Dare we let down our guard?

By David Boey
For the Straits Times

Defence Spending

When Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel are called upon to defend their country, there would be few - if any - Singaporeans who would question the relevance of Singapore's military strength.
But the SAF's readiness and the commitment of its soldiers, sailors and airmen should not be taken for granted. The combat capabilities currently deployed took years of steady investments to raise, train and sustain.
Consider the Commando Special Operations Force (SOF) that stormed Singapore Airlines flight SQ117 at Changi Airport on March 26, 1991 and saved 123 passengers and crew. Four Pakistani hijackers had threatened to kill one hostage every 10 minutes unless their demands were met. They gave the Singapore authorities five minutes to decide what to do. Three minutes into the countdown, the SOF settled the issue by killing all four hijackers.
the operation, codenamed Thunderbolt, marked the first time the SAF resolved a hijacking with deadly force. The operation also marked the first occasion when an SAF unit was deployed for operations even before its existence was publicly acknowledged. The veil of secrecy over the SOF was lifted only on Feb 20, 1997, nearly six years after the SQ117 rescue and some 13 years after the SOF was formed in April 1984.
Among the Singapore Army's fighters, SOF troopers are probably the most expensive soldiers to train, organise, equip and support. Yet the Ministry of Defence argued that they were a necessary investment.
A year after the elite unit was formed in 1984, independent Singapore endured its first economic recession. But the unit's development continued unabated, nevertheless. Had Mindef opted for was financially expedient rather than what was operationally prudent, the SQ117 rescue - executed years later - might have had a very different outcome.
Two operations flown by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) further demonstrate how defence capabilities can be called upon decades after they were first established.
The RSAF set up 122 Squadron to fly C-130 Hercules medium-lift tactical airlifters in 1977. The squadron's years of experience in flight operations, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief flights around the region, paid off in October 1990 during Operation Nightingale, when two C-130s flew medical supplies to Jordan. Iraq had invaded Kuwait that August and 122 Squadron was tasked to deliver 23 tonnes of medical supplies to the United Nations Disaster Relief Organisation in Jordan.
The second operation occurred in July 1997, when 122 Squadron evacuated more than 400 Singaporeans from Phnom Penh when the security situation in the Cambodian capital deteriorated. Two waves of air evacuations were carried out during Operation Crimson Angel using C-130s protected by commandos.
As these examples show, it may take decades for people to appreciate the value of defence investments. However, the lack fo such investment can become apparent in a much shorter tie. This is because hostile elements can be quick to exploit gaps or shortcomings in Singapore's defences.
Take the piracy problem which plagued Singapore's defence planners in the 1980s. Attacks by sea raiders at places like East Coast Park, West Coast Park and Tuas made the headlines in the 1980s, showing that sea robbers had found loopholes in Singapore's seaward defences. Singapore paid the price for an ill-defined maritime strategy.
The situation today is markedly different. Round-the-clock surveillance of Singapore's territorial waters by naval patrols ans sensors like radars, air surveillance by shore-based Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft and cooperation with regional navies send a signal of Singapore's determination to safeguard its shores. But attacks recorded in nearby sea lanes prove that pirates continue to prowl regional seas. Strip away the assets of the Republic of Singapore Navy and the sea robbers will surely return to our shores. Dare we take that chance?

A balanced budget
The operations cited above do not mean that Mindef should command an unlimited budget. Neither should one expect our nation's elected representatives to be mute witnesses to the SAF's transformation into a 3rd Generation fighting force.
Questions on financial stewardship will ensure that Singapore gets the maximum bang for every defence dollar that is spent. Defence planners should indeed explain how the 6 per cent of GDP that Mindef spends is spent wisely.
However, it is important to ensure that long-term defence capabiities are protected, no matter what the short-term economic conditions. Capability erosion could easily come about through cyclical variations in defence spending.
One must appreciate that combat capabilities for the SAF's land, sea and air units take years to attain full battle readiness from the time new hardware is introduced. Indecisive defence funding would onot only send a weak deterrent message, it could also hamper Singapore's defence posture through less realistic training or less capable defence equipment

******
The writer was Straits Times defence correspondent.

Let all Israelis sing the anthem

By
Adam LeBor

The writer is author of City Of Oranges: An Intimate History Of Arabs And Jews in Jaffa.
Copyright: New York Times Syndicate

Printed in The Straits Times 20070619

As Israel prepares to celebrate its 60th birthday next year, it is time to update its national anthem Hatikvah (The Hope). Only a single pharsh needs to be changed: nefesh Yehudi, which means a Jewish soul, should be replaced with nefesh Israeli, an Israeli soul. But why tamper with a beautiful, stirring hymn? To solve what we mibht call the Hatikvah contradiction.

