Editorial Review: The class divide behind the Wee Shu Min saga (Part 1)

A recap of the saga

From anonymity to instant fame in a week. 18 year old Singapore girl "Wee Shu Min" became the third most searched name on Technorati after a blog entry by her made waves in Singapore's cyberspace and beyond.

Miss Wee was writing in her blog (her blog has been shut down, you can still read the original entry here) in response to an unpublished letter by a 35 year old Singaporean Mr Derek Wee (http://www.derekwee.blogspot.com/) on his concerns and fears about his livlihood in Singapore's competitive global job market.

Mr Derek Wee was dismissed as a "crackpot" and a "wretched, undermotivated, overassuming" leech by Miss Wee who ends off with a snide "please, get out of my elite uncaring face".

Her article soon found its way throughout Singapore's internet forums and blogs generating a huge furore amongst netizens with some writing in to the Straits Times to lambast her.

Miss Wee's father, Mr Wee Siew Kim who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ang Mo Kio GRC initially defended her in an interview with the Straits Times, but backed down under mounting pressure from the public and apolgized 2 days later to "those who are offended" by his remarks.


Undercurrent of discontent and disenchantment

For those of you who are not familar with Singapore, such vocal outpouring of public discontent against the personal views of a young lady may appear to be both unwarranted and unexpected.

After all, she is entitled to have her own opinions which are more for personal introspection than for public consumption. The fault ought to be shared by those who intruded her privacy by posting her personal details and pictures onto the internet and making a fuss out of it.

The barrage of criticism levelled at her is unfair, one might argue, since she is definitely not the only person in Singapore who harbors these thoughts and moreover, she did not intend her blog to be read by strangers other than her own inner circle of friends.

While it seems that public anger and discontent was directed at Miss Wee, much of it can be attributed to a simmering resentment against the government's policies which many do not dare to voice out. Miss Wee is just a convenient and timely punching bag for them to vent their frustrations on.

Mr Derek Wee's predicament is one that many Singaporeans can relate to and empathize with. The influx of foreign labor, both skilled and unskilled, in an increasingly competitive global economy has led to many middle-aged Singaporeans fearing and fighting for their rice bowls.

With no independent trade unions to protect workers' interests or legislation to safeguard the jobs of Singaporeans, MNCs can retrench employees at their whims and fancies with minimal penalties.

The apparent lack of support and benefits for retrenched workers, other than re-training and skills upgrading courses provided by various agencies under the umbrella of the Ministry of Manpower, has served to foster further disenchantment with the government which was perceived rightly or unrightly as being unsympathatic and unhelpful to the plight of Singaporeans who are retrenched or facing the threat of being retrenched.

To compound matters, Miss Wee belongs to the creme la crop of young Singaporeans who is guranteed a fast-track successful career in the civil service.

It doesn't help that her father is a MP of the ruling party and hence an embodiment of the establishment and natural target for detractors.

That explains why the usually benign and forgiving Singaporeans are particularly bitter and harsh towards Miss Wee.


In Part 2 of the article, to be published tomorrow, we will analyze how Singapore's meritocracy is in fact responsible for the creation and perpetuation of a class divide of "elite" in Singapore's education and political system