Letters

Archives - 2005

S'pore: Not a bloodthirsty city - Dec 14, 2005
Burma: Singapore investment in danger? Dec 13, 2005
One out of 19 - Nov 18, 2005

Public interference - Oct 18, 2005
Leadership Renewal - Jul 30, 2005
Is ST news dying with the under 30s? - May 16, 2005
Bondbreakers May 16, 2005
Re: Politics - Singapore 2030 - May 3, 2005
6-7m: a large influx- Apr 22, 2005

A bridge to Bintan - Mar 19, 2005
Alert! Faked incident - Mar 19, 2005
Re: Tragedy and the casino debate - Mar 13, 2005
Customisable google news Mar 12, 2005
Media propaganda - Mar 9, 2005
Is there cruelty towards maids Mar 5, 2005

Is there cruelty towards maids Mar 4, 2005
Re: ST online - Charging visitors - Mar 2, 2005
Re: Singapore's future - Jan 27, 2005
Seeking whereabouts - Jan 3, 2005
Singapore's future - Jan 3, 2005
Days after tsunami - Jan 3, 2005

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Singapore's
Not a bloodthirsty city.
A letter in The Arizona Republic
Dec 14, 2005

A recent letter to the editor suggested we should "immediately" execute anyone "having anything to do with drugs" in public "like they do in Singapore" ("Use extreme prejudice on drug dealers," Letters, Wednesday).

Almost nothing in that letter is accurate. I worked in Singapore and I can tell you this:

* The death penalty is imposed there for exceeding a weight limit on the drugs in your possession. If you are a user, you would get jail. If you have enough to sell, you get the noose.

* Their court system works much the same as here. There is an appeals process, and nobody is executed immediately. The Australian who was executed there last week was arrested three years ago.
They are not bloodthirsty. While I was there, they went to a lot of trouble (separating out seeds and stems) to get under the limit to avoid hanging a 20-year-old girl.

* There are no public executions in Singapore. They are even more private than here. There are no witnesses.

That being said, it is one of the safest places I have ever been. You can walk down the street in the middle of the night anywhere on the island counting your money. If someone is robbed, it is news.

So, the writer is not completely off base, but Singapore is not China, where executions take place the same day as the trial.
Jeff Bock, Goodyear

Burma: Singapore investment in danger?
Nobody, not even the Thais know what the hell is happening in Burma. Why did the Burmese dictatorial military regime suddenly and secretly move their capital into a mountainous forest?
Something is just not right. Are the Burmese military dictators preparing for internal war?
Are the Burmese military dictators preparing for an external attack? Are the Burmese military dictators preparing a disappearing act?
Whatever the reason may be, the situation in Burma is certainly very worrying and confusing to Singapore's multi-billion investments in that country.
Another fiasco in the making?
Sleeping with drug lords and propping up dictatorial military regimes is indeed dangerous business.
truth,
soc.culture.singapore
Dec 13 2005

One out of 19
One weekend I went to the newly opened National Library to find out for myself what this "icon" is about. It was a visual feast for the eye. Spectacular is the word that came to my mind. Elegantly designed and tastefully furnished, the immense structure is built at a cost of $200 million. It has 16 floors above ground and three below. I went to all the floors that were accessible to the public.
And what did I discover?
Three floors are devoted to the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. The three uppermost floors are occupied by the corporate office. On one floor was an exhibition of Admiral Zheng He. On another was a pictorial exhibition of Singapore. On yet another a room was set up for a book launch and talk by the author. There are two open-air roof gardens that the public can have access to.
Finally, I discovered the library -- it occupies merely one floor...on the basement level.
In other words, of the 19 levels of the imposing monument, a person can go to only one level to borrow a book.
May I suggest that Mr Tan Soo Khoon update his "Seven Wonders of Singapore".
Book Lover

Public interference
I cannot understand it. Parliament is debating a Bill introduced to provide for heftier punishment of public-transport fare evaders. Soon it will become law which will provide for a six-month jail term and $2,000 fine for repeat offenders.
Public transport -- in the form of bus and MRT train -- is provided by either SMRT or SBS. Both entities are private organisations listed on the Singapore Exchange. They operate as businesses answerable to their shareholders.
How is it that the government is helping these two organisations to punish bus fare offenders? Should this function not be part and parcel of these two organisations' responsibility? If they have not found a way to prevent people from underpaying or not paying the correct bus fare, whose fault is it? Isn't the government interfering in the affairs of a private organisation, albeit to its benefit? What arguments do these organisations put up to get the government to help them do their job?
Commuter
Oct 18, 2005

