Happy birthday, Singapore!
Reflecting on where we have come from and where we are going
Singapore turns 57 on 9 August.
A birthday is a time for celebration and a time for reflection.
A time to take stock; a time to look ahead.
A time to count our blessings; a time to be blessed with a “divine discontent”.
Our home is not perfect, but that gives Singaporeans a lot of useful material, because our national pastime is complaining.
Don’t get me started:
We complain about the hot and humid weather.
We complain about the increasing cost of living.
We complain about the long queues in restaurants, cafes, and bars caused by the lack of manpower.
Recently, I was speaking with a Singaporean business owner. She didn’t hold back: Singaporeans don’t want to do difficult, dirty, and demanding jobs; there’s a need for more foreign labour especially in industries that Singaporeans do not want to work in; and the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in 2020 and 2021 hurt businesses badly.
But as this is a “birthday month”, I prefer to reflect instead on some good things that have happened this year, especially when set against the context of the past few…
