The New Nation - Internet Edition

Taking lessons from Singapore

Md. Abu Abdullah

When the aeroplane touched the Changi Airport of Singapore, I was realizing a mixed feeling as a passenger. Coming out of the plane, a very clean and beautiful airport with eye catching shopping malls, coffee shop, and many more awaited are. Beyond the airport a majestic looking Singapore with its beautifully constructed roads flyovers built with state of the art technology welcomed me in the centre of excellence.

A mere fishing village of early nineteenth century had come up at this stage through the concerted efforts of all. Work of establishing a commercial port started following arrival of Thomas Stamford Raffles here in 1819. It was also the beginning of British rule at Singapore. During the Second World War Singapore was under the Japanese control from 1943-45. After the departure of Japanese from Singapore in 1945, Singapore came again under the British colonial rule which continued upto 1963 when Malaysia-Singapore Federation become independent in 1963. Singapore became independent on 09 August 1965 seceding from Malaysia.

A new cabinet took oath wearing white dress under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew to rebuild the country. But only after few months investigation started against a minister on charge of corruption and the alleged minister committed suicide. Family members of that minister left the country later on, due to social pressure. The Peoples Action Party is leading the country since 1959.

With only 707 square kilometer of area having 43 kilometer in length and 23 kilometer in wide Singapore also has acute shortage of land and natural resources, forcing the country to rely heavily on her import for almost everything. They have gathered the knowledge of creating crisis into the opportunity. They practiced birth control in sixties, but sharply they realize the shortage of manpower. Now they are giving six thousand dollar 'Baby Bonus' for every new born. Different measures have been taken to discourage migration. But workers from different countries are working there for rapid development. One hundred thousand Bangladeshi skilled and semi skilled workers, including banker, university teacher and polytechnic diploma holders are working there. On holidays Bangladeshis meet near the premises of Angulia mosque and adjoining areas. Little India and Mostafa center are the common place for shopping and eating of the Indo-Pak subcontinent people.

The biggest mosques of Singapore are in Arab quarters area. Quality silk goods, sarang and caps are available in the area. While China town is famous for ceramics, plastics goods, food court and various chinese goods. Santosa island, Jurong birds park, music show, cultural museum are great attractions for the tourist. The country having 4.6 million populations welcome more than double of tourist every year.

Housing sector has been evolved in phases under the supervision of housing development board. More than 90 percent family has own houses. To meet the increasing demand high rise buildings along with community halls, libraries, gymnasium, swimming pools and restaurants on small pieces of land have been constructed. The acute water shortage is met by imports, harvesting rain water, desalinating sea water and reuse of water etc.

Elected town council and community development council look into these community facilities in a competitive price. They also provide and social services. Industrial, commercial and residential area has been developed according to the needs and aspirations of the citizens. Coordinated living, working and shopping facilities developed at the new city centre.

People from every parts of the world are coming to Singapore for better treatment facilities. Mount Elizabeth Hospital is one of the best available around. Singapore airport follow open sky policy, while Singapore airlines compete with open market policy. Physical communication with excellent surface transport system and Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) are among the best in the world. Transshipment is another area Singapore showed the way. With skilled manpower and state of the art system transshipment in Singapore is one of the quickest and prompt in the world. Mutual understanding and cooperation among trade union, entrepreneurs and government are the secrets of this success.

They have changed the colonial administrative rules according to their need. One can easily mark the administrative efficiency by visiting any government office. 63000 officers and staff working in the government for providing civil services to the people. Forward looking, effective, impartial and above all service oriented civil servants are always there to accommodate forward looking changes to cater to the need of the hours. They anticipate change, welcome change and execute change even with risky ideas. Every office meets weekly to review their work and inovate new ideas and suggestions to ensure better services. Respecting people and upholding the truth are their main objectives.

Cheap popularity always takes back seat to encourage effective team work, motivation to achieve excellence, radical innovations, and reward for best performance. Leadership is key, anticipate change and stay relevant, Reward for work and work for reward, a stake for everyone and opportunities for all are the unique four guiding principles of the governance in Singapore. The country is very successful in implementing e-governance. Their slogan is "government services - A click Away". E-services are ranked high by any standard.

Officers from Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and African countries are being imparting training at the Singapore civil service college. They are learning the secrets of administrative success of Singapore. Problems and prospects of any two societies or state are not same always, but still there are scopes to imitate the success experience of one state for another. Singapore has constructed her many big infrastructure and establishments according to their need, taking idea from others. They took the idea from Boston airport for Changi airport, gardening of city idea from Hanoi and Saigon, metro rail idea from New York, disaster preparedness idea from Japan, and human resource development plan form Royal Dutch Company. In every step, they followed the principle of think ahead, think again, and think beyond.

There are also problems in Singapore society. Because of income disparity, lot of new social issues is emerging there. Government is now providing some support to lower income people. Despite all odds an import dependent country has jumped from third world to first world in one generation succeed beyond expectations.

