I want to make Singapore more three-dimensional, a more rounded society. That means cultivating the arts and acquiring social graces. He cited examples of rude behavior, littering and vandalism. In a couple of cases, middle-class citizenry overwhelmed volunteers distributing free textbooks and packets of money intended for the poor. It is a perennial subject for comment in the local press, and Singapore's neighbors have taken notice.
Rapid development is partly to blame.
We are unconsciously drifting towards a more indulgent, materialistic approach to life. Dramatist Ong Keng Sen agrees. Goh acknowledges that such dependence can stifle initiative. But, he says, governments exist to offer direction. In most countries, people have to be led.