My family have been telling me about racial quotas my whole life, and my mother was able to direct me to another angle towards this issue which was quite enlightening. See, instead of looking at how it might shortchange Malays, look at how it might benefit us.

Without the quota, more Chinese students would have gotten the places because the amount of those who qualify is really, well, a lot. (to put it simply.) thus, the quota actually gives Malays a number of promised places in universities.

but of course, my stand on the whole issue is still – have more universities! how can 3 be even remotely enough for the entire nation? D: i forgot the statistics i used to be able to read off the back of my hand, regarding the number of places for the number of applicants? but it was horrifying.

and some parents’ views about SMU is still very much skewed, which goes to show how long a university needs before it can be really accepted by the nation. all the best to the fourth upcoming one!

Catty – I see where you got your nick from.

Puvan – I like your spirit too. But one question – would you consider the Flying Dutchman (whom some of us might listen to on Class 95) a foreign talent? How about his kids?

For people who weren’t born in Singapore but who have settled here and made their home here, at what point do we consider them naturalised? You mentioned the soccer game. How about Daniel Bennett, who was born in England but who grew up in Singapore, attended school in Singapore etc., from the age of 2? Would you consider him an “expat” or a “foreign talent” too?

Personally, I’m also uncomfortable with how we seem to be attracting foreigners to come to Singapore and expediting their citizenship clearance for sporting or economic reasons, but I also know of many “non-Singaporeans” who grew up here, attended mainstream school here, and have settled down and raised families here. What about them? Are we being fair to them by being so… dare I say it… xenophobic?

Tszsan – I actually agree with you that meritocracy seems to be a strange concept for a country to bond over, but that’s Singapore for you. It’s precisely because, like Puvan said, we wanted a system that would reward people for their hard work “regardless of race, language or religion”, that meritocracy emerged as our mantra. I do agree that there’re grounds for that stand to be softened or tempered somewhat, though. Maybe more thought should be given to what Law Minister K Shanmugam said some time back.

Thoughts, people?

Quite a strange concept this meritocracy thing to use to bind people together….i mean usually you can bind people together with some communitarian idea such as republicanism or something that is universal like liberty where it empahsises what people share…not with an idea that people need to compete with each other to climb the social hierarchy.

Thanks for remembering me?? Strange that you feel that I would label you as a “government stooge”. I respect different perspectives, if they are heartfelt or well-reasoned. It is ok for people to like the government if they genuinely feel so.

“You know what I find even more irritating than someone who just blindly supports and rubber-stamps everything the government does, refusing to listen to or acknowledge any criticism, though? Someone who just wants to oppose and bad-mouth everything the government does, refusing to listen to or acknowledge any supporting views.” Totally agree. The converse definitely is true too. Credit and criticisms are given where they are deserved. They are necessary ingredients in a democracy that puports to believe in an practise accountability and transpacrency, no?