What if I was a minister? Part 1

So here is my first entry in my weekly RealBlurPolitics® column and I will present Part 1 of what if I was a minister?

If I was the minister of defence

I would not make National Service compulsory to all males in the country. Instead, I would require these boys(or men) to attend an obligatory 1 to 2 week camp at various army camps islandwide(no need the hassle to travel to another island, you know what I mean). During their time-sacrificing stay there, they would be tasked to do various kinds of exercises, or should I say sports? Whatever, let's just say training, BMT, body and muscle training. Of course there will be rewards(with rewards then there will be motivation and motivation breeds good results) for those who do well and achieve good results from the camp, which is some money and a welcome letter to join the republic's army permanently for the next 2 years of their lives.

I think that in this way, we can truly get the best "army" in the country. There are some loyal citizens out there in this nation dying to enter the army and serve the country but for most of the common boys(or men), we think that it is really time-sacrificing or rather time-wasting. Since that is the case, why force people to join the army? Yes, and why only males?

If I was the minister of education

Alright, this is one of my all time favourites. Firstly, I believe that there is a need for streaming in schools as different students have different levels of competence academically. It gives the child a more comfortable environment to blend into and excelling his/her potential will be easier.

Next, more PE lessons is a must, whether it is primary, secondary or tertiary(and polytechnics should have it too). A typical secondary student would have two 30 minutes lessons per week, minus the time for changing, resting and the teacher's talking, it would only be about 30 to 40 minutes per week. How can that be adequate for students at an age where they should exercise more as they are still growing? Can we really trust them to do exercise during their own free time in this modern "e-world"?

Thirdly, I would make Moral Education in primary schools optional, it seems that subjects starting with "M" are normally the top dislikes among kids, Maths, Mother Tongue, Music etc. So having one less "M" would be much desirable. Anyway, how many people actually remember what they studied in Moral Education in primary school a decade later when they grow up? Parents should play the teacher's role instead and home should be the classroom

Lastly, every student's favourite, and maybe teachers as well...Shorter schools hours, needless to explain, the reason is obvious since our parents' time

If I was the minister of finance

Well, I'll just make sure we(cabinet) spend wisely and usefully although it is quite hard to decipher the genuine meaning of "wisely and usefully" but I can see we are on the right track most of the times, but not everytime


If I was the minister of foreign affairs

It does not need a rocket scientist to discover that the country has good ties with almost every other nation on earth. Wherever and whenever our country leaders meet their counterparts, they will definitely stress all the "good ties and relations....." that both countries share. This is something precious that we must cherish. If you look at other countries, the situation here and there are in stark juxtaposition. So as the FA minister, it is my responsibility to maintain these wonderful ties and create more opportunities for people here to interact with others from overseas

China is one of the crucial countries that we must be noteworthy of, their people, market, economy and whatever indirectly affects us in a way or another. Actually, more and more China nationals have landed on our shores recently and they are starting to be part and parcel of our daily lives. The young lad who delivers newspapers at dawn, the bus driver that fetches us to school or work, our classmates and co-workers, the man who cooks and sells you your lunch at the "zhap cai peng" stall in the foodcourt, the lady that owns the bakery where you buy a snack for your high-tea, the security guard that says goodbye to you after work at the exit, the pet shop managed by the couple where you buy the bird/fish/cat/rabbit food for your pet. And upon reaching home, switching on the TV, it is still China actors, actresses, hosts, news anchors and the list goes on