'I have questions.'

MR CHEE JOO HIAN: 'I am saddened by Wednesday's report, 'Poly student dies in nightclub brawl in China'. I have questions for Singapore Polytechnic. Did the school do its homework before dispatching the students there? Why was Heilongjiang province picked as an internship venue, rather than the more established eastern cities of Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou? Were the students briefed on the dos and don'ts in a foreign land? They may have interned as a group but they are young - all under 21 years of age. Did the school staff study the area first-hand before deciding on it as an internship venue? Finally, what precautions are being taken by the school for future student assignments abroad?'

(Straits Time Forum, Saturday, 3 October 2009)

I'm sending this to ST but it's way above the 400-word limit set and I don't feel like skimming, so I doubt it'll ever see the light of day. Except here. :)

Mr Chee's overt concern and eagerness to ask questions of Singapore Polytechnic, suggesting that the institution had not done its part to ensure the safety of its interns abroad, is symptomatic of a wider character flaw in Singaporeans - the desperate need to assign blame.  Are we really that scared of uncertainty that whenever a tragedy happens, we have to immediately and blindly point our fingers at someone, if only to regain some semblance of control over this unpredictable thing we call life? Are we mature enough as a people to accept that sometimes, the finger of blame really needs to be pointed inwards, or we simply have to keep our hands fisted because really there is no one to blame?

To recount a personal incident, a theft of valuable electronic items occurred at my workplace recently. The items had been locked in a glass cabinet in a room that was only accessible to trusted staff, but on that particular day, had been left unlocked by another member of staff for the convenience of external auditors.  Upon discovery of the incident, my supervisor, in his eagerness to blame someone for the affair, was very quick to point out that keeping such items in a glass cabinet would make them particularly tempting to would-be crooks.  Needless to say, I found it a rather ludicrous and simple assertion for a man of his stature. Afterall, no would-be crooks would ever have access to the room in the first place.  He had simplified a series of unfortunate events that led to an act of crime to a sheet of glass. If only life were that simple.

With reference to the unfortunate death of the SP student, any fool would know that an educational institution is governed by very strict guidelines, particularly where students' safety is concerned, and that educational institutions do in fact put in place rigorous measures to ensure students' safety.  Mr Chee's questions seem to suggest that the polytechnic had not done even the very elementary safety checks before dispatching students to what he may as well as describe as the middle of obscurity.  'Were the students briefed on the dos and don'ts in a foreign land'? My God, why didn't anyone think of that? This man is a true visionary. 'Did the school staff study the area first-hand...'? No, I'm sure someone at SP simply taped a map of the world to the wall, threw a dart blindfolded and sent its students to wherever the dart landed, in this case, Heilongjiang.  I'm sure there was some googling involved as well at some point. The fact is, no matter how much preparation SP did (and I am most certain they did more than Mr Chee could ever hope to imagine let alone question), they could not have prepared a student for every possible scenario. In this case, the student's presence at the nightclub was entirely of his own accord, perhaps even against the best advice of the polytechnic.  As tragic an incident as it was, unless the visit to the nightclub had been organised by the polytechnic, I really don't see how the integrity of their organisation of the programme could be questioned.

This desperate need to assign blame is particularly evident in the many letters published in the forums of our local print media blaming teachers for the many social problems facing our country.  Singaporeans can't speak English? Blame teachers. Not the many years of exposure to poor English, the lack of good role-modelling at home and in the media, or the prevalence of new media that encourages poor language use. No, it's far less complex if we just blamed teachers, so let's all do that. Young Singaporeans behaving badly because of lack of values? Again, blame teachers. Not the constant struggle that teachers face to undo poor behaviour picked up and reinforced at home, the callous lack of respect that some parents show others that their children emulate, or the lack of good role models in society in general. No, it's a lot simpler and requires a lot less thought if we just blamed teachers, so let's all do that. Housing prices beyond most Singaporeans' reach? Blame teachers! I for one am of the view that parents are utimately responsible for their children's values, behaviour and general growth as human beings. Sadly, it seems there are many parents in our society who disagree. And often, they are quickest to blame the teaching service for their own failings.

At the national level, this overzealous quest to assign blame is even reflected in our view of capital punishment of drug traffickers.  We are one of the last developed nations clinging on to the belief that this is an effective measure of reducing drug abuse, even though it is a punishment that to most is hardly proportionate to the crime. We continue to hang drug traffickers, some on the premise of presumption of guilt, some with sub-standard intelligence, simply because they provide big fat lumps of dehumanised flesh that we as a country can quickly point our collective finger at. They are the ones we blame for the social ill of drug addiction. We do not blame the drug users who are perhaps the most guilty party, or even the media for glamourising drug use. No, we blame the traffickers. It's just easier that way.

Now I am not so naive to think that when bad things happen, no one is ever at fault.  I am just questioning whether it is as simple as a lot of us make it out to be, pointing the finger at one thing when perhaps we do not have nearly enough fingers to pinpoint the causes. After all, it's a well-known fact that sometimes shit happens. And the sooner we can accept it without the self-gratifying need to blame others, the closer we will come towards our aim of a gracious society.

Crystal

I'll say it here, you call and I'll deliver
I'll go long, I'll go near, I'm all-American wide receiver
But your cold heart weighs me down
Your doubts, they surround
They leave crystals in my eyes

So where is your sobriety?

I'll say it loud, you reckless unbeliever
Those blinded eyes, those eyes you will uncover
Let your cold heart weigh me down
Your doubts, they surround
But it's crystal in my eyes

So where is your sobriety?

Your cold heart weighs me down
Your doubts, they surround
But it's crystalline
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

-

Wasted

Heaven
It ain't heaven
If I haven't
your love

Prism
Your eyes are a prison
for all the colours of
summertime

But the flowers will wither
As we fall and we sit here
and quietly listen
To the clatter of hangers
swinging on their lines
Lighter by their jackets

Is it
a bliss that you missed it?
You lying there twisted
like a vine
Enthralling
Your feathers are falling
In a shower of
red and wine

And the clouds will deliver
As we fall and we sit here
and quietly listen
To the smashing on pavements
of broken hearts
Lighter by their spirits

We walk, we run
And we fall
in love, we love

We're wasted
We're wasted and young
We're wasted
So decidedly wasted

The Lights

I see her
In darkness she is solarised
And I see her
when the lights come flashing
I'll see her in heaven

The seers, believers
Set their souls alight
And I see them
when the clouds come crashing
I'll see them in heaven

Oh the lights, the lights
Shine me down to heaven

Litmus

Whatever you want
Whatever you need, my love
The vision arrests my heart
The division tears my heart

To pieces
Like urban decline
So surely
In pieces we lie

You know that I'll be there
As sure as the sun will forever shine
I'll leave it all behind
Just to feel her

Whatever you want
Whatever you need, my love
Whenever you want my heart
Whenever you want, my heart

The pieces
of urban decline
The pieces of us

The molten clouds are breaking
Let's just sit here and wait a while
The light from my heart
Will burn and dry your scarlet eyes