Nearly five hundred Deputy Secretaries and above ranking officers of Bangladesh undertook training from Singapore civil service college in the last two years. Another 1500 officers will be trained under this program by next five years. Main thrust of this training was to see ongoing development activities of Singapore, specially its seaport, housing, anticorruption, health along with academic class at the civil service college. It is expected that utilizing the experience of this training these officers will be able to bring effective and positive change in the administrative system of Bangladesh.

This training is financed by the DFID of British government under the title "Managing at the Top-2". Four weeks of this training are held at the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre and two weeks at Singapore. Administration Training expert Roger Fernando, John Wallace, John Dagnall, Mosharraf Hossain, Nazma Ahmed, Mohammad Iqbal and Motiur Rahman are organizing this course.

We have lots of examples of individual success of our countrymen both at home and abroad. But now we need to achieve collective success with team spirit. Government administration is a 'team work'. Moreover we need to continuation of the implementation of our development activities. Total administration of Bangladesh should be reorganized according to the need of the twenty first century. Singapore has reached this stage by virtue of their perseverance, we can take lesson from them for marching ahead < mdabuabdullah @ yahoo.com>

Confessions of a British Spy - XI

Having enjoyed the first secret, I was looking forward to knowing the second secret. Eventually one day the secretary explained the second secret he had promised. The second secret was a fifty page scheme prepared for the high ranking officials working in the Ministry for annihilating Islam altogether within a century's time. The scheme was comprised of fourteen articles. The scheme was closely guarded for fear that it might be obtained by Muslims. The following are the articles of the scheme:

1- We have to form a well-established alliance and an agreement of mutual help with the Russian Tsar in order to invade Bukhara, Tajikistan, Armenia, Khorasan and its neighbourhood. Again, a sound agreement must be established with Russians in order to invade their neighbour, Turkey.

2- We must establish cooperation with France in demolishing the Islamic world both from within and from without.

3- We must sow very ardent rows and controversies between the Turkish and Iranian governments and emphasize nationalistic and racist feelings in both parties. In addition, all the Muslim tribes, nations and countries neighbouring one another must be set against one another. All the religious sects, including the extinct ones, must be recovered and set against one another.

4- Parts from Muslim countries must be handed over to non-Muslim communities. For example, Medina must be given to the Jews, Alexandria to the Christians, Imara to the Saiba, Kermanshah to the Nusayriya group, who have divinized 'Ali, Mousul to the Yazidis, the Iranian gulf to Hindus, Tripoli to the Druzis, Kars to the Alawis, and Masqat to the Khariji group. The next step should be to arm these groups so that each of them will be a thorn on the body of Islam. Their areas must be widened till Islam has collapsed and perished.

5- A schedule must be concocted to divide the Muslim and Ottoman States into, as small as possible, local states that are always at loggerheads with one another. An example of this is today's India. For the following theory is common: "Break, and you will dominate," and "Break, and you will destroy."

6- It is necessary to adulterate Islam's essence by adding interpolated religions and sects into it, and this we must devise in such a subtle manner that the religions we are to invent should be compatible with the sensuous tastes and aspirations of the people among whom we are going to spread them. We shall invent four different religions in the Shi'ite countries: 1- A religion that divinizes hadrat Husain; 2- A religion that divinizes Jafar Sadiq; 3- A religion divinizing Mahdi; 4- A religion divinizing Ali Rida. The first one is suitable for Karbala, the second one for Isfahan, the third one for Samarra, and the fourth one for Khorasan. In the meantime, we must degenerate the existing four Sunnite Madhhabs into four self-standing religions. After doing this, we shall establish an altogether new Islamic sect in Najd, and then instigate bloody rows among all these groups. We shall annihilate the books belonging to the four Madhhabs, so that each of these groups will consider themselves to be the only Muslim group and will look on the other groups as heretics that are to be killed.

7- Seeds of mischief and malice, such as fornication, pederasty, alcoholic spirits and gambling, will be scattered among Muslims. Non-Muslims living in the countries concerned will be used for this purpose. A tremendous army of people of this sort is on requisition for the realization of this goal.

8- We should spare no effort to train and educate vicious leaders and cruel commanders in Muslim countries, to bring them into power and thus to pass laws prohibiting obedience to the Shariat (religious injunctions). We should put them to use, to the extent that they should be subservient enough to do whatever the Ministry (of the Commonwealth) asks them to do, and vice versa. Through them we should be able to impose our wishes on Muslims and Muslim countries by using laws as an enforcement. We should establish a social way of life, an atmosphere wherein obeying the Shariat will be looked on as a guilt and worshipping as an act of regression. We should trick Muslims into electing their leaders from among non-Muslims. For doing this, we should disguise some of our agents as Islamic authorities and bring them into high positions so that they may execute our wishes (74).

9- Do your best to prevent the learning of Arabic. Popularize languages other than Arabic, such as Persian, Kurdish, and Pushtu (Pashto). Resuscitate foreign languages in the Arabic countries and popularize the local dialects in order to annihilate literary, eloquent Arabic, which is the language of the Qur'an and the Sunnat.