Israel strives to be both a Jewish state and a democracy, yet about a fifth of its population of 7.1 million people are not Jewish, but Arab Muslims, Christians and Druse. Among the emerging middle class, many Arabs are thriving. There are diplomats and judges, beauty queens and army officers, television anchors and member of the Knesset, the Parliament.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert recently apponted Mr Raleb Majadele as Israel’s first Muslim Arab Cabinet minister, in charge of science, culture and sports. But the disconnect between the Jewish state and its Arab minority endures. Mr Majadele caused outrage among the political right in March when he told a newspaper that he stands up for Hatikvah, but will not sing it.

Yet why should he? He is Isreali, but not Jewish. And he is not alone. A growing number of Israelis of all faiths are calling for an inclusive national anthem. They argue that Hatikvah symbolises a wider inequality. Despite the Arab success stories, deep disparities between the Jewish and Arab sectors remain in employment, health, welfare and education. A report published last year by Sikkey, the Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel, compared 10 similar Arab and Jewish municipalities. The total 2004 welfare budget for the Jewish municipalities was 200.8 million shekels (S$82 million), but only half that, 107.4 million shekels, for their Arab counterparts.

Such problems demand strategic solutions; altering one word in Hatikvah would not make them disappear. And even with the inclusion of nefesh Israeli, Israel’s Arabs might still object to other verses about the longing for Zion.

But both history and current events show we should never underestimate the totemic power of state pageantry. Even knowing the horrors of communism, the Red Army choir singing the Internationale still can bring goose bumps and visions of the Soviet troops charging Nazi tanks. And South Africa’s new national anthem sets an excellent example of inclusive nation-building. Thirteen years ago, Die Stem van Suid Afrika (The Call of South Africa), the apartheid-era hymn, was merged with Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika (God Bless Africa), the anthem of the African National Congress. A powerful symbol of the new multiracial country, the anthem is now sung in three African languages – Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho – as well as English and Afrikaans.

Such a gesture of inclusion is needed in Israel, a recognition that to be an Israeli in 2008 is something very different from what it was in 1948. Updating Hatikvah could be the start of a psychic shift among the country’s Arab and Jewish citizens about what it means to be Israeli. It could lead to the evolution of a modern Hebrew (and Arabic) Israeli identity, predicated not on religion but on the more usual criteria of citizenship – shared cultural, linguistic and economic ties and simply living together on the most contested sliver of land in the world.

Remember also that Israel is home to several hundred thousand non-Jewish Russians and guest workers from Africa, Asia and the Balkans. They, too, deserve to be included in the national community.

However stirring its chords and words, Hatikvah is not an ancient Hebrew song. Its lyrics were written in 1886 by Naftali Herz Imber, a Central European poet. The melody, by Samuel Cohen, was inspired by Czech composer Bedrich Smetana’s work The Moldau, itself based on a folk song. It is as much an expression of 19th-century nationalism as of spiritual yearning for the Holy Land.

What Israel needs in the 21st century is an anthem that can be sung by all its citizens, of whatever faith. At a time of rising radicalism, it is absolutely in Israel’s long-term interest to bind its Arab minority to the state. And if Israel is prepared to evolve and adapt, it must demand full civic loyalty from its Arab population. It would no longer be enough for many to regard themselves as semi-disconnected citizens.

Three years ago, in Jaffa, I met a Jewish activist, Mr Sami Albo. He told me of his dismay that on Holocaust Memorial Day, when the memorial siren sounded, the muezzin of a mosque recited the Quran rather than observe the moment in silence, because a Muslim religious leader had died.

