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People in strait-laced
Singapore were urged Monday to act like monkeys -
the Chinese zodiac sign for the coming Lunar year -
for the sake of their country.
Singaporeans could foster an economic recovery this
year by behaving more like monkeys, Deputy Prime
Minister Tony Tan said in a Lunar New Year message
reported in The Straits Times newspaper.
Chinese communities around the world will herald the
start of the Year of the Monkey on Thursday. Chinese
believe the monkey is clever, flexible, innovative
and confident, but can also be selfish, jealous and
vain.
"Be like a monkey. When
things happen, you have to be nimble. Take advantage of
opportunities, don't be cast down, but rise to the
challenge if it does occur," Tan was quoted as saying.
Tan urged Singaporeans not to be daunted by the challenges
of helping the city-state recover from its worst economic
downturn. The SARS outbreak, the Iraq war and slumps in
global manufacturing and air travel hit Singapore hard in
2003.
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Women pause to play
with some wild monkeys at a reservoir in Singapore
Monday, Jan. 19, 2004. The two-week transition from
the Year of the Sheep into the monkey year begins
Jan. 22, a national holiday in Singapore and
celebrated throughout the world by the Chinese
diaspora. |