10- Placing our men around statesmen, we should gradually make them secretaries of these statesmen and through them we should carry out the desires of the Ministry. The easiest way of doing this is the slave trade: First of all we must adequately train the spies we are to send forth in the guise of slaves and concubines. Then we must sell them to the close relatives of Muslim statesmen, for instance, to their children or wives, or to other people liked or respected by them. These slaves, after we have sold them, will gradually approach the statesmen. Becoming their mothers and governesses, they will encircle Muslim statesmen like a bracelet girding a wrist.

11- Missionary areas must be widened so as to penetrate into all social classes and vocations, especially into such professions as medicine, engineering, and book-keeping. We must open centres of propaganda and publication under such names as churches, schools, hospitals, libraries and charity institutions in the Islamic countries and spread them far and near. We must distribute millions of Christian book free of charge. We must publish the Christian history and intergovernmental law alongside the Islamic history. We must disguise our spies as monks and nuns and place them in churches and monasteries. We must use them as leaders of Christian movements. These people will at the same time detect all the movements and trends in the Islamic world and report to us instantaneously. We must institute an army of Christians who will, under such names as 'professor', 'scientist', and 'researcher', distort and defile the Islamic history, learn all the facts about Muslims' ways, behaviour, and religious principles, and then destroy all their books and eradicate the Islamic teachings.

12- We must confuse the minds of the Islamic youth, boys and girls alike, and arouse doubts and hesitations in their minds as to Islam. We must completely strip them of their moral values by means of schools, books, magazines [sports clubs, publications, motion pictures, television], and our own agents trained for this job. It is a prerequisite to open clandestine societies to educate and train Jewish, Christian and other non-Muslim youngsters and use them as decoys to trap the Muslim youngsters.

13- Civil wars and insurrections must be provoked; Muslims must always be struggling with one another as well as against non-Muslims so that their energies will be wasted and improvement and unity will be impossible for them. Their mental dynamisms and financial sources must be annihilated. Young and active ones must be done away with. Their orders must be rendered into terror and anarchy.

14- Their economy must be razed in all areas, their sources of income and agricultural areas must be spoilt, their irrigation channels and lines must be devastated and rivers dried up, the people must be made to hate the performance of namaz and working, and sloth must be made as widespread as possible. Playgrounds must be opened for lazy people. Narcotics and alcoholic spirits must be made common.

[The articles we have cited above were explained very clearly with such aids as maps, pictures and charts]. I thanked the secretary for giving me a copy of this magnificent document.

After a month's stay in London, I received a message from the Ministry ordering me to go to Iraq to see Muhammad of Najd again. As I was leaving for my mission, the secretary said to me, "Never be negligent about Muhammad of Najd! As it is understood from the reports sent by our spies up until now, Muhammad of Najd is a typical fool very convenient for the realization of our purposes.

"Talk frankly with Muhammad of Najd. Our agents talked with him frankly in Isfahan, and he accepted our wishes on terms.

The terms he stipulated are: He would be supported with adequate property and weaponry to protect himself against states and scholars who would certainly attack him upon his announcing his ideas and views. A principality would be established in his country, be it a small one. The Ministry accepted these terms."

(Source: Waqf Ikhlas, Istanbul)

What gets everyone talking about education?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is rapidly growing world-wide. Why is IB growing so fast, why are so many schools adopting the curriculum? In a fast changing world, international education is greatly needed. A new breed of school is appearing that has grasped what our young people need for the future. It educates young people as global citizens of tomorrow and equips them to join an ever changing world.

The International Baccalaureate chooses to define "international education" according to the following criteria.

* Developing citizens of the world in relation to culture, language and learning to live together

* Building and reinforcing students' sense of identity and cultural awareness

* Fostering students' recpgnition and development of universal human values

* Stimulating curiosity and inquiry in order to foster a spirit of discovery and enjoyment of learning

* Equipping students with the skills to learn and acquire knowledge, individually or collaboratively, and to apply these skills and knowledge accordingly across a broad range of areas

* Providing international content while responding to local requirements and interests

* Encouraging diversity and flexibility in teaching methods

* Providing appropriate forms of assessment and international benchmarking.

(From The International Baccalaureate Organisation website)

So why the International Baccalaureate?

More than 2000 schools in 125 countries now offer International Baccalaureate) programmes. The IB is more than content of its courses it is about a global 'outlook and lifelong education. It is not just for the superbright. An average student who is well organised will achieve IB certification. Students have to work hard but the rewards are great.

For over 40 years the programmes have gained a reputation for their high academic standards, preparation of students for life in a globalised 21st century world, and for helping to develop future citizens who will create a better, more peaceful world. 500, 000 students now study the IB. Top universities like Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford and Yale all accept the IB Diploma as an entry qualification .

Be warned the IB website receives 1.6 million page downloads a month! Everyone is not just talking about IB. They are adopting it.

For more information about 3 -18 education the IB way visit the International Baccalaureate Website www.ibo.org) or contact the International School Dhaka at info@isdbd.org

Stephen Murray,'CEO of the International School Dhaka

Bangladesh School 96% - rest of the world 78%

Students at the International School Dhaka are celebrating after achieving a world beating 96% pass rate in their International Baccalaureate Diploma examinations. The world average is 78%, Graduates of ISO have already started their move to higher learning in Universities overseas as well as in Bangladesh.