It was about the new IPPT system implemented.
I saw this comment in reply to the changes made in the IPPT system. It said "So.... ippt have became something that everyone can pass..." Well, I should put out this disclaimer first, it was from a friend's friend whom I am not acquainted with and on checking, should be of at least poly education and age. Yet it doesn't make me feel any better. I still feel damn angry about it.
Apparently you have no idea how NSmen feel not being able to pass IPPT. If you have slugged it out on the track doing RT during your weekends or have to travel to that camp just for RT when you have a hectic school or work schedule, you will know how it feels. Fine, you can argue why wait till the last minute then do RT? There are people who train for it and still have difficulty passing, like SBJ and it is by no means their fault. It's the technique which they weren't taught.
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| Credits: Mothership |
Who doesn't want to pass IPPT in one attempt and forget about it for a year? Not everyone can do it though. This change in the IPPT system is meant to help them. They are the target audience. If you can't pass, you will probably agree with me that this is a blessing. It gives NSmen some hope that training will show results and that IPPT is passable (some NSmen have it engrained in their mindsets that IPPT is bao fail).
If you can pass IPPT in the past (means you have certain fitness), this new system shouldn't affect you much, in fact it makes it easier for you to get your gold. So why do I hear people from this group complaining? Only think about yourself, that you are affected is it?
If you aren't, good, I salute you. I know everyone doesn't like changes but changes like these are for the good of NSmen in general and I ask you to bear with it.
Sometimes Singaporeans have to learn to be thankful and think from the perspectives of others. So what if you can't get your gold and lose out on that little bit of reward when so many others have benefited from it? Can't you just see past that line of ME and MYSELF and see how it affects others?
Was IPPT meant to be exclusive? Everyone pass cannot ah? Everyone pass, got offend you is it? Gosh. I don't know what kids these days are thinking but no, not only you are entitled to passing and getting your gold. It's not like there is a limit to the number of gold rewards they are giving out.
Do refer to my article written with regards to the news of the new IPPT system here:
http://theinfluencermedia.com/2014/07/24/new-ippt-system-brings-relief/
While I am on the topic of how Singaporeans should learn to be thankful, let's also take a look at
http://theinfluencermedia.com/2014/07/20/5-major-facts-about-singapore-that-every-singaporean-should-understand/
My colleague wrote this article and there has been a lot of comments. Basically, people either agree with him that we ought to be thankful for how Singapore is overall but there are people who also criticse it. No, he is not pro-government. Do we need to be pro-government to be thankful for the country we reside in now? It's just weighing the pros and cons and how you want to compare it. If you compare with the best, of course Singapore may not be much but be fair in your comparison, don't take it out of context.
It is always easy to criticize things, policies, the government. Yet, we need to recognize the facts for what they are and see what they show or where they lead. It is a fact that undergraduates or graduates expect jobs with certain salaries. No, it is not wrong. After all, there has been investments made on us, through the form of education fees. We also expect internships to have a reasonable allowance even though the company may be reputable. Hello? We also need to feed ourselves and even our families right? All these facts show us there we have a certain mindset and I won't say it is wrong but there is a cause and effect relationship. The effect is that foreigners are willing to take these jobs with lower salaries.
I don't agree with every choice or decision made by the government or like everything that Singapore is now but still, let's be thankful for what we have. Count our blessings. Do not take things for granted. If you don't know what we take for granted, look to other countries, their poverty, their education, their security, their jobs. Let's treasure all these that we do have and not regret when we lose them. The Singapore today may not be the same Singapore we know of a few hundred years down the road.