Leadership Renewal
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew stressed the need to continually induct younger talent into political leadership in a recent interview with China's CCTV.
There are a few ministers, now in their late 50s to mid-60s, who should retire by the next general elections after having served umpteen years.
It would be audacious to question their competence and commitment. But anyone too long in the job, in political office or in the private sector, risks becoming fossilised, mainly doing maintenance and slow to accept let alone initiate change.
Sure there's value in accumulated experience but a smug "I have done/seen it all before" attitude diminishes the experience.
There's a deliberate policy of early retirement for very senior officers in the civil service: permanent secretaries still in their youthful 50s have to make way for younger colleagues to facilitate rejuvenation of the public sector. (A great idea, but not so great to those told to move on.)
Similarly, as a general practice, ministers should serve not more than, say, three terms.
Starting as a junior minister in his or her late 30s to mid-40s and graduating later to full minister, such a minister would have had a compact, intensive tenure. And he or she would still be young enough to resume a previous career.
I suggest that the tenure of MPs should also be shortened lest some become fixtures too.
Do we have enough younger, capable and honest people to succeed the older political leaders if leadership renewal is accelerated?
Much has been said about the difficulty of finding the right people with a rare composite of scholastic excellence, proven ability, strategic thinking, integrity, political acumen… I daresay the pool of qualified people is getting bigger, not smaller.
Salaries of ministers, once an impediment, have in recent years been pegged to the top performers in the professions and in the private sector.
They are no longer sacrificial as in the 60s to 70s; indeed they have been attractive enough to convert some into professional politicians not imbued with the same passion as the pioneers were.
Further being a politician under the PAP banner is hardly a hazardous job unless one were to wantonly do something stupid.
Getting people in is less difficult than getting people out.
For leadership renewal to proceed seamlessly, political (and corporate) leaders must know when to relinquish their power and accompanying perquisites. Don't imagine life will be worse in your absence.
Andrew Tan
Jun 29, 2005

Is ST news dying with the under 30s?
Dear Janadas,
I read your article "Is news dying with aged?" in Straits Times (ST) Saturday Review, 14 May on a SQ flight as I don't subscribe to the paid ST on-line.
The appropriate title of your article, I think, should have been:
"Is news dying with the under 30s?"
The concerned should be the young not reading ST.
I do not know the general trend but I can speak from my only family experience. My children [all above 21 years] have not been reading the ST.
My wife and I decided to stop subscribing to the ST hardcopy 3 months ago. We feel that it is a waste of our money as we find that 2 of us have many www sources, etc. to keep in touch with the news.
In the past my wife would not take her breakfast unless she had the ST. She spent time browsing the shopping adverts. She has managed to overcome it and does not miss the ST anymore.
ST is correct to focus on why the young adults are not reading ST.
Yours sincerely,
tan kok tim
May 16, 2005

Bondbreakers
Dear Mr Seah,
After reading your latest article on students who break their scholarship bonds upon graduation, I tend to agree with the views expressed by Mr Philip Yeo. Bond holders have a national duty like national service to perform upon graduation and discharging their services to serve the nation are of paramount importance and an honour to them. The thinking should not change even if Singapore becomes a more tolerant society in the years to come. Regards
Siew Wah
May 16, 2005

Re: Politics Singapore 2030
Dear Sir,
I am not a pessimist and has a genuine concern for the "going-concern" of Singapore. There are a few questions in my mind that I hope the government will look at:
1. Is our society a matured and developed form? Are we able to handle the influx of "fun and creative" culture and a casino is one such example? If we are, do we still need to set aside millions of dollars to form an anti-gambling addiction operative? Is it a self-fulfilling prophecy?
2. Minister Lim H.K. had defended government's decison to go ahead with the casino plan, saying that " It was not out of economic desperations." In the recent bytes of my memory, I could remember such initiatives as IT, biotech and entrepreneurship.Has the government followed up these initiatives before launching another new one? Where are we now in terms of all these?
3. 6-7 M population.What's the reason? To build up the consumer base size like Hong Kong? With a bigger population base, are we able to attain the same level of GDP per capita like today? Although population replacement is very important, but if we have a bigger population, does it mean that we will solve the problem of greying? Are these influx of foreigners only economic immigrants or are they going to plant their roots here for good?
It's no simple answers to these. The socio-economical and political fabric of Singapore might change.
Regards,
Ian Lim
May 3, 2005

