Who determines or who sets the standards to define what we perceive as good and bad moral values. Who are we to judge or even criticise others for having poor morality when we are not without flaws to even begin with. As the adage goes, one man's medicine is another's poison. In our quest of trying to re-define and re-shape ourselves to meet societal expectations, consider the fact that what society has in placed is in fact an opinion that majority of the people within the society agree upon. Just like how you would define good and bad moral values.
The IMF is currently held in Singapore. The government has spent numerous resources on sprucing up the venue and its surroundings and painstakingly educating its people whom they represent as voices in parliament to put up warm and inviting smiles to our guests. Guests whom we hardly know by name or even in person. Yet, all the hype. Hosting an international event here is encouraging for a country like Singapore. In an economic perspective, it does in some ways attract foreign investors to pay a closer attention to Singapore. However in a social perspective, all I see is only the teaching of the people of Singapore how to conduct ourselves in front of guests as would a mother to a child when in front of relatives to avoid unnecessary embarrassment. Are Singaporeans such an abhor bunch of people that the government has to discourage us from being near the venue on the pretext of security reasons? Are Singapore such a rude bunch of people that even the government recognises it and is trying its best to cover this up by putting up a 4 million smile facade? Are we that repugnant?
With all the hype and publicity on courtesy and service excellence, the government should consider a more practical approach that is not wholly incentive-based towards encouraging service excellence. One way is to promote the service industry and recognise this industry for its efforts in its entirety. Through appropriate recognition and public awareness, can then we talk about Singapore being a gracious and polite society and then can we see ourselves out of the ranking for the world's most impolite country.
