Daily Lesson from Life 19 January 2009

" Channel NewsAsia 19 January 2009

SINGAPORE — A senior Singaporean civil servant has been reprimanded for publicising his family’s vacation at a top French cooking school when his country is suffering from a recession, a minister said Monday.

"It struck a discordant note during the current difficult economic circumstances when it is especially important to show solidarity and empathy for Singaporeans who are facing uncertainties and hardship," Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said in parliament.

The civil servant, Tan Yong Soon, wrote early this month in a local newspaper about his family’s experience learning to cook at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

He said he attended with his wife and son. Tan, permanent secretary at the ministry of environment and water resources, showed "a lack of sensitivity" and poor judgement, the minister said.


The online community did not pull any punches describing Mr Tan Yong Soon’s article on his family vacation as insensitive. Some even labelled him arrogant.

Mr Tan is believed to have spent at least S$45,000 on his holiday in Paris where his family attended a cooking course."

This is definitely a very interesting reporting! Top civil servants in Singapore are paid big bucks! So from a purely personal perspective, the man is entitled to spend his 'hard earned' money whichever way he wants! This is really not of the public business as long as he does not steal or rob or do anything illegal!

Lessons for me are:

1. when you pay someone that much money and want him to live a simple life, how is that possible? As I have written a few days ago about the need to remind Singaporeans we do not need a lot of money to be happy as a BIG HOUSE is NOT a HOME! A BIG RICH dinner is NOT necessary a nutritious one that is good for your health! BUT when you have the money, what are you going to do with it if you do not engage in conspicuous consumption?!;

2. of course there are people who can exercise discipline and live a simple life despite making millions. e.g the PM of Singapore supposed live a simple lifestyle. This starts from the mindset and values inculcated in the particular person. But it also demand discipline and constantly reminding oneself the goodness of living a simple BUT meaningful life! e.g. many rich and wealthy donated their wealth to charities;

3. while it is a personal matter how one spends the money made through honest and legal means, it is a different story if you happened to be a public servant or public figure! As leaders, what we do will be judged by others. While we cannot control how others will perceive our actions and reactions, there is a responsibility for us to consider what could be the type of reactions or responses from the people when we do one thing or the other. In this instant, the top civil servant obviously had NOT thought through the implication of him 'publishing the S$45k cooking holiday' story (I wondered if someone set him up for this or he REALLY is totally insensitive and detached from the prevailing sombre and pessimistic mood of the nation)! Let this be a lesson for him and other leaders!

However, I also do not feel that leaders ONLY put up a show that they are with the people. They MUST truly feel for the people. In this respect I think Mr. Tan has made a grave error. It may cost his high flying career to nosedive! Maybe!!