National University of Singapore (NUS)—The government should do more to address the concerns of ordinary Singaporeans in the face of globalisation, members of the audience said after the Kent Ridge Ministerial forum.
Many whom the Enquirer spoke to felt the topic of the forum—titled “Globalisation: threat or opportunity for the ordinary Singaporean?”—was not addressed adequately.
Mr Vincent Hong, 24, a mechnical engineering student from NUS, said the minister focused too much on the big picture of globalisation, but neglected the concerns of ordinary Singaporeans and how the government should address the problems caused by globalisation.
“We know the start and the end, but not the middle,” he said, adding that “everyday realities” are something Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the speaker at the forum, did not address enough.
Another mechanical engineering student, Mr Nelson Ng, said: “We can’t deny there are threats, but we must tackle the issues collectively,” said the 22-year-old. “The government can certainly do more. The education system, for example, isn’t catering to globalisation.”
Mr Kumara Pandian, 32, an engineer, was more concerned about the social issues of globalisation, such as how rooted Singaporeans are even when they work abroad.
“The point is not whether there is opportunity or threat,” he said, “but whether Singaporeans [overseas] are connected to their homeland.”
Throughout his speech, Dr Balakrishnan stressed that globalisation is not something Singaporeans can opt out of despite threats of racial division, class warfare, and the risk of making Singapore irrelevant in the world today.
Held on Friday evening in the National University of Singapore, the forum attracted an audience of 300.
Even though the forum was a let down for some, others felt they benefited from Dr Balakrishnan’s words.
In particular, the minister’s explanation of the importance of Singaporeans’ work ethics changed how Indian national, Ms Valli, 27, viewed the country.
Living in Singapore for the last three years, Ms Valli said she used to think life here was unnecessarily stressful. Her opinion changed when Dr Vivian explained that the nation’s success hinges on the diligence of its people.
“Now I understand the purpose of this, I think Singaporeans should thank their country,” said the engineer. “If you are able to work here, you can survive in any other parts of the world.”
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