An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
Other downs of PAPpy's so called meritocratic system -
Other downside effect besides elitism and spread of corruption (due to lack of vigilance as a whole), this so called meritocratic system produces many out of touch top civil servants and leaders. They don't have an inkling what is going on the ground and many a time they cannot relate to the ground guy. The PAPpy puts up grassroot leaders, but that is all one big bull. Grassroot leaders are part of the system - I was an RC Chairman
Yet another downside are those who fall through the cracks. One of the criteria in this "meritocratic" system is having a good academic result. Hence, if you are an average student in your primary school days, you will not have a chance to be in an elite secondary school. Your chances of playing catch up are very low. It doesn't matter that you suddenly start to shine at 30 years old because you are a late bloomer, having received your first class honours degree at that age. Too bad, you have missed the boat.
Still another problem, and this is a biggie, is the tendency for these elites to cover each other's backsides. One high profile case is when we saw ex-President Ong Teng Cheong being stonewalled collectively by the PAP govt after he had asked for information regarding Singapore's financial reserves. The mighty PAP cabinet gang, having being schooled and were selected from the same system, has this tendency to protect each other.
Incidentally, all those who rose from the PAP ranks but later "go against the system", are made to look bad. This happened to Ong TC and of course, the disgraced Devan Nair, another ex-Presdient.
-
http://wherebearsroamfree.blogspot.s...pied-from.html
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.