Next to gender was racial consciousness. My mother, an adopted Chinese was raised by a wealthy Arab family and married to an Indian from Kerala who came to Singapore during the British rule. Guess which race is superior that looked down at others? Just like the ‘master-slave’ relationship when Western powers colonised for 400 years. SEA was a playground of the rich and those in power took advantage of the poor and the weak freely.
As I wrote my book, Never a Victim, there was a strong need to. ‘Move Forward’ and live with dignity. As Singapore gained independence in 1965, I was among those who readily  accepted the principles of Multiracialism, acknowledging that ALL races are equal.

Of what implications is the past for our children of the 21^st century? Learning from the Camden Medical Centre on  HOW THE MIND, EMOTIONS AND ACTIONS WORK,  in early 21^st century, I saw an ugly past just as  exploitative as the ancient time with stories written in the Quran. How prophet Mohammad of the 7^th AD  fought for social justice to form an ‘ummah’ or a concept of a ‘nation’ among warring tribes was inspiring. To live together in peace, everyone was treated equally. He brought prosperity and glory to the  Middle East for 400 years’ with the formation of an Islamic Golden Age (800-1200 AD). Unfortunately the Islamic glory collapsed – just as the Western Rule in SEA vanished. What had gone wrong with the changing time over the 400 years? Our millennials must sort out Myths from the Truth to survive the daunting future in the third millennium. As a child, living in the luxurious Arab’s mansion, the family perished just as what my husband and I saw of  Greece as we visited Europe in the 21^st century. Greece which was once upon a time a rich country, became a bankrupt economy!

For growth and development, wealth alone was not an assurance for a good fortune. For a journey into the changing time of the third millennium our millennials will need to refresh and renew past wisdom so as not to repeat the mistakes of the PAST. The learning journey to seek the TRUTH must continue to find new wisdom and ways into the winding road of the daunting future.

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Born after the WW2, the 1990s had turned me to be a VICTIM! When economic growth reached a dizzying height of 8-12% GDP, we forgot about the atrocity of 1989 WAR when US attacked Iraq in the Middle East. It was a case of misinformation that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. At the end of that decade, the Asian Financial Crisis hit us and brought the economy plunging down to a low of 2-3%.

What saved Singapore was the 30-year leadership of our founding father, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. I was part of the TV production team when he stepped down in Nov 1989. Having gone through the WW2 (1942-45) with 65 million people killed, Mr. Lee built a multiracial  Singapore choosing his team carefully for their honesty and integrity for rapid growth.. Setting himself as an example, his Leadership gave us a clear vision and mission for a better future. For him, the Nation comes before Self. Never trapped by the past – the  wisdom gained was added with new relevant knowledge to move on. In 1981, returning home from overseas’ training, I was tasked to produce the launch of MENDAKI by Mr. Lee himself. Soon after, both the Chinese and Indians set up similar community support organisations, each to be accountable for our own future. No ‘free makan’ but hardwork and perseverance!

By 1990s, when the explosion of Science and Technology brought the INTERNET access directly into our homes, fear and insecurity however led me to commit a fatal mistake. That ought to be a lesson for millennials. Never a Victim!  Young Singaporeans will be continuously tested. Using virtual communications, social media and ZOOM – WARS, MARS, PANDEMIC and TECHNOLOGY – are they resilient enough to face the fractious globalized world in the Digital Age?

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