SINGAPORE CITIZENS are used to a diet of constant exhortation both from their leaders and the many arms of government. On posters plastered on the underground transport system, they are advised to eat fresh fruit and vegetables; on the radio they are called on to speak good English; and just about everywhere they are reminded to be courteous to the people they meet. But among the barrage of messages, few pleas are made as frequently or as strenuously as the invitation to the country's youth to interest themselves in the politics of the nation.
To listen to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and his team of cabinet ministers, one might think Singapore faces a crisis of apathy among its younger generation. And, if opinion polls are to be believed, it does. Most young Singaporeans - those under 30 years of age - show scant interest in becoming politicians, or involving themselves in the gritty affairs of daily governance.
Observers say this rejection may stem from society's increasing affluence, which has moulded a generation more interested in self-advancement than wider social or political causes. Unlike its immediate neighbours, Singapore can fairly claim on many measures to have moved from 'third-world' to 'first-world' status in the space of 35 years. As a result, cosy-living 20-somethings are more inclined to seek paid work rather than unpaid protest, they say.
More controversially, others suggest that the policies pursued so assiduously by the People's Action Party (PAP) to consolidate its dominance of the political scene may have also fuelled the political disaffection. In power for decades, fiercely protective of its near-total hold on parliament and ever on its toes against enfeebled opposition, the PAP may be its own worst enemy when it comes to promoting a wider interest in public affairs.
Mr Goh made a classic pitch to teenagers in a speech last week at the prestigious Raffles Institution, a top-notch school which he himself attended years ago, as did the country's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. But in a delivery that focused on the future facing Singapore in an increasingly turbulent Southeast Asia, the prime minister added a fresh twist, admitting that for most of his audience politics was simply not terribly compelling.
'I am aware that most students do not focus on politics as a career,' Mr Goh said. 'I never did. So I am not asking you to do so now. Focus on your studies and prepare yourself for a good job. But read widely and take an interest in current affairs. Then when you are in your 30s and 40s, and you have competence, character, aptitude and drive, we will seek you out. And when you are invited to serve your country, do not turn it down lightly.'