Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Developing our own talents

Sunday, July 04, 2010

Developing our own talents

In 1998, France won the World Cup. The team comprised of many players from the former French colonies in Africa.

This event prompted Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to raise the possibility of Singapore entering the World Cup using "foreign talents". The Football Association of Singapore took up the challenge and set the target of Goal 2010 for Singapore to win the World Cup (but thge goal was later clarified as participation in the Finals). This goal was subsequently dropped as the task was deemed to be impossible.

During this period, Germany went about in its own way to develop its youth squad and soccer training program. The result can be seen in the spectacular performance of the Germany team, the product of its youth development program, in World Cup 2010.

We can contrast the approach taken by the two countries. One decided to rely on "foreign talents". The other decided to train and develop its own people.

This is a lesson for Singapore.

Tan Kin Lian

9 comments:

Anonymous said...: In 1998 Goh Chok Tong was still a prime minister and politician.

So it is understandable why he made that comparison with France in World Cup 1998 and said it can also be applied to Singapore using foreign talents.

Of course in reality things are not as simple as that. Which is why we have to take politicians' speechs or forecast with "a spoonful of salt", even if it came from the Old Man, and much more if it came from his younger and less political savvy ministers.

The tragic thing is that politicians, through their simplistic thinking, started to implement policies to that effect. And the painful lessons were borne, not by them but by the common folks and maybe for a long time before they realised it is a lesson. In some cases the damage had been done and became irreversible.; July 04, 2010 8:35 AM
Anonymous said...: It is indeed a lesson for the political party who governs Singapore today.

But the more important lesson is for ordinary patriots of Singapore
- The 95% who are deemed "average and non-talented" by the governing party
- What is the lesson here?
- What are you going to do about it?

One possibility is to emigrate, make good overseas, and return as a foreign talent.

Another is to emigrate, make good and never come back. There is a very, very big world out there beyond our borders. A fast limping terrorist even made it as far as Johor, despite all attempts by Singapore to stop him.; July 04, 2010 8:42 AM
Anonymous said...: After the world cup propose to the million dollar salary ministers to buy the German team or the winners of the cup so that we can be the betterest or bestest in soccer. In this way we can enter world cup in the future like the table tennis team which is the bestest in the world for the moment.; July 04, 2010 9:49 AM
Anonymous said...: Me wonders, really just wonders if Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong is still working at his goal of having the Singapore Team in the next World Cup. As the Competition is held at every four year intervals, me thinks he still stands a chance to actualize his words into reality.

Me sincerely hopes and wishes that he can prove himself and not leave behind a joke for posterity.

And

of course this applies to all the other Super Talents that have made promises to Singaporeans for a Swiss Living Standard, a golden era to live for, no beggging is ever needed and meals delivered to the starvings in SIN, probably the only land where promises are spouted like hot airs from the butt.

patriot; July 04, 2010 10:58 AM
Anonymous said...: To see success in a short-term, use FT. To have success in long-term, breed & train our own people seriously.; July 04, 2010 11:23 AM
Anonymous said...: Our reliance on foreign workers, talents is narcotic.
Our GDP growth is on steroids so as to achieve super duper numbers.

Soon the train will either run out of tracks or worse, gets derailed.
All for the sake of jobs.

No one has come with a brighter idea to sustain growth.; July 04, 2010 1:49 PM
Anonymous said...: At first, GCT wants SGians to "spread our 2nd wing". Now, he wants SGians overseas to come back and serve SG. Which is correct?

My guess is spreading our 2nd wing is a wrong policy and people returning from overseas should help to resolve the manpower shortage here. Overseas stint only encourages "loyal" Singaporeans to see the greener pasture overseas and migrate to overseas destination.

Suzhou industrial park used to be our window into China, just like Shenzhen is to HK. Now, SIP has taken a back seat and SG investors seek our own suitable destination. This, I also feel, is a better approach than previous the one. After all, opportunities are spread all over China, why concentrate at an industrial park near Shanghai?; July 04, 2010 5:58 PM
Anonymous said...: Though Germany utilises its young players this time, they also made use of foreign talents.

In fact, its in-form striker Miroslav Klose is a Polish by birth, and participated every World Cup since 2002. Its current regulars have another Polish by descent (Lukas Podolski), mixed race with African descent(Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira) and Turkish origin (Mesut Özil).

Germany has realised that to win world cup, she has to select the best player in each position and who is committed to team play. They came to this conclusion after suffering setbacks hanging on big names and did not choose the best player in every position after the failure of Euro 2004. Hence they fine tuned their policy to commit young talents and include non-Germany born players since then.

But team play needs both local Germany and Foreign-born players to jel with each other. So you have to say it is successful since they are blossoming now.

Taking a cue from this episode, for foreign talents to add value, they must assimilate into local culture and for the locals to be accomodating to them.; July 05, 2010 11:02 AM
Anonymous said...: Well, flood the market with cheap skilled/unskilled foreigners. Let cheap and experience/ inexperience foreigners rob the chance of a local getting a job.

Graduates face extreme difficulty in getting a head start just because they are simply more expensive than the experience/ inexperience foreign talents.

This is a fact. It is hard to find a job when employers keep stating there is always a cheaper foreign solution.

Note: I see PRs as foreigners.; July 08, 2010 12:38 AM