Singapore a nation of Specialists? Remember not too long ago, the government came out to stop real estate agents from advertising themselves as specialists? I am a Serangoon Gardens Specialist, I am a GCB Specialist, I am a Commercial Specialist and such likes were found in brochures and classifieds. They were not wrong when you go by the english language. They simply mean they are specialising in what and where they are practicing. The real estate agents had TCM practitioners to thank for being thwarted in their marketing efforts. The Sinsehs are claiming to be specialists of back pain and arthritis, or specialist for infertility, or specialist for obesity.... all lucrative fields of physical conditions for which Western medical practitioners had claimed territorial rights. The Certified Specialists themselves had gone through vigourous internal testings and qualifying by their senior peers in order to attain and use the title of Specialist. Much time and resources had gone into the acquisition, and here comes some Chinamen or Chinawomen claiming they too can cure those with lucrative medical conditions. As a sizeable professional body, they petitioned the government to stop the Sinsehs malpractices. The government, who in most cases relied on professional bodies for feedback in decision making acted immediately by putting in regulatory measures to stop such claiming of speciality in their respective field citing accreditation procedures as classification criteria. And in the introduction of regulations and and gatekeeping of professions, the government is also a Specialist. We have seen in recent history many jobs are now known as professions, and a gate built by the government to regulate its entrance. Some of the jobs by nature are really quite basic and requires very very little literacy to carry out. Remember the old days of Singapore best remembered by the then Chartered Bank advertisement Big, Strong & Friendly? The turbaned man with a rifle standing at the glass door of the bank? You will probably need at least a GCE O to be standing at that position today. My friends mother Ah Foon Cheah brought up four children by walking around Rangoon Rd, Owen Rd, and it sometimes get to stretch even towards MacPherson Rd introducing buyers to sellers, houses, shophouses, rooms etc. She had no education nor training in real estate nor contractual laws, much less the dynamics of marketing. There was no agent to client agreements, to make nor to be broken. Current specialists include Bus Drivers, Taxi Drivers, Insurance Agents, Tour Guides, HDB Cleaners, Plumbers, Electricians, Renovation Contractors, Welders, Tilers, Brick Layers, Crane Operators...and the list goes one to those who needs added, but not sure if necessary literacy, to be either certified or licensed. We are seeing the coming of Hawkers being lined for Specialising. Are we really a nation of Specialists?
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:12:06 +0000
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