The Ang Moh says.

I find it rather interesting to listen to views from foreigners. Views of what they think of Singapore that is. Sometimes, I ask some of my foreign friends about what they think about our country. The closer ones gave their candid pieces, while quite a number gave the politically correct ones. For example, it's very clean, very beautiful, very safe etc.Yes, those comments that we have already known like A is for Apple and B is for Boy. Hence, I thought it was quite interesting for my fyp prof to talk about such a topic from his own point of view. And of course, it is even more interesting as our topic should revolve around FYP since I was supposed to meet him up for CA2. However, I thought I wasn't really being assessed since it had turned out to be his little sharing session on what he thought about our little sunny island. It all began when my friend declined to meet him this month as he will away for a short holiday in Malaysia. I passed a random and casual statement saying that it's dangerous to go to Malaysia and I didn't know this statement could lead to another half an hour spent in his office.

"BULLSHIT!" that was what he replied. He acknowledged that it is good that Singapore is a safe place, but he felt that it should be a little unsafe. He found that Singaporeans are just feeling too safe. In his own country, Netherlands that is, he said that it is also not safe but people just take precautions. He was quite disturbed whenever he saw students leaving their books and belongings unattended. In his country, everything would be gone! His point is that we simply drop our guard because we have always been living in a safe place. Thus, he felt we should be a little unsafe. Also, it's all right to go to a dangerous place but we just have to take care of ourselves. He dislikes the idea that we always like to impose that our neighbouring countries should also be as safe. To which, he thinks that that is why we can't integrate because we are trying to draw the difference.

Oh well, these are all his own opinions. It's good to hear some differing views. But before I left his office, I told him that although I said it is unsafe to go to Malaysia, I will still go. I guess he has not truly understand Singaporeans. We may be Kiasee but he has forgotten we are Kiasu as well. Dangerous it may be, but we still want to try to do it because we do not want to lose out.

All in all, I can accept but not agree with what he said.