Globalization and the impact to me as a Singaporean

Tan Keng Hee

2003 was a memorable year for me. I was in Singapore then and the Enron affair, an incident that happened far away, had impacted the company I worked in. My colleagues and I were having an overnight chat over roti prata and teh tarik, discussing what will happen to us as employees of one of the then-BIG 5 firm we worked at.

It was the first impact of globalization and one that I was not fully prepared for. But as fate had it, our management in Singapore managed to find a buyer and we were acquired by a consulting firm. Fast forward to 2005, the firm decided to downsize and announced a retrenchment without any benefit before Chinese New Year, as it was their right to do.

I was retrenched in March 2005 and the company was downsized. The three weeks of job hunting at the time was the lowest point in my life at that point. Thankfully, I landed on a job that took me to Saudi Arabia for 18 months where I had a great experience.

In 2007, I decided to return home as the time in Saudi Arabia took its toll on my wife and three kids. I then stayed for another year before venturing into another job that took me to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Vietnam before moving with my entire family to the United States for two years, where we remain until now. In the span of seven years, from the age of 38 to 45, I experienced globalization at the greatest.

Managing and adapting to Change

Change is something that no generation will ever be ready for, much like facing a rejected date when we were teenagers. You cannot read about it. You need to experience it firsthand. No amount of classroom simulation will sufficiently prepare you mentally. It was very tough even for someone like me who had gone through the Officer Cadet School (OCS), known for the mental endurance required to complete its training.

We change with circumstance and very much like our forefathers who were forced to leave their homeland to work overseas by circumstances, I too had the same fate. We go where the job takes us. I felt it most uncomfortable when I was based in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, as I had previously lived my entire 40 years of life as part of the Chinese ethnic majority in Singapore. In Saudi Arabia, I became the minority. However, my command of the English language helped me to communicate and having an open mindset also helped me to better understand Islam in the 18 months I was there.

English as our primary language, still worth keeping

I do not speak the Queen’s English, but I am sufficiently competent for global communications. I realized that regardless of where I may be, it is not just one’s words, but actions and demonstration of openness toward a different culture.

I remembered correcting an email from a local in Saudi who addressed me with a simple “Dear” and not “Dear Mr X” – it is easy to forget the subtleness of the language.

I am, therefore, grateful to our Singapore leaders who saw the need for English as our first language – a brave move for Singapore which is surrounded by a sea of Malay centric countries. Without this policy, we cannot globalize.

Taking risks and reaping the rewards

In a safe environment like Singapore, we often do not need to take unnecessary risks. In fact, the Singapore system tries to reduce risk by streamlining limited student resources to the appropriate skilled jobs. However, living overseas, I got to hear different perspectives and was exposed to different kinds of risks.

To be able to take personal risks meant that I had to be prepared for any consequences. But risks have their rewards, which may not necessarily be monetary. I had the worst stomach cramp of my life in Bangladesh and after returning to Singapore, I had high fever for a few weeks due to an apparent viral food poisoning. Our environment has been too clean and once we get hit by a viral strain, it can bring us down to our knees. I virtually had to stop every other step at the airport after checking in to control my pain.

In another instance, I decided to visit a sight in Saudi called Maden Saleh despite the high bomb risk. I returned months later and heard of some killings of tourists in that area. I was lucky to have escaped unscathed.

Looking after ourselves and reminding us of being Singaporean

We can always travel overseas, but home is where we are born and brought up. As I travel between the United States and Singapore, I am constantly updated on matters in Singapore through Channel News Asia, Facebook and MSN Messenger. Technology is the easy part. The difficult part is in maintaining interest.

It pays to have good friends whom I can interact with online. I was also thankful for the online live telecast of the National Day Rally, which was extremely smooth-going this year. Like others, once you are far away, you tend to see things clearer. Bonding with another Singaporean or Malaysian is always heart warming and food is almost always the centre of discussion.

Wherever we go, the want to network with fellow Singaporeans/Asians is a common need for social identity. An example of this would be the annual gathering for LO HEI during Chinese New Year. Thus, one may be inclined to think that a key globalization skill is to master the cooking of a few good Singaporean dishes – dishes prepared using readymade paste from Prima Deli bring back memories of Laksa and Curry we commonly enjoy in Singapore.

Conclusion

There are many Singaporeans highly critical of what we are given. There is no perfect education or preparation. I feel compelled to share my personal experiences because I believe in our system from the bottom of my heart and I am grateful to the way how I was brought up in Singapore. There is no course called “global skills” but I am able to overcome the challenges I faced because of my education in Singapore.

Therefore, I hope this article will serve to motivate others to share their global experiences and be a testimony of our pride in being a Singaporean. We belong to a city state no bigger than 20 miles by 30 miles, but our presence can be felt wherever we go.

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The author is a guest writer for the YPAP. This article was first published on YPAP on 8 November 2010.