Updating Hatikvah to take account of Israel’s religious diversity would rightly demand a reciprocal gesture from its Arab minority to also respectfully commemorate the victims of the Holocaust.

Many will claim that at a time when Israel faces such existential threats as a potential Iranian nuclear bomb, a resurgent Hizbollah, last week’s triumph of a recalcitrant Hamas and daily rocket barrages from Gaza, altering Hatikvah would be sign of weakness.

I would argue precisely the opposite. Changing that one word from “Jewish” to Israeli” would show both strength and confidence because it would send a clear message: Here we are, Israelis – Jewish, Christian, Muslim, African, Russian and more – in the hear fo the Middle East. And we are here to stay.

Breaking the link between ethnicity and Islam

By Carolyn Hong
The Straits Times
Malaysia Correspondent in Kuala Lumpur
ST 20070222

It has been a hectic Chinese New Year for Mr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, who is Chinese and has been a devout Muslim for 22 years.
With his wife and children, he headed home from Kuala Lumpur to Teluk Intan in Perak in time to share the traditional reunion dinner with his extended Chinese family.
To him, this is wholly consistent with his Islamic faith.
"Islam requires us to respect our parents, whatever our religions," said Mr Ridhuan, 42, vice-president of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association. "We can eat together as long as the food is halal."
Halal describes meat from animals that have been slaughtered in the ritual way prescribed by Islamic law.
My family understandsthe dos and don'ts and there are more dos than don'ts," he added.
Born Tee Chuan Seng, he converted to Islam in 1985 at the age of 20 and married his wife, a Malay, five years later.
He said there is a wrong perception that non-Malays have to abandon their cultures and identities when they embrace Islam.
"Some of my Chinese friends were chased out of their homes by their parents when they became Muslims," he said.
And in the Malay-Muslim community, he said many disapprove of Chinese Muslims celebrating cultural festivals perceived as un-Islamic.
In the Malaysian psyche, being Muslim and Malay are regarded by many as one and the same.
This attitude is refleted even in the Malay phrase to describe Muslim converts, who are said to masuk Malayu (become Malay).
Many converts adopt the Malay culture by taking Malay names and using Malay traditional dress.
Conversely, the cultures of the non-Malay ethnic groups are labelled un-Islamic. This explains why, from time to time, a debate erupts on issues auch as whether Muslims can use chopsticks or display Chinese calligraphy.
Journalist Saiful Bahrin Saidin recounted in the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia newspaper some months ago how a visitor had rebuked him for displaying the "writings of infidels" in his home.
He had a Chinese calligraphic work hanging on the wall and what his visitor did not know was that it was a declaration of Islamic faith, written in Chinese.
Mr Saiful thought it sad that some Malay Muslims do not realise that Islam is a religion practised by people of may races around the world.
More recently, the mufti of the tiny northernmost state of Perlis, Dr Mohamed Asri Zainul ABidin, sparked controversy by asking Malaysian state governments to allow Chinese Muslims to build mosques with their own distinct architecture.
The mufti is the person who heads the group that rules on Islamic law.
"The idea that Islam in Malaysia must be Malay in all forms is wrong," said the religious leader.
New Straits Times reader Ghazali Osman wrote in to say that he agreed with the mufti and suggested that Chinese Muslims help break down the barrier by opening halal restaurants to show that Chinese culture is not at odds with Islam.
"Malaysians like to eat Chinese food. Engouraging Chinese Muslims to do this will erase the fear in other Muslims about the halal status of these eateries," he said.
There are about 60,000 to 70,000 Chinese Muslims in Malaysia, less than 1 per cent of the Chinese population. The total number of Muslim converts is estimated to be over 100,000.
The debate over ethnicity, religion and culture has caused some uneasiness in the Malay community because it challenges long-accepted notions about race and religion.
To many Malays, Islam is the very core of their identities. A study last year found that 70 per cent of Malays see themselves as Muslims first, then as Malays and Malaysians.
To writer Eddin Khoo, who established a foundation to promote traditional Malay arts, the politicisation of race and religion has contibuted to stronger religious identities.
"It is the result of the creation of a political racial identity," said Mr Khoo, 27, a non-Muslim scholar of Malay arts and Islam.
Further, the Federal Constituion defines a Malay as someone who professes Islam, speaks Malay and adheres to Malay customs.
While that may give the impression that anyone can "become Malay" by converting to ISlam and complying with the stated criteria, that is not the case.
The issue is significant because the Malay community in Malaysia is entitled to special economic privileges under the country's affirmative action policy.
A Muslim convert may adpot the Malay lifestyle and language and yet not be regarded in las a being part of the community.
On this isue, the opposition Islamic Party, PAS, has been consistent in promoting the idea of a universal Muslim unity, regarles of race.
Unlike the ruling Barisan Nasional government, with power shared mainly by race-based political parties, PAS' polictial ideology is based on religion.
While the mufti of Perlis caused some unhappiness with is comments on misque designs, PAS is going ahead to show what can bedone.
In the northeastern state of Kelantan, where the party holds power, it is building a mosque with Chinese architecture. It also has a Chinese Muslim state assemblyman.
"PAS has always taken the view of the universalism of Islam," said Mr Khoo, whose book of essays on Islam will be published this year.
Because of the conflation of race and religion in Malaysia, the response of political leaders to the porposal for Chinese mosques has been lukewarm.
Some accept the idea cautiously. Others, like Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam, believe that Muslims should not be segregated by race.
For many Malaysians, Chinese architecture is associated mainly with Taoist and Buddhist temples.
The Chinese-Muslim community, however, believes that having mosques with distinctive Chinese architecture will go a long way towards demonstrating the universality of Islam.
Such a mosque can function as a community centre with activities and religious classes conducted in Chinese.
"We want to show that Islam is a religion that belongs to everyone," said Mr Ridhuan of the converts' association, arguing that architecture has no religious significance.
In the meantime, there are other ways to make the point.
Besides the Chinese New Year, the converts' association also celebrates the Lantern Festival by organising festivities with other Chinese groups.
"We wear Chinese traditional dress and carry lanterns and all. It's no problem," he said.

