The 5 day visit by Myanmar’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi ended yesterday with a confirmed slap slap on materialistic Singapore. Many Singaporeans must be squeezing to get up close with this lady from a Third World country, economically and materially, with a whole list of what Singapore can do for Myanmar. Come see this Singapore and that Singapore. Come see Orchard Road and Sentosa, Changi Airport, HDB flats…. We can build industrial parks for Myanmar, airports, sea ports, shopping centres, artificial gardens, artificial beaches and parks, and yes HDB flats. We can teach Myanmar, plenty of things, and plenty of things for Myanmar to learn from us.
Aung San Suu Kyi was more amused than anything. What is there to learn from Singapore except materialism, mad rush, rat race. She was quoted to say, ‘That made me think, what is work all about? What are human beings for? What are human lives for? The Singapore answer will be to work, work and work. Work is everything, work is pride and dignity.
To this lady of international fame for fighting for democracy and human rights, there is more to just work and money, and work and work. There is a life worth living for. The quality of life is not just about materialism. She conceded that there are things that Myanmar could learn from Singapore but definitely not to copy our model of work, work and work. Myanmar would want to walk its own path to find its own way and happiness.
Her parting shot to Singapore, ‘Perhaps Singapore could learn from us a more relaxed way of life. Perhaps warmer and closer family relationships. I think we have much to offer you, you come and find out.’ Oooh la lah… This must be shocking to many successful Singaporeans with a lot of cash to paste on their faces. This woman from Myanmar wanted to teach us? How can?
Aung San Suu Kyi lives a life to improve lives, for freedom and human rights. We live a life of materialism, money and work. We even have to pay the govt for visiting our parents or our friends in their HDB flats. How is that for building kampong spirit and building a warmer relationship with friends and dear ones? We pay for everything and thus have to work and work to pay and pay.
Well, it is a matter of opinion and expectation of life. We still want to pay that hundred or two hundred thousand bucks to the hospitals to keep us alive to 100 years when we are 90. We need to find more money to live to 100 years. Thank God there is this god sent Medishield Life to help the Singaporeans to live a good life.
Chua Chin Leng AKA Redbean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/