We have no experience changing government and think it is as easy as kicking one out for another during elections. I am afraid this might not be the reality when the time comes. Just look at the options we have today in telco services. Red, orange and green are all subpar. They are all the choices available. These are my thoughts as I review the complex bills from the Red (Singtel) guy this morning.
I imagine all three of them sell to us by stealth. The best way to achieve this is to make their services complex. It is a strategy they have adopted from the financial services sector. Except for our tax systems - but we have a very sophisticated implicit revenue system, government is also mimicking them esp., MCYS
I was shocked to discover that the 24 month @ 50% mail service, which I thought I terminated after fulfilling the contract is now at 100%. And I couldn't terminate it online because there is a penalty clause. Need to troop down to one of their shops. When and how did that appear in my bill? Why did I only notice it after three months?
Financial services, Telco services and Government, they are all becoming like each other in the way they deal with us.
There are more banks and financial services companies to choose from than telcos, and they are no different despite the competition for customers one would expect from more players. Fortunately my background helps me navigate these treacherous waters, but I see many people get conned. You think executives in that industry get rich creating wealth? No, it is easier to transfer than create wealth. Transfer and make it legal doing so, is what they mostly do. Used to be better when Koh Beng Seng was running MAS, but when Lee Hsien Loong at his father's behest went to MAS and start liberalizing the sector, the people end up paying the price for his adventurism trying to ape the Americans. Luckily we were not able to attract the talent to destroy our banks like the Americans and Europeans had. Better a bumbling DBS than a dead one.
I am afraid one day we will have a multi-party democracy but not a first world parliament and government. This has happened everywhere. We have the kinds of telcos here, we are likely to have equivalent political parties to form the government. As we tolerate these telcos, we just might end up bearing with lousy politicians. We can't continue with a one-party system because that party is unable to recognize its own rot. We just have to make the best of what we have, and chances are it is not going to be attractive. It is just a question of how quickly we get there. To avoid such a scenario, voters need to be even more educated, anchored, thoughtful, organized and active. Until I see consumers are able to force the hoped for improvement with the telcos, I have no reason to be optimistic about government here eventually. The complaints will get shriller, but the ears will also become more deaf.
Want good government? We have to work for it. First by making them more accountable. Yes, trust but also verify. We can begin by practicing these good habits with the telcos. They are the canaries for the government we can expect tomorrow.
I believe George Bernard Shaw was right when he said we generally get the government we deserve.
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