Global or International?

On 25 Jan 2006, The Business Times (Singapore) listed the Singapore International 100 rankings.

Within the same paper, there is an article titled "More than just growing sales overseas" and it lists three measures of performance:
1. building internationally recognised brand name
2. securing good market share in foreign markets
3. earning good returns on capital invested in overseas ventures

It is appropriate for the ranking to be "International" and not "Global".

There have been a few "Global" entities - the Catholic Church, the British Empire are two that come to mind.

Many entities claim to be global, worldwide but are they really? The FIFA World Cup is truly a world-class event, as is the Olympic, but is the baseball's World Series - when only Japan and the US actively participate annually?

McDonald's is a true global brand. As is Coca-cola and Pepsi-cola. However, many other people claim to be but cannot substantiate their claims.
Is it because they have a very narrow view of what constitute the world.
We know that the concept of "world" has always been limited by the actual knowledge of what one knows. Thus, for the aborigines of Borneo, their "world" is only to the extent that they have ranged for food.

So being international and/or global actually means being active in understanding that there are more variables for success.
Simply put, if the French/Italians/Spanish claim that their high wine diet helps with keeping heart diseases away, when will someone talk about the high possibility of liver issues?
Similarly, the Scandinavian diet of high Omega-3 has been touted as the miracle for many ailments, but it is the cure for everyone?
High fat diet of the Eskimos (a confederation of Northern clime nations) has always been the bane of other races, yet they have survived on it and thrived.

Lest one feels superior in his idea/opinion - take heart the golden words "Opinons are like assholes, everyone has one!"
An idea is an extension of the current time and place which when displaced may not fully work. The idea of evolution is very important and the basis of allowing people to make sure that changes are made to allow cultural variances.

To be a truly global entity - LOOK, SEE, LEARN, APPLY (and repeat!!)

Cheers - more to come soon!

Meritocracy ... Over-achiever ... Inferiority Complex ...

"Meritocracy" is defined by Merriam-Webster's online dictionary as:
"a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement"

As the world moves ever closer to a true global economy, we realize that the strength of an individual is beneficial to the corporation and/or institution. Thus, we award success to these individuals who have performed well in hopes that they will continue performing well.