6-7m: a large influx
Did I read wrongly when I saw wriiten in the ST that MM Lee Kuan Yew memtioned that there will be 6-7 million people in Singapore by 2030? What's the impact for really pure breed Singaporeans?
Let me calculate for the readers the figures of how we will reach that figure in the next 25 years.
Assuming that Singapore's birth rate stays at 35000 annually for the next 25 years.
Our curent population is 4 million. To reach 6 million it will be an increase of 2 million.
Divide the difference by 25 years and that will mean we need to have an input of 80,000 people annually. Minus off the natural births of babies and that means we need to import 45,000 foreigners into Singapore every year in order to hit that target.
Now that import of people is about 90% of the current unemployed here currently.
Singapore ministers have said that our economy will not be as good and robust as 10 years ago. We will have high unemployment as compared to the 80's. Things will be unpredictable, expect job restucturing.
So what does all this mean for us? How will our suitation be 25 years from now if we are still uncertain of Singapore's future, trying to feed a population of 6-7 million people?
I think lots of locals will need to fight harder to retain or find jobs, and maybe also alot of the pure breed Singaporeans will loss their jobs also.
justathought, CNA
Apr 22, 2005

A bridge to Bintan
Between the crooked or straight bridge, what do we prefer? I would choose none. I would prefer we spend the money and add a bit more to build a bridge to connect Singapore with Bintan and Rhio.
It will generate economic activities over the next 1 or 2 decades of development to its final completion and maturity.
As for security, no bridge is one too near or too far. We have the techonology to build and to secure.
Let us make a win-win proposition to the Indonesians that they cannot refuse. We should start now when the conditions are good. Nothing is better than nearer home. A far away fire needs a far away hose.
Let us convert this area into a "Pearl Basin" nearer us that even the Chinese have to watch with concern. Let us give them a run for their money.
Build a bridge wisely and ensure money is well spent for good returns over the next 100 years.
Yours sincerely,
Tan Kok Tim
Mar 19, 2005

Alert!
Faked incident
Today, my wife was at AMK (Ang Mo Kio) Central NTUC around 2-3pm. As she was stopping by the side, waiting for a car to exit a lot, a fat Chinese guy came from behind and bang deliberately into her car.
He then fell to the floor and claimed that he hurt his arm. Out of nowhere, two other guys came over to help and they pointed to my wife's car.
My wife immediately alighted and called me. Sensing that something was wrong, I told her to call the police if they asked for money.
The crooks then blamed my wife for "not knowing how to drive" and
surprisingly, they then ask for medical compensation. My wife told the guy she was going to call the police instead.
On hearing that, the fat guy got up and said that there wasn't a need to and he was fine. The victim (Fat guy) and the two other "Samaritans" then split to different directions and walk away.
After work, I went with my wife to lodge a police report. The police
officer advised us that we should call 999 on the spot if such an incident happens again as most people will just give the crooks $50 -
$150 to "settle" the matter.
For drivers, please don't negotiate if it happens to you. CALL THE POLICE.
For female drivers: Call a male companion who can be at your location ASAP and call the police. (It seems that single female drivers are targets)
If you encounter this incident elsewhere, please let other people know the location. If anyone from the police force is reading this, please step up you patrolling esp. AMK area.
Mar 19, 2005

Re: Tragedy and the casino debate
THE CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY IS EDUCATION, NOT GAMBLING!
if you grow up in an environment which encourages you to read a lot and after you read a lot about gambling evils you also heard about gambling related tragedies , you will grow up a person who will not commit compulsive gambling! and jeopardize your finances and life ! for heaven sake don't blame the casinos because there is no way people can run away from gamblings!
Islam prohibits gambling only, but ignored the stock market because stock market was non existent during those times, but stock markets are equal if not exceeds casinos in ruining a persons finances!!
I saw a man who was beaten by the wife in front of a broking firm crying loudly abt the husband losing of lots of money in the stock market! She threatens to divorce him! If she does, what good is a stock market compare to casinos?
A lawyer just starting to build his career ran away with his clients money after loosing 200k in football gambling !! should we blame football in this case since we blame casinos in the tragedy case?
KEE Mar 13, 2005
soc.culture.malaysia

