Acronyms :
SBS |
Singapore Bus Service |
Side-By-Side |
SDU |
Social Development Unit |
Single, Desperate, Ugly |
MRT |
Mass Rapid Transit |
Mad Rush to Train |
SAF |
Singapore Armed Forces |
Serve And Forget |
PAP |
People’s Action Party |
Pay and Pay |
PUB |
Public Utilities Board |
Pay Until Bankrupt |
LTA |
Land Transport Authority |
Long Tio Ah (Crash) |
These were a few acronyms that my informant heard from one of his ex-classmates from high school. The middle column is the correct versions of these abbreviations. While there are more than just these few, these are just the ones that he could remember off the top of his head. While this might not mean much to the average non-Singaporean, to most Singaporeans this would be rather amusing as it fits the stereotypes of the particular government function, according to my informant.
These are not meant to offend anyone, but just to poke fun at the establishment a little. If you have not noticed, all of those listed above are government owned or governmental establishments. The government in Singapore is also one of its largest employers and therefore most people are beholden to the government. Like people everywhere though, they enjoy making fun of their government and this is meant to do so.