Well said.
It's called "The Suzhou Industrial Park".
Dear angry one,
But there are other reasons too.
There was also a drive towards the knowledge economy and there was alot of money being pumped into R and D and Hi Tech parks.
Several problems exist. There is a creativity, and innovative gap no thanks to the route learning education system we have.
Now, the truth is, given a small population base like ours, talents are hard to come by true ?
WRONG. Tons of Singaporeans who are talented have migrated to other countries, and have done so successfully to every part of the world. Singaporeans success overseas are quickly mocked by the STATE media and our then PM, Goh coin the word, "quitters" to describe them. Which is strange. You don't mock the people you are trying to invite to your house.
The high irony of it all, is that by then our PM Goh, his own daughter, married a foriegner and have decided to move out of Singapore. Even the wedding dinner in Singapore was a hush up affair. Talk about walking your own talk, and have we ever heard our PM then calling her own daughter a quitter ?
Coming back, our brain drain increase at an accelarating phase, it was then decided the PAPies should mend the gaps, Singapore begin to embark on a massive talent attraction program to lure in the great talents. Truth is, none of the great talents came and set roost here. Instead, scores of untalented second grade "workers" came instead. Temasek, DBS and NOL overnight decides to embark on a campaign to attract angmo CEOs. They came, they saw, they puke and they left. Many reasons were cited, but these Angmo CEOs are paid a hefty sum of money before the golden handshakes are given. In actual fact, it was paid to them so that they would not have to reveal too much about their unhappiness.
Words and speculations out is that they find Temasek's culture to be exceedingly weird. The Dowager and the King are unrealistic in their approach to many business dealings and the changes they wanted to institute were against the grain of "family" business models. I have no idea what that means but transalated it means clearly, they would prefer that free market principles be observed and that is not achieveable in a structure where the elites are virtually garunteed a position in the company and that they are untouchables.
Finally, the top creative talents that did eventually came here, find Singaporea to be a barren and sterile place where creativity was stifled because the freedom of expression were scoffed upon. No matter how the PAPies denies it, freedom of expression is the first condition needed to encourage the spirit of enterprise, and creativity. Thats one of the standing pillars of sowing entrepreneurship. Is this lacking in Singapore ? Well you be the judge.
Next, now certainly, the PAPies did try to lure our talents back but failed miseably prompting several announcements by our MIWS to relax various restrictions on our entertainment scence etc like the film ratings for starters. Vivian and Wong Can't Sing did finally allow for bar top dancings and even the old man was saying that he would like to see that several places in Singapore be allowed to be "pockets of Bohemia". Those are his words not mine. Still, as long as there is an state sponsored media, draconian laws, and strict controls all around, Singapore by then have been leap frog by other nations who are also in the talent hunt. Dubai, London, Shanghai, Beijing remain the most favoured destinations for these talents.
Which lead us to the present crap we have now. Notice the PAPies have all stop using the word, "Knowledge" economy. Meaning to say, there was a failure in their execution.
By this time round, the MIWs then change course, and decide to go for the "HUB" strategy which lead us to the opening of the IRs etc and other expensive tourist draws to try to stimulate the economy.
Pardon me, this have been really brief, but that was my intention. This post is based upon my personal recollection and certainly, they are at best opinions, at worse, I hope its worthy of your readings.
Cheers.
Dan
