Urban Legend that Rafflesians Rule Singapore is now but an Urban Myth.

I'm not kidding.
This is the real reason why GE2011 is a 'watershed' election.

I did a quick comparison between Cabinet 2006 and Cabinet 2011.

When compared to his predecessor in 2006, the modal 2011 Minister is 100% male, still Chinese, a few months younger at the age of 53 and with about 25% fewer years of experience in Cabinet. Same age, but not as experienced.

While Rafflesians used to rule Singapore, e.g. in Cabinet 2006, half of the 6 'Core Powers' (DPMs and above) and 33% of Cabinet 2006 were educated in Raffles Institution, this is no longer true in Cabinet 2011.

In fact, none in the 3 Core Powers of Cabinet 2011 is from Raffles Institution, and the percentage of Rafflesians in Cabinet 2011 is now the same as that of ACS.

Catholic High has edged out SJI to make its way up into the top 3, and of course, PM Lee (Cat High) is at the helm of power.

The most senior Rafflesian in Cabinet now is Lim Hng Kiang. O_o
The most senior ACSian in Cabinet now is Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
The most senior Cat High in Cabinet now is Lee Hsien Loong.

The Cabinet 2011 Minister is more of a Government Scholar than before, raising from 62% to 73%.

More importantly, while the modal Minister in 2006 had ever worked outside of the public sector, the modal Minister in 2011 has not.
67% of all Cabinet Ministers 2011 have only worked in the Public Sector and/or Uniformed Services.

While NUS and University of Cambridge used to be equally significant in having educated the Cabinet 2006 at undergraduate level, the modal Minister 2011 is an undergrad of University of Cambridge, and via a government scholarship.

The Cabinet is still filled with Engineers/Mathematicians, but the significance of lawyers have been drastically reduced overnight. There is now only 1 law graduate (K Shanmugam), compared to 4 previously.

Economics-trained individuals are in demand. Rising from 12% in Cabinet 2006 to 27% in Cabinet 2011.
In fact, all 3 new ministers (S Iswaran, Heng Swee Keat and Chan Chun Sing) read Economics as undergraduates, with the last 2 at University of Cambridge,  while all 3 are government scholars and have never worked outside of Public Service/SAF.
.........................................................

If you ask me, the new Cabinet has been shaved and sculpted from the 2006 Cabinet to resemble Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's profile more closely than ever. Sure feels and sounds like Mini-Me syndrome to me.

"Chinese, Male, in 50s, less Cabinet experience than himself, not from Raffles, Government Scholar, Undergrad at University of Cambridge, Having read Engineering/Maths is preferred but Economics is ok coz I believe that the current problems require 'economics knowledge and solutions', and has never worked outside of the SAF/Public Service."

Can a even more homogeneous group of super smarts with their new slogan of 'we want to listen to the ground' lead Singapore as a nation and one people to scale greater heights?

Sir, if you are reading this, I firmly believe that you need a couple of Sociologists in your Cabinet, because you are dealing with a society made up of human beings after all, and not mere value-creation/consumption units?!

Also, this society is in a state of flux with its diversity increasing everyday. Such issues/problems are not within the training and radar of an Engineer/Mathematician, or an Economist.

You need people who are sensitive to phenomena such as social stratification, social mobility, social action, social behaviour, alienation, religion, deviance, crime etc. People who are trained to make sense of such phenomena systematically and quickly. These people are invaluable and will be able to help your Cabinet to define problems, identify symptoms, unintended consequences etc.