Piece of my mind

If you do what your peers do, you will get the same results as them. To be better, you need to do more.

However, I believe one can work in a smarter manner, more efficiently - even if this means NOT doing certain "things" which your peers do.

These things include going to the movies, hanging out, etc.

Gene

I recall Mr Kamal's "extra-extra" lesson with the DHS HC team that hard work is in the DNA of Singaporeans. 

Founding

Our forefathers are not from this land. They migrated from all over Asia to Singapore in search of wealth and a spur to start earn livelihood. The Chinese, for example, came from the Southern parts of China, considered the "short Chinese" back in their homeland. While conditions at home were atrocious, the conditions of their journey to Singapore was no better, so as were their early days in Singapore. And so they worked as coolies, Samsui women and such. Some learnt their trades very well to become successful merchants, with the dividends to contribute to their homeland and local community. 

Singapore was never meant to be called home by these peoples. Singapore was merely a place to bag cash and send home, where they belong. However, only time understands love, hence, people become attached to this island. They gave birth to a new generation. 

Occupation

The Japanese Occupation purged the community of anti-Japanese sentiments. This is the period of time where we hear of anecdotes of how families and friends of different origins cooperate harmoniously to resist, or at least, to survive torment. Clearly, to live through severe rule requires strength and courage. In other word, survival of the fittest. 

Merdeka

Singapore was created with little resources given to capitalise on. Here, hard work occurs across all levels of society. As the individual, one had to be sure to be hardworking in order to raise their children, accompanied by sufficient faith to the government to lead them. At the government level, the government had to be adamant to do what others won't and fear in order to serve the people's interest, including allowing the entrance of MNCs. 

21st Century

For new citizens or even PRs, this kind of hereditary characteristic is even more prevalent. In spite of the challenges of living in an expensive city, the fact that one can still procreate and educate them well is very telling of their effort. 

Think about it.

On Geng

I am very disturbed by the surge of cases of aggression between and among secret societies. I ever witnessed a gang riot before, around 50 people beating up one poor chap with guitars, chairs, poles and such. 

It was almost like blitzkrieg, out of the blue, these young people dressed in black came out from the corners of HDB void decks to perform the deed. I believe this was due to an internal difference between the chap and the interests of the society. However, let me tell you the most disturbing part. This incident happened at a very busy time at a very busy T-junction. It was around 7pm, where workers head home from town at a crossing frequently used. It seemed to me that the youth involved were unperturbed by their surroundings! 

Who says a riot can happen only at night in the most secluded of places? In full view of passers-by, this shocking thing happened! I can do nothing but only to punch 999 on my Samsung Corby Pro. (Luckily the touchscreen never break)

This incident brings me to my two-cents worth (whatever this really means): 

1. Are gangs awesome?

My father often tell me how cowardly gang members are today relative to the gangs during the kampong days. Murder was sort of a norm in the Sembawang kampongs. It's members are truly loyal and daring and will contribute with their lives. Each member can act alone and a leader, so to speak, in his own right. This is in contrast with the characteristic of gangsters today who find strength in numbers. 

 Also, my mother recalled how the gangsters in the past would tell residents in the neighbourhoods in Whampoa, where my late grandmother lived, to shut their doors before a gang fight was to occur. In addition, my father told me that youth involved in criminal activities in the past cause problems only to themselves  and society but never to their own families. 

They did not want to be a headache to their parents and would often leave the household to avoid being an unworthy liability. Needless to say, at least gangsters in the past were more dignified in behaviour and strive to be a problem only to their foes. Unlike today, where young gangsters create problems with everybody, including their family. They still depend on their parents for money, carry out aggression in public places, as seen in Downtown East, disrupting everbody's life. 

To aggravate matters, such occurrences are due to the most mundane of issues, like a "staring incident". Clearly, these people should rethink the meaning of joining a gang.

2. Preventive Measures

It is known that there is a rule that teenagers are not to be found unaccompanied beyond 11pm, or their identification papers would be detained and can only be claimed at the police station after questioning. Apart from the inconvenience such a measure would cause for a very busy teenager like me, I question its effectiveness. As mentioned above, gang aggression happened a number of times in the most public of places. One in very popular Downtown East, the other at a very busy junction. Also, note the timing, there were many, especially, shopkeepers, who witnessed the stabbing, even more prevalent was the Yishun incident at the junction. 

How would stopping teenagers at night alleviate the problem? How would increasing frequency of patrols in secluded hotspots help? These two incidents happened in illumination, in full view of the public. Poor me. It's now so difficult to return home late with peace of mind after hours at school, or after a concert, or after a late-night movie with friends! While I am STUDYING in the DAYTIME, these buggers make curry of some poor fellas... Unfair sia!
 

What we need are smarter solutions to tackle the problem at its root. I wonder if there are intense intelligence systems. Perhaps employing informants? Also, we can get teachers to appreciate the inner workings of secret societies, even if this means working with their students who are members. 

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