merit-o-crazy

I've been wondering, whether Singapore is really a meritocracy society after all. I think when we were still in school, we were all influenced to think that Singapore is indeed meritocratic. That's because you see so many testimonies of meritocracy, in terms of scholarships, achievement awards in academics, aethestics and sports etc. But I don't see much of that in NS right now.

It's strange how the Singapore Government has always been placing strong emphasis on the practice of meritocracy, and how it recently accentuated this point by proposing a pay rise for civil servants in order to retain and attract talents. Is that our Government's way of recognizing the talents we have - by giving them a pay rise, and in the means of this justifying its standpoint on meritocracy? It's subjective.

This thing about Officer Cadets of Police (I aint talking about army cos I'm in no position to comment), OCT as they call it, is rather weird. Just almost everything about it is weird. How people are selected for OCT, how people from army instead of police occupies a much larger proportion of OCT cohorts, and how these people upon graduation can put up such an aloof front after assuming key posts in various police units.

Let's talk about the first 'how'. There is this huge discrepancy, as far as I see it. In a cohort of 50 officer trainees, about 48 of them will come from BMT. You see, these 48 chaps are posted to the police after their BMT in army. The other 2 will be police direct enlistees, having to put in extra hard work to do well during his basic police training and eventually the interview round in order to be selected into OCT. So you see where meritocracy applies more in this case? Is there any fairness in this? I'm not bringing this up because I'm having sour grapes at not being in OCT. In fact, I feel alot better not being part of that.

The even more pissing off thing about these OCT peeps is how most of them swell in arrogance and aloofness when they start to hold key posts in units. They hold a rank of Inspector, which is among the ranks of Senior Officers. In that sense, they deserve some respect, but they sometimes forget that respect is to be earned. What they forget too, is that they're NSF like everyone else. Holding a key post, just because you're an Inspector who was eventually posted to OCT from army on no grounds of merit, does not mean you can show your weight around.

On the other side of the coin, there are some Inspectors whom I have relatively good impression of. That's either because they are police direct enlistees who had worked hard to be selected into OCT (and that deserves my respect), or they display a humble and friendly disposition. I just got in touch with one of my primary school friend, who is now an NS Inspector at MHA. After exchanging a few smses, he called me for a chat. He sounded quite the same as before, a friendly chap without showing any signs of superiority in rank whatsoever. It has been 7 years since I last talked to him by the way, and yet we felt at ease talking and catching up on the phone.

Some people say it is all pre-determined who gets posted to where based on the medical examination months before the enlistment, which constitute a few psychometric sort of tests. Whatever it is, maybe it is time to revise this system of selecting potential inspectors, with more compliance to meritocracy.

Peace.

my friday the 13th.

I have no significant memory of the previous friday the thirteenth, but I definitely will have much of this one.

If I have one word to describe my 'friday the thirteenth', it will be 'eventful' (not 'suay'). FYI, 13's my favourite number. =p

I had to attend the Class 3 conversion course at the Old Police Academy, after which I would be permitted to drive police marked vehicles. After some theory lessons and practical assessment, there was a 2 hours break. During this break, I hitched a ride from one of the police driving instructors to a mosque nearby (Masjid Omar Salma) for Friday Prayers. At the end of the prayers, I bumped into this guy whom I found familiar but was too lazy to recall. Well, he spoke to me first instead.

Him: "You look quite familiar. Have I seen you somewhere?"

Me: "Yea, you're kinda familiar too. I'm not too sure."

Him: "I met you at an event? This, urm, Mendaki event."

Me: "Oh... (thinking) Yes, are you XXXXX?"

Him: "Ah, I interviewed you right? Ok now I remember. Oh, do you know that your sister's boyfriend is my cousin?"

Me: "(Shocked) Really? You sure? What's his name? It's a small world huh? (Laughs)"

He's the journalist from SPH Berita Harian, who interviewed me at the Anugerah MENDAKI ceremony last September. I was quite taken aback and yet delighted at how coincident this had been, not only the fact that I bumped into him there, but also the fact that we are somehow related.

That's event #1.

For the afternoon half, we were to take turns to drive a police blue mini van, three of us to one instructor. The first driver drove all the way down Thomson Road, to Upper Thomson. Then we came across this bike accident, so without any obligations whatsoever, we got out to render some help. This happened at the slip road leading to SLE. There was also another black Toyota, with three members of public. It was only later that I discovered that it was the black Toyota that had somehow caused the bike accident to occur.

Immediately after we got out, I went to take a look at the victim, who was a senior citizen about 65 years of age. He was lying consciously by the kerb side, with minor scatches and bruises on his face and arms. He was also complaining about that his chest hurts alot and that he was finding it hard to breathe. I told him (in Mandarin) to relax and breathe normally, while I unbuttoned his shirt to make it easier for him to breathe. However, what I observed was that the more he tried to breath normally, the more he shakes. Next, I asked if he had any kins so that I could inform them. He told me to inform his brother, but failed to remember his phone number. So all that could be done was to motivate him to hang on while the ambulance was on its way.

Eventually, the Traffic Police and the Civil Defence arrived. After some while, when situation was under good control, we hopped back in into our mini van and continued with the journey. For me, the rest of the journey was embarked with a heavier heart for it was the first time that I came across such a situation. I felt for the elderly. I felt that I could maybe have done a little bit more for him. I'm just hoping that everything eventually will be alright for him.

That's event #2.

After the course ended at 5pm, I had to make my way back to my base to report for night shift duty. At around 9.30pm, we received a message notifying that illegal immigrants are attempting to enter Singapore at the sea off Tuas. We were informed, also that two Police Coast Guard boats have been activated to chase those illegal immigrants.

