Throwing more 'Cs' into the mix as S'pore approaches 60

The 5 Cs still matter. But let's discuss some other attributes that can make our nation better.

- Jeffery Tan

Singapore turns 60 in the new year.

In marking this milestone, it is timely to pause and recognise the amazing progress we have made as a country and a people - from a small trading post to a global hub for commerce, technology and culture.

The transformation has been remarkable, if not unprecedented.

Many of us are familiar with the reference to the "5 Cs" of Singapore - cash, car, credit card, condominium and country club - a term first coined as a popular observational joke during the 1990s, about the aspirations of Singaporeans.

These Cs remain important, but as the country matures, can I toss a few more new Cs into the ring for our collective consideration?

OF COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS

A large part of Singapore's success can be attributed to the "Pioneer Generation", which contributed meaningfully to nation building with stoic resilience and little murmuring.

Now that Singapore has attained an enviable place on the global stage, the Chinese idiom 前人种树,后人乘凉 (qian ren zhong shu, hou ren cheng liang) comes to mind. This broadly translates to 'forefathers planting trees and later generations enjoying the shade'. One is also aware that Singaporeans are often given to complaining 'under the shade'.

My foreign friends are sometimes intrigued by our propensity to gripe and by our legendary "Complain kings and queens".

Notwithstanding the high standard of living enjoyed in Singapore, research by the Institute of Policy Studies reveals that Singaporeans tend to express dissatisfaction or to complain, more frequently than expressing gratitude - often through the readily available social media platforms. This "complaining culture" may be attributed to various factors including high-stress levels, societal expectations and the nation's rapid pace of development.