No U-turn syndrome

No U-turn syndrome (NUTS) is a term first coined by Singaporean entrepreneur Sim Wong Hoo to prominently describe the social behaviour of Singaporeans having a mindset of compliance to higher authorities before proceeding with any action.

He makes a comparison of traffic rules in Singapore to those found overseas, to describe the phenomenon.

Following that, this analogy is used to explain the red tape he has encountered with hard-nosed bureaucrats, which in turn stifles the very creativity that the Singaporean government has been trying to promote in the recent years.

[2] NUTS is also considered one of the major criticisms of the rigid Singapore education system, where students are taught from a young age to obey instructions in an unquestioning manner, in a society where grades and paper certification are emphasised at the expense of some life skills.

Five MPs said that "the biggest hurdle for Singaporeans in creating a pro-enterprise environment is the NUTS mentality.