However, what happened next really shocked me. There was a collision between the two Coast Guard boats and the boat with the illegal immigrants on board. This collision inadvertently caused one of the Coast Guard boats to capsize, along with four officers on board. Within the first minutes of the capsize, two of four officers managed to be saved. The other two, however and unfortunately, was not to be found.

Throughout the whole night, intensive search was conducted, involving the Navy, the Naval Diving Unit, some helicopters and of course SOC. All was to no avail, until around 8.20am the next morning, when the news came in. I guess every officer involved in this had silently held a glimmer of hope for the two officers to be able to make it, but it was to be dashed.
(http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/270334/1/.html)

That's event #3.

Eventful? Yes. Pleasantly eventful? Definitely not.

how often do you hear courageous stories from Africa?

To those who are inspired by true autobiographic stories of courage and strength, this is one good book for you. It cost me only $4 from the Books Warehouse sale at Expo recently, but the lessons and values it transfused to me was way invaluable. It is simple to read because of the fact that it is a translated first hand account, so no extra effort has been made to sweeten up the plot with expressive words. The language used is succinct, hence making the reader feel the story as much as possible. And the best part of all, to me, was the fact that this story has strong relevance to Islam, and how a woman's faith in Islam helped her through this unbelievable ordeal.

I, Safiya

This is the best-selling, first-hand account of one woman's courageous struggle for justice, and the story that in 2001 made the eyes of the world turn to the small Nigerian village of Tungar Tudu.

Safiya Hussaini was accused of adultery, arrested and taken from her farming village in northern Nigeria. Brought before a Sharia court, she was sentenced to death by stoning. Her crime was to become pregnant outside of marriage and to give birth to her little girl, Adama. The child's father at first accepted responsibility, but then changed his story and denied everything and was released without penalty.

Betrayed, terrified and outcast, Safiya summoned the strength to fight for her life. Supported by her family, her lawyer and her faith in Allah, she was determined to stay alive to care for her little girl.

Let me know if you might be interested to read, cos I'm more than willing to lend you. Anyone. =)

how to spice up my life?

A psychometric test I took recently had one question: How do I feel about jobs that are routine? Boring? Or confident and secure? My answer was the latter.

In a similar context, in my life right now, I hold a different answer though. It seems that my past 2-3 months have been a very routine, if not a mundane period. It does not make me feel 'confident and secure' for sure, because there isn't any reason for me to feel that way about my life now.

My current working schedule is as such: day shift, night shift, followed two off days. There isn't anything for me to look forward to on my off days, like seriously. And for that reason, sometimes I wished I had this inner strength to carry on working everyday tirelessly, because that way, I'm at the very least occupied with something to do. On my first off days, I'd usually hit the gym with Hakim and that is probably the only more-or-less consistent thing I do away from work.

These days, I try to engage in more activities to make my life more interesting and less mundane. A most personal example would be reading. Thanks for holding that book fair at the Expo recently, allowing me to source for more good reads. I made some vain attempts too, to ask a few of my friends out. Recently, I found solace in watching Prison Break online, so much so that I couldn't wait to get back home, switch on my PC and click the play button on the Net. Other queer things I did to kill time included a short fetish with Sudoku and the Rubik's cube.

And I got to realise that these things I did (or tried doing) are but temporary. I think I need some stability and assuring factors in my life. Right now, honestly, I am feeling quite hollow. Routine, routine and routine. Even though my father had just returned from his assignment abroad, there's only so much my family can play a part in helping me lead a fulfilling life. I'm not saying my family is not an intergral part of me. No way that's gonna be true. I'm saying that I need some changes in my social life, in a way, something that is more permanent.

Can anyone suggest anything, please?

ps: The view of my life now as routine and boring does not mean I contradict what I feel about routine jobs in the psy test. Jobs give a sense of meaning in themselves so in a way they make me feel stable and fulfilled.

what goes around, do they come around?

Absolutely.

Have you listened to 'What Goes Around Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake, and thoroughly comprehend the meaning of its lyrics?

You get hooked up with a girl, real seriously. You thought it was mutual. Yet she played you out. Worse, she did it with a good friend of yours. You confronted her. She ran away, speeding off in her car. And then met with a serious accident, and died. You wept, but not for long, because you thought she got what she deserved.

That was the gist of its MTV. When the song actually seemed like it was going to end, it went on. The part where the accident occurred, Justin sings, 'Girl, you got what you deserved'.

I thought the storyline was simple and good, in that it portrayed the very meaning of karma. In fact, projecting this theme to a larger context, it actually happens all around us.

What goes around always comes around, sometimes in a very obvious manner, and sometimes very subtly. Think about it, God created day and night, one after another. The reason for this is that the Earth spins around the sun. Or think about it philosophically - the process of conceiving a child in a mother's womb, to his birth, to his development and growth, all the way to his death. That's the very essence of this theme. Or maybe think about it scientifically, like whatever 'cycles' you've learnt in your years of education - water cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, butterfly life cycle and infinitely so much more.

In fact, there's so much more aspects of our human life and environment that exemplify this theme and it is virtually impossible to make a conscious count of them. What we can do is to embrace and possibly put into practice the action of 'do unto others, what you want others to do unto you'.

If someone had done a good deed towards you today, pay it forward. If someone had treated you in a wrongful manner, take it in stride and move along. Before you contemplate ill-treating another person, like seriously, think twice, because like a boomerang, it might just come lunging at you with a far greater impact.