Singaporeans complain about a lot of things.
MRT slow they complain, Government paid too much, complain, COE complain...
And when foreigners hear about it... They wonder. What's there to complain about? Singapore has got it good. Many people have a roof over their heads, food to ear, clothes to wear, good enough transport, etc...
And they say... If you see the rest of the world, Singaporeans really have nothing to really complain about.
So I wonder... Do we have a right to complain?
It really depends on perspective. Who's looking at the situation.
If someone from the developed west comes and looks at our country. They may think we lack freedom of speech, gripe about our chewing gum laws, they may feel that racial quotas in HDB housings are ridiculous.
But they will praise Singapore for how clean it is, how safe it is, etc...
Cos they are taking the good and bad parts, in their own opinion, and comparing against their home country.
Maybe someone from a less developed country would look at Singapore and think, that we have a great transportation system, safe country, everyone has a home, but yet everything is too expensive... And to them, it's ridiculously unaffordable.
And again, they are taking the good and bad parts, in their own opinion, and comparing against their home country.
The thing is... Everyone does that. It's easy to take the good parts and bad parts and match it off against what they are used to in their own home country.
From an external perspective, Singaporeans should have nothing to complain about. Cos our standard of living is very high, although our cost of living is high, it is still somewhat affordable.
But let's look at why Singaporeans complain? What are we comparing against?
We are comparing against what we are used to as well...
We are comparing against yesterday, 1 year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 30 years ago...
Externally, it's very easy for outsiders to say Singaporeans have nothing to complain about cos they are looking across different places at a point in time.
However, internally, Singaporeans are looking at the same place across a span of time.
And the truth is, something's have gotten better, something's have gotten worse. Some of our leaders might be perceived to be arrogant and out of touch, or taking for granted their past successes, etc...
And do Singaporeans have a right to voice these out?
And I think the truth is, yes we do.
It is our country and what we want it to become.
If my child used to get 100 marks in his exam, then a year later he gets 95, then 5 years later he's at 80, then 10 years later he's at 50 marks... Should I ask him what is happening? What's wrong?
Or should I look at other kids and console myself that there are others like him and just brush it off and think he's not so bad after all.
And the thing is... It's really all a matter of perspective.
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