Still can learn a thing or two from the West

I SYMPATHISE with Tim Mou Hui's letter, 'Myopic outlook behind West's dealings with Asia' (ST, Feb 27).

Although I spent my formative years in the West, I've lived in Singapore for the past five years. Having lived in both the East and West, I've seen more than enough examples of how 'myopic' Westerners can be when it comes to the way they perceive Asia.

I've encountered personal examples of Western myopia. The most personal example was the way I had to invert my name from Tang Li to Li Tang to satisfy the Western mind. A school teacher once told me that while it may have been an Asian custom to have one's surname first, I would have to put my name on a test paper as Li Tang because the test was set by an American college.

When I told my mother about this, she told me that I had to be flexible and I have been ever since.

But when I look back on it, I should have defied mother and teacher. Why should I change something as personal as my name to suit someone else when I have yet to meet a Kevin Adams who changed his name to Adams Kevin when he moved to Asia?

Having said all that, I don't believe that the West is going to be overshadowed by Asia any time in the near future. Western societies are resilient and Asia should continue to learn from the West instead of allowing myopia to affect its dealings with the West.

One thing which I believe Asia, and in particular Singapore, can learn from the West is social graces.

One of the things that used to amaze me about the London Tube was its efficiency inspite of its decrepit infrastructure.

I put it down to social graces. People let passengers get off the train before they board and move to the centre of the carriage, thus ensuring the trains are used by as many people as possible.

Now compare that with our MRT system, which has first-rate physical infrastructure, but is often unable to carry as many people as it should because people crowd around the doors.

Another area that the West excels in is in accepting immigrants. Leaving aside last year's riots in Paris and Sydney, Western cities like London and New York have managed to assimilate many cultures successfully without imposing racial curfews or anti-sedition laws.

This has helped the cities to develop vibrancy and a rich cultural heritage. The various ethnicities and cultures that American society is comprised has allowed the country to develop a world-class film industry.

But cultural integration alone would not be enough to create a resilient society without the universal values that all cultures can share. In the case of the West, I believe the most important one is the culture that rewards excellence and forgives failure.

Just look at America. The income gap in the US is huge, yet it has had relatively few instances of social unrest. America produces more entrepreneurs as well as more scientific and artistic innovators than any country. They are well rewarded when they succeed, and when they fail, they are allowed to come back.

Think of Michael Milken, the former jailed junk bond dealer, who now contributes his financial skills to raising money for good causes.

It would be hard to think of former National Kidney Foundation CEO T.T. Durai ever achieving a similar comeback and contributing his talents to Singapore's business circles. Tang Li

Published in Straits Times On-line forum - March 4, 2006
Copyright: (C) Singapore Press Holdings Ltd 2006