Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has called the younger generation of voters as a generation that “does not remember.”
Lee was probably expressing his frustrations that younger Singaporeas appeared to have forgotten the efforts of the People’s Action Party in making Singapore what it is today, suggesting lack of gratitude from young Singaporeans.
A letter to a local newspaper went further, chiding young Singaporeans as dependent, spoilt brats who want free HDB flats. Even a foreigner hoping to be a Singapore citizen has weighed in on the issue, claiming that Singaporeans have a “complaining, molly-coddled mindset” and he would gladly swap citizenship with any unhappy Singaporean.
Such sweeping criticisms conveniently, and perhaps deliberately, belittle the younger generation of Singaporeans, conveniently dancing around the important question of understanding why they are unhappy with the current system.
In fact, these sweeping criticisms are warning signs of complacency, of stagnation, of impending decay. Those who made these criticisms of the young appear to be more concerned about not have their boats rocked. Questioning the system that has worked thus far is the act of an ingrate, a deviant, or worse, an infidel.
The younger generation are more critical not because they forgot, but because they have passion and drive to make their home a better one for the future. Woe betide Singapore if its young take comfort in enjoying the fruits of their parents’ work and not labour to cultivate fruits for future generations.
However, what is probably unnerving to the older generation is that the younger generation has appeared to want to chart their future in their own way, not in the way that the older generation wants or prefers. This is most unfortunate.
The world today is different from that of 50 years ago. Back then, the older generation was young, probably brimming with passion, and took on the challenges of their day their way, resulting in the success Singapore has today.
But alas, the younger generation today are being chided for wanting to meet the challenges of today their way when conditions are different. The younger generation is being asked to follow the successful formula of the past, as if it were a magical formula that will always work.
The older generation of Singaporeans created a formula that worked for them. Younger Singaporeans are increasingly seeing that this formula isn’t working for them and they want to create their own formula for their generation, only be have cold water poured on them. Why should the younger generation today be denied the chance to seek their own destiny to secure their own future?
Perhaps the real generation that did not remember isn’t the younger generation.
Chapter Two: Reload 
The one who accused the young generation of not remembering is the one who actually does not remember.
The balls-carriers and bootlickers are the ones who blindly follow the blind who deliberately tries not to remember.
Singapore still has hope if this and future younger generations do not bow to the wish, demand and idiosyncracies of the older generations and the balls-carriers and bootlickers.
God save Singapore!
No lah, the older generation did not create a formula that worked for us. This is the same propaganda which also claims we were a fishing village in the 50’s and 60’s. Yeah I am from the older generation. The REAL narrative has yet to be written on the 50’s and 60’s. And LKY has not earned the title Founding Father. He does not seem to care if people dont percieve as a reconciling national figure who did not need knuckle dusters. He is the orginal hatchet man. Revisionist historians will have a field day when he goes.
The younger generation or the facebook generation however have been a marvel. I hope they continue to question capitalist values which have created an elite class who dont seem to know or want to know whats going on with the masses. Continue to be irreverent, young people. Push us to the margins. Dont be scared. You can also cry….tears of genuine compassion are powerful. You are Spore’s hope. Speak up!!
I do remember – Mat Selamat, Spurs in our butts, the Senile Minister & the Mad Minister, the first World salaries, the GiNi, GDP, the cleaning aunty’s and uncles, the ever rising retirement age, the shrinking CPF savings, the rising HDB prices. COE. ERP..the list goes on. Most of all the old man making millions and talking rubbish