The Importance Of Meritocracy

After focusing on job opportunities and education, we must take a broader view of how meritocracy permeates our political system as well. In theory, meritocracy is an ideal system to have, especially in politics because the nation chooses the best people fairly and supposedly competitively for the job.

It is, however, not in reality.

We limit our definition of success in the meritocratic system in Singapore as completion of higher education and career prosperity. This perpetuates and reinforces the belief that those at the peak (after ticking the checklist of ‘success’) are there mainly because they are better and henceforth, more deserving than others. This builds narcissism and an elitist attitude that will divide the country that prides herself as egalitarian.

Meritocracy often rewards those who are already ahead in life – with better socioeconomic background and connections and thus creating a vicious cycle of those who are at the top stays at the top, as seen in the image below. The idealistic thought that hard work is sufficient simply does not cut it. This is applicable in the case of politics where we see many of our ministers being chosen from the system of scholars and/or by inner party members pulling them in.

Singapore’s politicians have been hiding behind this nation-building word ‘MERITOCRACY’ to justify certain unfair practices and laws that they have implemented, to acquire the legitimacy to rule. We will explore the cracks in the form of bias