6 classic reactions that people have towards the AGO report

Among all the recent traffic stopping news (looking at you, SMRT), the one that caught HSB's interests was the Auditor General's Report (AGO). For those who aren’t sure what AGO is about, what it does is it audits government ministries and statutory boards for public accountability in the use of public funds and resources.  

 

Tl;dr version – Audit check on the Government for compliance of procedural and procurement rules.

HSB found that there are 6 classic reactions that people have towards the report.

 

  1) All out panic mode

 

 

People who react this way tend to not read beyond the report headlines, feeling all doom and gloom just from the title alone.  On the other hand, opportunists will take this chance to pretend to know everything about the AGO based on the headlines.

Maybe they just wanted to create something out of the norm to spice up their work life or something to chat about during the kopi and smoke breaks.

“Did you read the news? Wah the report jia lat sia! This time big case already” sure sounds more exciting than “Eh what you want to drink huh? Kopi or teh?”

 

2) Hulk-like rage

 

“Why so many errors? Must be Government’s fault!”

 

“So much $$$ reported as lost? Must be Government’s fault!”

“Agency X didn’t follow rules? Must be Government’s fault!”

“My slippers broke? Must be Government’s fault!”

Expectedly, there will be endless amount of chatter online about whose head needs to roll (or in our context, hara-kiri). For them everything under the sun is a crime, including the sun itself.

Sure, it’s necessary and right to be angry if these errors are unforgiveable.  But just make sure the truth is not clouded by the endless chattering. Same for your judgement. 

 

 

3) "I told you so"

“Agency XX must have done this (something expensive) for this (something ridiculous). Told you already, it’s written in the stars sia”

 

"Based on my experience ah, confirm there’s something going on between Minster Y and agency Z”

 

Is there something that the average reader is missing out on? Perhaps these people are just clairvoyants who are one step ahead in figuring out everything even before media reported it.

 

Maybe they should also give you advice on what’s coming out for 4D this weekend.
 

 

4) Couldn't be bothered even if it landed on their face

 

They couldn’t care less about what’s happening around them.  As long as it doesn’t concern them directly, they are happy as pie. For some of them, they are probably more worried about the number of likes for their Instagram posts. And lunch of course, but that’s just so they can Instagram it for more virtual likes. 

 

 

5) Blur like sotong

 

"AGO?  Is it a new club or band?”

“AGO – a gogo dance huh?”

“Long Long AGO… Long Long ago (anyone remember this kiddy song)??”

 

This wonderful bunch is so hopelessly clueless that you won’t have the heart (or patience) to let them know. Singapore is so entrenched in acronyms that one more or less wouldn’t really matter to them.

 

Even if they know, they might pretend not to just so they can watch the all-out panic type self-combust in excitement.
 

 

6) Calm and cool

 

Unlike the other groups, this bunch knows that the more information will come from the media and the agencies involved will give proper explanations. All in due time without the unnecessary speculations and drama.

 

They dissect and analyse the report, counter checking against all possible means of obtaining information.  Once they have the facts on hand, they will calmly rationalise and leave you with no room for arguments   have a logical answer for the situation.

Or, they will just show it to you and let you figure it out naturally.