IAS Diaries Part 17 - Singapore

It was perhaps the longest kept secret in the history of the academy. No Officer Trainee had the slightest of idea. Even Varys's little birds would have failed to fathom anything beneath the surface. The question haunted the Officer trainees for long. What was in store for them during the most awaited stint of training? Was it the glitter around Orchard Street or the party district of Itaewon?

Was it going the be the Merlion at Marina Bay or the skyscrapers at Yeouido? Was it the elegant serenity of Clarke Quay or the majestic Seongsan Bridge? Was is Singapore or South Korea?

Some even thought that they would only be told once they board the respective flight. Some even expected the possibility of half batch getting airdropped over Singapore enroute Korea. But it wasn't that bad. The pandora's box was opened a few days before departure and we all knew to which country's GDP we were to contribute soon in ways we could only fantasize. As yours truly was earmarked for Singapore, the rest of the story would be about the White Lion splashing. 

Everyone loves to exploit someone with a forthcoming foreign trip and given the size of our groups, the vultures drooled to inundation. The bank folks offered travel cards with stories of how earlier batches struggled with their domestic debit cards. They did not tell us how easy it was to enable international usage on our own cards. The telecom told us it is pertinent that we take a new sim card as if it was a matter of life and death. They simply ignored our idea of WhatsApp calls. And then there was the lie about the quintessential universal adopter. It was only when we were in the foreign soil that we realized, all this was a sham. 

The moment finally arrived when our Maharaja embraced the touchline. In spite of the drowsiness courtesy sleep deprivation, our eyes were wide open, our minds ready to grasp, the unknown. The airport seemed like our very own T3 and one could already feel the prejudices in some unfortunate souls. But their conjecture was soon banished as we boarded the bus. Were we in some kind of simulation depicting a near-perfect world,  I pondered in amazement. The road discipline exhibited by the vehicles was almost like a symphony, the artificially induced greenery in every nook possible was as natural as it can get and cleanliness was ubiquitous, unblemished and unsullied. And already, in this short span, we were head over heels.

Our sojourn was to be in Hotel Orchard, perfectly equipped with everything under the sun. They served pretty decent Indian food which was a relief for all the veggies. But it was only later that we realized the location was more of an asset than the hotel itself. In the late hours of the gloomy midnight, figures would masquerade in the vicinity apparently enticed by the voluptuous mannequins. The so called Tower was much more than a commercial edifice for the young and the restless- an enlightening and empowering trance of sorts. One shot of ale was never so rewarding before.

There is ample to learn from Singapore but if you ask me to choose one, I would say adherence to agreed order and beyond. One could actually feel the deterrents working when you see the drivers, shopkeepers and vendors reminding tourists of the austere enforcement of regulations. During our travels in the Metro or elsewhere, we observed on escalators people would always stick to the left side leaving the right side free. This voluntary alignment would allow those in hurry to rush from the right side. And amidst the oozing applause for their orderly behavior, I entertained the Utopian thought of seeing this in our country where apparently everyone's in a hurry.

Walking through the zillion hawker centers or basement Food Courts in several Shopping malls of Singapore, one would notice many old people working as cleaning staff or as helpers. Intrigued, I tried to get some answers from them on why they had to still work? For some it was to avoid boredom and for others it was the will to continue to contribute to the society. For very few, it was about the money. Whatever be the reason, you would surely be blown away by their energy. Overwhelmed by their perpetual industry, we slowly perhaps unfolded the prime mover of these Tiger Economies. Another intriguing observation was the silence on the roads. During the 8 days of our stay in Singapore where we traversed the length and breadth of the city-state, never did we hear a vehicle horn, the pedestrians were accorded the highest precedence and everyone exhibited exemplary road-discipline. That moment when the absence of entropy gives you goosebumps. 

As we stood on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands, we were dumbstruck at the engineering marvel that Singapore is. A country half the size of our capital with no natural resources at all has turned it around in style. Amidst people gyrating to the loud rock music, I couldn't help but notice the city-state moving ahead silently but swiftly. One would learn more about optimization and opportunity cost by taking a stroll here than pursuing a Masters Degree in it at some prestigious university. They have an education system wherein students are allowed to study what they like in depth and other things are kept at minimal. 

Their vocational training institutions are infra-structurally superior than many of our premier institutions. Their public housing is super impressive with 80% of population living in it and more than 90% owning their own spaces. Their water recycle facilities are something we need to learn from urgently.  To address the road congestion the certificate prices to buy vehicles are extremely expensive and the critical roads have executive road pricing discouraging people to use them. All their public transport can be availed by a single card and all of it is planned keeping in mind the probable movement of people from one place to another. 

So what would it take for us to reach where Singapore is? Perhaps some visionary like Lee Kuan Yew who could also enforce Rule of Law. Perhaps inculcation of voluntary compliance by the populace. Perhaps a more empowering and flexible education system. Perhaps a more cordial and cooperative relationship among communities. Perhaps the triumph of merit over bias, Or perhaps, all of these. Opportunity is slipping beneath our feet. We must get our act together now, its about time.

Researching over how Singapore achieved so much in such little time starting from scratch, I came across these words by Lee Kuan Yew which I feel suffice to quench my thirst, "I always tried to be correct, not politically correct".


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