I refer to the article Governing is like parenting.

This problem with our students shows that the government is encouraging a system that produces robots and not thinking minds. Can the government then really believe that Malaysia can compete with the rest of the world?

We should take a lesson from the amount of freedom that American students are given and how they are encouraged to question and think outside the box. Singapore is just realising that nurturing creative minds means giving them freedom of thought - though the Singapore government is still finding it difficult to loosen its grip.

Richard Florida's Rise of the creative class - which created waves in Singapore a few years ago - shows that the US became the most technologically advanced country in the world because its industry captains told the government not to give them any more tax breaks but instead encourage the growth of centres and cities rich in arts, culture and with freedom of thought to attract the creative class.

In the US, it's the creative class which powers the engines of growth. But does our government get it? I doubt it judging from the way the ISA 7 and other university students were treated. My heart bleeds for our young people.