So for Meritocracy to continue its current role as a foundation of democracy, it means that all members of its society must be able to perform and proof their performance through various means.
For the young it means that they have to be able to achieve success in school. Be it with the Elementary School final exams, their GCE 'O' or 'A' Levels, the IB Diploma &etc. It is important to achieve paper results.
While we tout Meritocracy as a model of efficiency and a necessary evil for us to move forward while ensuring that all are subjected to the same brutal standards, there are some who start to wonder where standards are devised and ascertained.

"Inferiority Complex"is defined by Merriam-Webster's online dictionary as:
"an acute sense of personal inferiority often resulting either in timidity or through overcompensation in exaggerated aggressiveness"
(Note: that aggressive is not necessarily one of physical agression)

Now that I have added the second component of my title into the mix, I wish to tie them together.

Once you enter the so-called rat-race of chasing down qualifications, you start to question as to why there are people who excel at their work. Some people call it competitiveness, some call it "the edge". I offer another explanation - inferiority complex.

American and UK university students have given anecdotal evidence that when they sign up for a class and encounter 1st and 2nd generation immigrant students or foreign students, they are in for a tough time fighting for a high grade.

Many people have placed an emphasis on the upbringing and/or cultural background wherein these "superstudents" are driven to succeed. I beg to differ - I point my finger an innate sense of inferiority forcing us to prove that we are better.
Maybe it is the instinctive "fight or flight" nature that has been hard-wired in our brains. Since taking courses in university is not life-threatening (for most people and discounting the drink bingeing effect), most students will take the "fight" path. Of course, to lose only means that you get a B grade and not an A grade.

Tied into this argument of inferiority complex is the flip side of the coin - superiority complex.

To investigate the basis of inferiority complex, we have to look at the basis of superiority complex. Superiority complex was evident from the various empires that spanned the centuries. The most heinous of which was the Nazi movement - wherein it specifically targeted "weaker" races and/or ideologies.
The pan-Asian immigrants and local population of the 18th and 19th Century who worked for the colonial masters (Dutch, English, Spanish, and Portugese) also felt that these "masters" were of a superior class. The result was the so-calledPinkerton Syndrome wherein women think that Caucasian men are better husbands or working for a foreign company is better. The fact that these Asian/African countries were "conquered" gave the conquerers the "superiority". Once subjected to such "humiliating defeat", the colony's population naturally felt that they were "inferior".

So now - almost 200 years hence - we are still struggling with this dilemma. But it has been made more pronounced by the fact that the new emerging global leaders may not be the previously "superior" class.
With India and China now moving up the international rankings - and incidentally having about 2 billion (1/3 of the world's population) we are seeing that people are looking East.
Yet, these emerging markets have a population is looking West. Fast food concepts, Hollywood movies, learning English. Why?
1. Feeling that Western ideas/culture is better - eg. drinking French wine
2. Learning English will give one better prospects
3. Foreign movies are of better quality

So how are small countries like Singapore going to balance this view?
This brings in the third component of my title - "OVER-ACHIEVEMENT!!!"
We are taught to be proficient in multiple languages - either English, Mandarin, Malay, or Hindi. Yet, we know that getting the paper qualification is just a first step. Just getting an A1 in your exam does not mean that one can comfortably communicate much less get business done in the China, Malaysia, or India.

Over-achievement is our only solution. We have to prove that we are better than the others. We strive for the best airport, the best harbour, the best governance, the best public transportation &etc.

But now we are told to get out of our mould of following the rules ... "Be an entrepreneur" ...

The day we can balance these three issues, we can sit down and move forward in this competitive world and still live a healthy lifestyle.

... More to come ...

Globalization?

It is now the 21st Century ...
Globalization is so 1980s ... so what gives?

Well, globalization is no longer the "buzzword" but a survival necessity. GM (as in General Motors), DaimlerChrysler have now blurred the lines of where a car is being manufactured. Recent car shows have also shown that Chinese car manufacturers are interested in busting into the US market. So WHERE is your car coming from???

