On the 6th of January, a high ranking civil servant wrote an article in The Straits Times Life section entitled ‘ Cooking up the holiday spirit’. Mr Tan Yong Soon, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, recounted a five week holiday he and his family spent in Paris, learning how to cook at the exclusive Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in Paris. Perhaps a little too self absorbed he wrote:

‘Taking five weeks’ leave from work is not as difficult as one thinks. Most times, when you are at the top, you think you are indispensable. But if you are a good leader who has built up a good team, it is possible to go away for five weeks or even longer.’

The cooking course cost alone was approximated to be S$42,000.

This particular article caused an overnight upheaval of emotions as it struck a dissonant chord amongst readers. This is even more eminent with the current global economic downturn as some Singaporeans are challenged with uncertainties and hardships. On the 19th of January this month Mr Teo Chee Hean, the minister in charge of the civil service, tackled the issue in parliament on the above article likening it to be ‘ill-judged and showing a lack of sensitivity’.

While many Singaporeans would not be able to afford such a extravagant escape from Singapore, one would likewise not ordinarily rebuke someone for indulging in such luxuries. To be fair, it is a reality that top civil servants are highly paid in order to attract the appropriate talent. The cooking course at such a renown institution, though pricey, was within his means. Moreover, what one decides to do with his paycheck is indeed one’s private business. After all, Mr Tan’s intention at heart for a family holiday could be considered noble.

Nonetheless, I feel that his article has been miscommunicated on the whole.

In the Psychological Perspective of communication, miscommunication occurs when mental sets of the source and receiver are so far apart that there is no common experience. This issue of Mr Tan’s article would be a favorable example. It is highly possible that Mr Tan had no ill intention when writing the article for The Straits Times Life section. He was perhaps trying to just describe his ideal getaway from his responsibilities or maybe trying to highlight to the public the importance of spending time together as a family. Nevertheless, many of us would be unable to share such a similar experience, leading to a breakdown in communication on the matter. This miscommunication could possibly improved through considering other points of view .

On the other hand, the Social Contructionist Perspective suggests that we construct our world through processing it in culturally recognizable ways, connect them to other facts we know and respond to them in ways our culture considers significant. This was a probable cause for the breakdown in communication. To Mr Tan, spending S$42,000 for a memorable family holiday could be a prudent way to spend his money. To the man in the street, it is a year’s salary. Unable to reconcile with such a luxury, especially so in today’s difficult economic situation, the common man would inevitably feel emotionally wrenched. As such, communication could be improved by taking responsibility for the things we talk about and the way we talk about them. Furthermore, developing the ability to interpret cultural constructs could be vital to solving the issue.

All in all, I am incline to agree that Mr Tan’s revelation, in a national newspaper, at a time of uneasiness for most is insensitive to say the least. Sometimes a little sensitivity goes a long way.

So what is your opinion on this matter? Your views are much appreciated.

Advertisement