complaints “provide much of the soundtrack for one’s visit, no matter how short or long”, he joked.
Prof Coclanis, however, conceded that there may be some legitimate grounds for Singaporeans to complain. “After granting that there is generally a performative aspect to the complainants’ whines – especially for easy-to-fool ang mohs like myself – Singaporeans do have some legitimate grounds for complaints,” he said.
“The country is extremely competitive and the pace of change is relentless. Wages, especially for low earners, don’t always keep up with prices, the Government can be overbearing at times, and the humidity is often stifling.”
Prof Coclanis also conceded that some of the complaints do provide useful feedback to the government, leading in many cases to “meaningful policy changes without the need for organised protest, much less political violence”.
Putting Singaporeans’ complaints in perspective
Still, Prof Coclanis asked Singaporeans to take stock, especially around the time of National Day. In his article, he attempts to put Singaporeans’ complaints in perspective.
He listed a few contextual points for Singaporeans to keep in mind whenever “they get the urge to let out a wail”:
- Singapore is a global leader in socioeconomic measures such as: GDP per capita, life expectancy (high), infant mortality (low), home ownership rates, proportion of income spent on food (low), school quality and educational performance, quality of healthcare, and composite measures such as the Human Development Index.
- Singapore has low taxes, ranks highly in global competitiveness, safety and honesty, and the World Happiness Report (32nd in 2020).
- Singapore has “very high ranking” on the 2020 Human Development Index (tied for 11th).
- Singapore’s income inequality is lower than in cities like New York, London and Hong Kong.
- Singapore ranked 6th among the 80 countries rated in the most recent rankings, for children born in 2013, in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Where-to-be-born Index.
- Singapore’s passport is ranked the second strongest in the world, behind only Japan.
Singapore isn’t perfect but, as most Singaporeans “know deep down”, it’s a pretty good place to live, all things considered, Prof Coclanis claimed.
“Maybe all that complaining helps. Keep up the good work,” Prof Coclanis concluded his article in jest.
Singaporeans struggling to find jobs
Meanwhile, while Prof Coclanis was jetting between US and Singapore, it was reported last week (27 Jul) that many Singaporean workers in their 40s or 50s belonging to the “Sandwich Generation” are facing tremendous pressure when they were let go. Many resorted to seeking help from the government to get a job.
One such job seeker was 47-year-old Mohd Nasir Ja’apar who used to work as a senior quality engineer for an oil and gas company. He was let go last April.
“I vividly recall the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as if it happened yesterday… Being ‘unwanted’ was how I felt, and my mind was desperately racing with thoughts on how I would face my family and friends,” he shared.
Mr Nasir spent the next four months applying to more than 60 jobs in pharmaceutical, chemicals, semiconductor and other sectors. But replies were slow to come; if any did, it was to inform him that his application had been unsuccessful.
He sought help from the government’s agency WSG’s Careers Connect, which eventually got him a job with an SME specializing in additive manufacturing. He was offered a position as senior quality engineer and had to undergo a six-month professional conversion programme, in which his salary was partly subsidized by the government.
Another middle-aged Singaporean, Ms June Bee Ling, 48, lost her job as a helpdesk officer in June last year. Fifty job applications and three interviews later, she was still drawing a blank. And like Mr Nasir, she had to seek help from the government.
Eventually in March this year, she got a job as an implementation specialist for a workforce management software company.