But why this rambling?
I caught the article by Ian Fisher (of New York Times New Service, contributed by Mr Peter Kiefer, printed on The Straits Times)
(Link to NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/12/international/europe/12italy.html?hp - REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Apparently, McDonald's lost the market to local tastes. Synopsis is as follows:
McDonald's opened a branch in Altamura (southern Italy) in early 2001. But it closed in Dec 2002 due to lack of profitability. The lack of profitability is due to the fact that Altamura is famous as "The City of Bread" and the local cuisine is much more inline with the locals' taste.

While McDonald's does not admit that it is a "defeat" for the brand, it does signal that not everyone hungers for the mass market appeal items. Another case in point - for our friends in Singapore - Starbucks Toa Payoh Central is no longer there!!! OHMYGAWD!!!! The fastest growing franchise has actually closed a shop ... is it due to "lack of profitability"??? Can that be???

Back to McDonald's - there is now a new promotion by McDonald's Singapore. The launch of "FÀNtastic Burgers". This is basically a variation of the Japanese staple "rice ball". There are two versions - the beef and chicken flavours. It seems that McDonald's is trying very hard to cater to the local tastes. The overall (personal) impression was good - for the beef flavoured version. They used short/medium grain rice so that the texture was more sticky so that it held up better after being pan fried and moulded together. Using long-grain rice (read Thai Jasmine or Basmati rice) may not have held up as well.

Will this take off and make it onto the Menu Board as a permanent fixture?
I don't know really ... because there have been so many "new" items tested by McDonald's here.
Some examples that I remember off-hand that never made a splash:
1. Durian Shake - I really pity the foreigners what hit their olfactory organs when they stepped into the downtown McDonald's for a bit of "home-cooked" food.
2. Pandan Chicken Wings - quite innovative, but never really caught on
3. Kaya breakfast "burger"

Even in the US, they have regional adaptations - examples include
1. McRibs - can get quite messy but the sauce is nice
2. Lobster Sandwich - quite good actually, much like a Tuna sandwich but on a short baquette bread

That then in turn begs the question - how come our local company's can manage to keep up with such big names and be successful? To name a few:
Ya Kun (of Kaya Toast fame)
Crystal Jade (and it's many flavours)
Boon Kee Chicken Rice (OK - no Chicken Rice Wars here ... please!)

What does a company have to do in modern global society to stay ahead of the game?
Does infusing local flavours induce market share?
Does marketing affect local tastes or does local taste affect marketing positioning and research?
What is one's comfort level with foreign taste and/or ideas and how does that affect overall acceptance for something new and unknown?

One might say it is a small world but the possibilities are endless.

More to come .... Cheers!

*********************
求学不是求分数、求爱不是求胜负。

Where have all the Angels gone?

I'm now confused ...
Los Angeles is - as I was told - "City of Angels". And the movie of the same title (starring Meg Ryan and Nicholas Cage) seem to bear this out ...
BUT I chanced on a advertisement today touting Bangkok as the "City of Angels" ... apparently Bangkok is known by its locals as Krung Thep which is translated as "the City of Angels".

Well, it doesn't matter. Just another name to confuse the public ...

Taglines - those wonderful "cliches" that marketing types make up to conjour imagery of intrigue, sensuality, adrenaline ...

Let's take Malaysia's Tourism tagline: "Malaysia - Truly Asia". Even Michelle Yeoh (of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', 'Tomorrow Never Dies' and 'Memoirs of a Geisha' fame) has been recruited to sell Malaysia.
But what is being Asian, hence the "Truly Asia" title?

Asia stretches from the Eastern shores of the Bosphorus (part of Turkey) all to Japan. So how can Malaysia sell itself as "Truly Asia"? Malaysia is but a small part of South-East Asia (not by land area though) ....

So we start the day wondering just how useful it is to hold onto the names and references - traditions and beliefs - when there is no real understanding of the underlying implications. Simplification (even oversimplification) and stereotyping have brought about misunderstandings and distrust throughout the world today. Even now - with the incredible amount of information available to us through the various forms of media - people still walk about with a narrow concept of their place in the world.

That seems to be another topic for another day. In the meanwhile - I'm going to take advantage of the sunshine this morning!

Be happy and think happy thoughts!