The Singapore Straits Times on 15 November 2008 ran an article which described an incredibly revealing facet of Made-in-Singapore Enterprise - to marry Mammon with the Angel of Charity.
How do you couple charity and profit? Well, here's the reasoning, straight from the horse's mouth.
A study by John Hopkins University revealed that "the non-profit sector of eight developed countries contributed an average of 5% of their GDP..... The non-profit sector grew at an average of 8.1%, twice the rate of their average GDP growth."
According to Dr Lester Salamon, the Director of John Hopkins University's Centre for Civil Society Studies, "the non-profit sector of 40 countries ...generated up to US$2 trillion worth of expenditure." In Singapore, "this sector generated at least $30 million in business spending and added about $60million of value to Singapore's output per year over the past three years." This is why Mr. Jonathan Kua, director of the Economic Development Board's New Business Group is happy to announce, "It would be good for us as a country .. to be a base for some of this good work that yields us economic spin-offs and allow us to get involved in reaching out to the region." I must say I'm a little concerned about Team Singapore's outreach to 'the region'. Remember the adage "Beware of the Greek bearing gifts".
Singapore's pecuniary foray reminds me of the Parable of the Talents from the New Testament, Matthew 25:14-30. Here, a talent refers to a monetary unit worth about 20 years' wages for a labourer.
It is about a master who gave 5 talents to one servant, two to the next servant and one talent to the third. The first two doubled their money and made the master happy. But the third was punished because he did not invest or speculate with the talent and buried it in the ground. He told his master [24]......'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, [25] .... and I went and hid your talent in the ground.'
The angry master then gave away this servant's one talent to the first servant saying [29] For to everyone who has will more will be given, .....But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.'
Read the full text of The Parable of The Talents here this
It's easy to locate the inspiration behind Tony Blair, Mr Richard Tan of SRI, the other proponents of that Gospel of Money-Spinners and the hopeful wannabe-wealthy who happily parted with some of their talents to learn from the likes of the Master, the first and the second servants.
But Team Singapore does not need the guidance of the above for they are overflowing with both secular and Biblical Talent. It's the others who [30]....will be weeping and gnashing ...teeth.
APPENDIX:
I feel compelled to post this image of this Charity, one of the hopeful ones who indicated a desire to 'invest' in Singapore in the future.
PETA animal rights' activists with banderillas (decorated darts used in bullfighting) on their bodies, in Brussels last month to demonstrate against bullfights.'All creatures great and small. The Lord God made them all.' The creatures in this picture are neither 'great' nor 'small'.
Dear AsH,
ReplyDeleteSincerely appreciate the effort/energy taken to put up into this entry ..love the money.. money.. song. Wonder where you collect/store and correlate them facts/data.. I guess you are very critical as was required of your last post/job in USM.. I was there in 1975 till 79.
As a seismic data correlator and interpreter of 30+ years in search of hydrocarbon in O&G industry.. I salute your ability to correlate and "enlightened me" in many ways.. God bless.
Thank you Wan Sharif,
ReplyDeleteI guess I was always a crochety, person and looking at the world around me, here and in UK makes me even more crabby (as my nieces and nephews describe me).
My spouse, my Abah and father-in-law just add fuel to the fire,
However your skills are far more exciting - you are also a good 'connector' - albeit more scientific and less grumpy.
Hello, I was at Wan Sharif's place noticed your callsign and busybody over.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your eloquent and thought provoking posting.
Well done, outstanding.
You have a nice day and keep well, best regards, Lee.
Dear Uncle Lee,
ReplyDeleteIn all likelihood you're younger than me but I shall use your signature.
Thank you for the bouquet and for dipping your toes in my blog.
Keep well.
Is this the same Singapore that acts as a conduit and issues end user certificates for illegal arms trade, and which, according to the book "By Way of Deception" is the Mossad listening post for the region?
ReplyDeleteOr is this the same Singapore that offers sky high interest rates for Malaysian derived deposits at a time when Malaysia was struggling under Soros attack, aided and abetted by other money grabbers?
Soros too claims to be a philanthropist after reaping his pound of flesh from the woes of countries he had attacked. Singapore too, ditto.
Some deed, some charity. Boo-hoo-hoo.
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information about our 'charitable' neighbours down south.
I was reading an old geography textbook from the 1930s which described Singapore as one of Malaya's outer islands!
These immigrants have come a long way like those European migrants in North America.