Skip to main content

Final Lesson from Dr Goh Keng Swee

I watched in full captivity the live telecast of the State funeral of the late Dr Goh Keng Swee yesterday. Thousands of people had braved the elements just to pay their last respects to one of the greatest sons of Singapore over the past week.

Looking at Dr Goh’s funeral session which was attended by many distinguished guests, his family, friends and loved ones, and all paying tributes and offering eulogies to Dr Goh, the epiphany which has eluded me for some time now returned, overwhelming me: the epiphany on what life is all about.

Life is all about creating value to others and the society. Dr Goh was well-loved and respected by Singaporeans for he has not only cared for the society, he has created tremendous value to Singapore by helping make Singapore what it is today. Dr Goh Keng Swee has also touched the lives of many Singaporeans.

At your own funeral, what would you like to be remembered as to your loved ones? For those who have been stuck in the corporate rat race chasing for the millions and a premium living, I guess the same answer also applies: people do not remember you for earning that few millions but they remember you , long after you have gone, for how you have created, added value or helped them in their personal lives and the community in general.

The worst form of humiliation that can be accorded to anyone is to denigrade the value of an individual in any social roles he or she takes on: be it as a family member, as an employee, a friend or just as another human being. E.g. Many bosses treat their employees nastily, employees do not feel valued and hence leave the company. Dr Goh accords the requisite value and worth deserving of any individual to him or her.

So while we hope we will be valued in the social roles we take on, we can also help make the world or Singapore a better place by adding value to our fellow mates and community today!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vernon Leong Jun Wei

What happens to the 31 year old bride groom, Vernon Leong Jun Wei? As the news of this latest unnatural and bizzare death developed, it seemed that Vernon did not jump from the 24th storey of Hilton Hotel as was believed earlier. There were 3 video camera footages which might prove otherwises for the cause of Vernon's death. The first video footage showed Vernon at the 24th storey, making his way hurriedly into the fire escape staircase. The next video footage showed Vernon at the 2nd storey which also holds some shops and the final footage showed an unconscious Vernon motionless at the ground of the hotel. Vernon was cladded casually in a T-shirt and pants and have left his hotel room while his wife was taking a shower. It seemed that he might be escaping from something or somebody or that he might be chasing after something or somebody. What did Vernon see and experience at his last moments? The police is still investigating the case. It is really a very tragical and sad
Post a Comment
Read more

Kampong Lorong Buangkok

Amidst the blazing afternoon sun today, my Dear and I made our way to Kampong Lorong Buangkok. The visit was a timely one as there is such a high buzz being generated over the last kampong in modern Singapore. After alighting from Bus 854 from Eunos, it was not difficult to find our way to the kampong. The entrance of the kampong was distinct as you could see from the picture: the 'ulu-ness' (rural charm) is evident from the attap-roofed buildings and more unkempt conditions. A signboard with hand-written text welcome my Dear and I to the last kampong in Singapore: As we entered the kampong, I spotted a middle-aged woman talking to an old man. I had seen the old woman before on TV. She was none other than the owner of the kampong land. In the documentary, I learnt that the whole kampong land was passed to her by her late father. She has kept the land and have not gone on to sell the land to the government. If she were to sell the land, she would be an instant multi-millionair
Post a Comment
Read more

Performance Bonus

It is the time of the year civil servants receive their performance bonuses (PBs). In the coming two weeks, civil servants will not only receive their performance bonuses, special ‘growth bonuses’, would also await them for the very first time. These PBs and growth bonuses are only applicable to performers, defined as officers with assessed performance gradings above the ‘D’ grade. Typically, civil servants receive their performance bonuses in March, a 0.5 month of bonus in July and a 13th month plus AVC in December. Are all the bonuses good? To be frank, the bonuses dished out in Civil Service are averages at best. With the various bonuses being given out in these months: July, December and March, a civil servant who would like to quit would most likely try to find a ‘suitable’ month to quit so as not to forfeit his bonuses. The December bonus is generally the most generous portion. To quantify for this bonus, an officer would have to be in service till the end of January ne
1 comment
Read more