Yes, Mamak, that is now but don't ignore the fact that the countries in the region are progressing as well. If you want to talk about the service industry, Thailand is selling themself very well as a tourist desination, all that without the people speaking very good English. KL is developing at an alarming rate and many people I speak to over there are very clever. The Filipinoes, putting aside the corruption of the governemnt, have tenacity and patience. Many can communicate much better than many Singaporeans. What I feel ultimately is that Singapore must not feel complacent with whatever they have now as the rug can be pulled from under us very quickly.

If a marketing guy can't explain of his new ideas, obviously no customer will buy his product. So good understanding of communication is important.

Looking at ppl from regional countries, they lack of skill from not enough of technical knowledge unlike Singaporean.

Manufacturing is always at the mercy of MNC foreign boss who made decision based on their own interest. Our EDB head already 'chopped off' as a result of MNC restructuring.

Yes Mamak, the service industry will be but with the world being so globalised and every developed city being clones of one another, Singapore don't really have an edge in terms of "education" or having it's "knowledge based economy" and "speaking good English". It's hard to talk about having an edge in a single industry in the future. That mindset must change. Everything we can do, others can do as well, if not better. So what do we have?