veni. vidi. vici. carpe diem!

at times, i search myself and ask what has the national identity and glue of singapore evolved into since those years where we cooperated together against the japanese in 1945. the new generation of voters live in a different environment where nationalism is fuelled against the incumbent party due to the fixed entrenched mindset that the government must intervene and make our lives better. national unity is reduced to nothing but noise. although i applaud the active participation of opinionated individuals on the social media scene, there is an inherent abundance of noise and wind to change the situation.

there was a time where people lived for their passions and dreams. people who sought to make things happen. such a strive is lost in such a generation today. we live amongst people who may have many different aspirations, but allow themselves to be held back by the government. many times do we see theonlinecitizen, cited as an example, creating healthy criticisms of the government’s conduct, policies and people. but, what i’d like to see, is that people go further than just making empty noise on facebook! when one generates heat in comments, creating tension amongst the people against the government without solving any problems, it not only destroys and erodes trust in the nation state, but in your identity as a singaporean. this might seem illogical, but i believe that the eventual consensus is always applauding someone to rebel and leave the country. hence, is it not detrimental to national identity and national unity?

what all of us should do right now, is to act and change things. i believe that the government however talented is only made up of a few people. a few people cannot run the entire country without the help of the countrymen. they can only inspire and encourage others to make a difference. therefore, instead of having a pessimistic outlook into thinking that our government sucks and that it is ineffective in this and that, let us seek to change it for ourselves first.

i give the example of Inch Chua, a local-born talent that is forced to go overseas as she is not well-received in singapore. i question. is it the government’s fault then? if we were to depend upon the government for everything, does that not establish a self-defeating argument that we believe in a dictatorship, as we count upon the government to carry out everything for us? the music industry can be controlled by the media but the demand for her also depends upon an implicit demand from the people. seek change. write a proposal to create an event to change things. i see many individuals who are inspired to change systems in singapore and i’m truly honoured to be working amongst them. my desire is to see more of such individuals who do not just create noise and heat, but truly work towards such a goal.

perhaps some of you would say that i’m just a pro-PAP dog or someone too young and unqualified to make such comments. for one, i do not believe in the PAP or any party for that matter. i will vote for the party that will make things happen, regardless of their method of achieving it. it is practicality over ideology. on the second point, i may be unqualified, but i too can make a difference. if you who is reading this, have not sought to do anything, you are no better than me.

you might ask me, “so what is this guy doing?” to be very honest, i dislike the education system in singapore. if you told me to argue a gp essay for the education system in singapore, i’ll agree with many that it has done wonders in creating math and science whizzes and has plonked us far above many developed countries in grades. however, one must realize that as the economy evolves, innovation takes up a greater proportion of the economy as comparative advantages change rapidly at an increasing rate each year. in agreement with kishore mabubhani that “asians are unable to take on global leadership due to the limits we have placed upon ourselves”, as we limit ourselves to the constraints of the education system. the education system has succeeded in producing good grades and capable workers. but leaders and innovators are not taught simply by following and learning acquired knowledge. these select group of capable men must be groomed by passion to be able to observe life and draw new knowledge from it, by applying previous understandings of knowledge, in order to link different subjects and knowledges together. in such a way, we can create new industries that have never been heard before. the occupation blogger was never heard of 7 years ago. with technology rapidly increasing, we need to stay relevant. that requires a change in the education system.

i’m not saying that i can change the education system. i’m not education minister or influential man. but, i know that i can influence the people around me. that is sufficient. moreover, i know that i can create events with other inspirational people and submit it to the MOE or even to various organizations who will be willing to fund an event of learning with sufficient argument.

i’m creating a new event called “fly your dreams”, in cooperation with various well-known organizations. in my own capacity, driven by passion, i know i can create waves of influence. my desire is to break the strata between jcs, polys and ites. this event is to let everyone know that despite your educational qualifications, you have the power to change things and that you should not limited to what society thinks of you.

at least, i’m not just making noise.

why not make some change?