SGFRAG � MM Lee's Daughter Speaks Against Growing Elitism

It's not often that I write about what I actually think or feel because I prefer not to do so anymore. Bear with the rant, it will be over soon.

Asiaone

Doing what's right without fear or favour
Lee Wei Ling

I WAS born and bred in Singapore. This is my home, to which I am tied by family and friends. Yet many Singaporeans find me eccentric, though most are too polite to verbalise it. I only realised how eccentric I am when one friend pointed out to me why I could not use my own yardstick to judge others.

I dislike intensely the elitist attitude of some in our upper socio-economic class. I have been accused of reverse snobbery because I tend to avoid the wealthy who flaunt their wealth ostentatiously or do not help the less fortunate members of our society.

I treat all people I meet as equals, be it a truck driver friend or a patient and friend who belongs to the richest family in Singapore.

I appraise people not by their usefulness to me but by their character. I favour those with integrity, compassion and courage. I feel too many among us place inordinate emphasis on academic performance, job status, appearance and presentation.

I am a doctor and director of the smallest public sector hospital in Singapore, the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI). I have 300 staff, of whom 100 are doctors. I emphasise to my doctors that they must do their best for every patient regardless of paying status. I also appraise my doctors on how well they care for our patients, not by how much money they bring in for NNI.

My doctors know I have friends who are likely to come in as subsidised patients. I warn them that if I find them not treating any subsidised patient well, their appraisal - and hence bonus and annual salary increments - would be negatively affected. My doctors know I will do as I say.

I remind them that the purpose of our existence and the measure of our success is how well we care for all our patients - and that this is the morally correct way to behave and should be the reason why we are doctors. In NNI, almost all patients are given the best possible treatment regardless of their paying status.

My preference for egalitarianism extends to how I interact with my staff. I am director because the organisation needs a reporting structure. But my staff are encouraged to speak out when they disagree with me. This tends to be a rarity in several institutions in Singapore. The fear that one's career path may be negatively affected is what prevents many people from speaking out.

This reflects poorly on leadership. In many organisations, superiors do not like to be contradicted by those who work under them. Intellectual arrogance is a deplorable attitude.

'Listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story,' the Desiderata tells us. It is advice we should all heed - especially leaders, especially doctors.

I speak out when I see something wrong that no one appears to be trying to correct. Not infrequently, I try to right the wrong. In doing so, I have stepped on the sensitive toes of quite a few members of the establishment. As a result, I have been labelled 'anti-establishment'. Less kind comments include: 'She dares to do so because she has a godfather'.

SGFRAG � MM Lee's Daughter Speaks Against Growing Elitism

 

After reading this and what has happened to me in the office, I strongly feel for what she has said. Many times in my career, I have witnessed my managers/seniors who try to speak up for what they feel is right and fight for what they believe in. However, the management would choose what they want to hear or believe and as such many of them choose to leave the company instead.

3 years ago I would not have understood this or feel anything towards this matter. However, today, I realise that no matter how hard I stay to stay objective and try to align myself with the management views, I cannot lie to myself anymore.

Yes, my job is a sales job. I have to bring in sales for the company. This is what I am hired to do and what I am paid to do. But to me, I cannot do a job well if I feel that it is against my integrity. I cannot bring myself to step on others just to gain a better position / title in the company.

There is a very fine line between just doing sales and doing sales with integrity.

Unfortunately, my management does not seem to advocate this and lately I am beginning to find it very difficult to align my thoughts / beliefs with those of the company. I hate that I cannot speak freely to my management and anything I say carelessly may be used against me eventually.

 

I hate that I'm a coward. I hate that I am not their sales generating puppet.

 

I am human and I have thoughts. I need to believe in what I'm doing. I need my management to trust me and have faith in me. I need to know that my management is fair and just.

 

I think I just committed career suicide. =/