Ah Boys to Men

Just watched Ah Boys to Men part 2 yesterday and I have to give my utmost compliments to Jack Neo for directing such an inspiring movie. I thought the movie achieved its objectives of portraying a theme to bring across to the audiences. This is something I admire in Jack Neo's films. He doesn't just make films for entertainment, he makes them to spark thoughts and reflections of themes.

Before I give my two cents worth, one thing I have to say is, you got to respect Jack Neo's determination. The success of the 2 movies already reveal a man who did not give up when things got rough. I remember a few years ago he was in the news for all the wrong reasons. People around me even said they were going to boycott his movies and what a let down he was. Many people criticized him on social media.

 But we all make mistakes in life. What's more important is learning from these mistakes and indeed I believe he came out a stronger person and one that I dare say is filled with a new sense of purpose and value of the things around him. You can really tell the difference between this movie and his previous works. This movie really had alot of heart and soul in it. It was like he had a point to prove that he believed he could win back the hearts of Singaporeans with a groundbreaking film. It was a risk, and one that paid off.

And I must give it to him. On a national level, it really brought out a sense of patriotism towards our nation. The scene where they were marching across the highway with the narrator commenting 'As I walk here tonight, I feel a new sense of pride' was a particularly meaningful line. With all the negative news, MRT breakdowns and debate about the white paper that's going on, Singaporeans' feelings of belonging may be at quite a low point. Some of my friends have even commented that if given the chance, they would migrate immediately.

However, I will stay. The movie was very good at bringing across the point that this is our homeland. Politics and policies aside, we must not forget that this a nation that is built brick by brick by the hard work of our forefathers. From the  NS soldiers to the construction worker to the executives to the home care givers, each of us as individuals make up this great nation and this is the reason why we can celebrate national day year after year after year.(as quoted in the movie). Would it be right to just leave at the slightest hint of trial?

A second point it that this is home. Where I belong, where my memories are, where my family is. As cliche as it sounds, it's true. The reason we serve NS, work hard, or even discuss politics and policies should be because we want to safeguard this land which has become an integral part of our lives. We shouldn't be commenting because we want to feel self-righteous about our correct beliefs and our way of doing things versus that of the government. I dare say some of the comments on social media seem like they are opposing every single fault of the government because they just want to oppose and make a big stir of everything. It should always be about serving the nation in the best way we can and not serving our ego.

A few years ago the only thought I had after graduation was going overseas. After my exchange programme, I couldn't see myself staying in Singapore. My whole mind was fixated on being a missionary , or teaching English overseas. I even got my TESOL certification.

But somehow, I'm still in Singapore and I have learnt that this is the place where really, there are many opportunities to grow to improve yourself if you really want to. We have a good public and private education system to grow in knowledge, we have freedom of religion and quite established religious institutions to grow spiritually.  We even have a well set up civil service and private sector with lots of opportunities for experiential growth. It all depends on how badly you want it and how motivated are you to in turn use your success to inspire and help others who are less fortunate. Don't just point arrows at the government!


This is my home. I found my family, my friends, my Church, my career in this nation. Let's do our best to preserve what our forefathers have worked and sacrifice so much for, so it due season , we can continue to reap the harvest!

Regards,
Daniel Foo