Customisable google news
dear editor,
I have been following your articles and commentary on The Straits Times, e.g. it's low circulation rates in a monopoly, it's decision to charge for its web version, etc.
I am an avid reader of the online version, having stopped subscribing to it many years ago, due to its partisan views. Some alternatives I will be turning to after the trial period are channelnewsasia.com and google news.
The latter has a customizable news selection. very powerful indeed.
Type in a subject that you want news about and google mail, with its constant scouring of the web for news, will display articles related to the subject on your own personalised customisable page. Up to 8 or more news briefs can be displayed in one section and there is, I think up to 10 sections customisable. google currently has news customised for different regions all over the world, including HK and Taiwan, but so far, none for SG yet.
Is there a void that they can fill?
Of less importance, what this means is that users can now read the relevant news they want to see. It's a little like designing your own newspaper. Although not perfect, google news is an indication that there are options available, depending on what works for the user.
And of course littlespeck will remain as an important source of commentary and opinion. keep uo the good work.
shang wei
Mar 12, 2005

Media propaganda
Dear Editor,
Another new attempt by Singapore media to play up media propaganda against Malaysia is in the making with recent spree of report focusing on Malaysia dispute with its neighbours ranging from rustic uprising in Southern Thailand, maritime dispute to illegal migrate worker involving Indonesia to Mindanoa Peace Process involving Malaysia Peace mission.
Even Business Times which carry positive corporate news all this while has being hijacked by these shallow minded critics and Intelligence Agent in disguise as Journalist aclaimed whatever Institute or government funded "Think Tank".
Apart from the usual negative crime report, it seems that a new wave of propoganda is making its way to smear Malaysia image in business world. Just check up these website report by ST or BT newspaper in Singapore, effortlessly reader would be feed by these series of offesnive
reporting.
Thus, I strongly urge our Wisma Putra to curb by protest to these foreign media before it became too late and enabling Signapore Media getting away with their agenda again. I totally agree that the recent talk with SM Goh without press release is the right move as any news (regardless positive or negative) released without firm conclusion and directive will be misled by overzeolous Singapore media.
Alex Low
Mar 9, 2005

Re: Is there cruelty towards maids
Dear Sir,
I am totally agreed with "A NEW LOW".
This lady may not be the only heartless maid employer, there could be hundreds or even thousand of them out there.
Is it because these people lack of civic education, both at home and in school or they only thinking of chasing all the 'C' ie career, clubs, condos, cards, and cars.
I wish to know the answer too.
Maids need to get away from their '24 hour work place', not '8am to 6pm work place', to ease their mental fatigue and one day a month is only 12 days/365 days as against their employers 104 days + vocation/365days.
The correct answer should be 6 days/365 days because they are off from 9 am to 5 pm.
These maids are far away from home and lonely, by giving them just a day off to mix and talk to other maids from the same country may help to ease their homesickness and other maid related issues.
I wish they, the heartless maid employers, are small minority or else our society will be heading for trouble if their children follow their irresponsible behaviour.
Soen Lim
Mar 5, 2005

Is there cruelty towards maids
In the February 26 edition of TODAY newspaper is a letter " 'Outsiders', mind your own business" written by a Jeanie Goh. I find it hard to understand what was written.
She wrote: "Take my maid -- she is home alone from 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays and she takes her own sweet time to perform the routine household chores!...If the maid goes on leave, that means the employer will have to use his/her annual leave to cover the maid's absence."
There is an absolute absence of any humaneness in these words, and I would even suggest that there is even hidden cruelty in them.
Does she herself work? If so, does she have a 5-day week? Does she also take her annual leave and go somewhere to unwind? Why does she need 2 days off every week as well as her annual leave, but not her maid? Is it because she uses her brain? I doubt.
I wonder what Mr Lee Kuan Yew -- who came to prominence by representing workers against unscrupulous employers and who took us from Third World to First -- thinks of this writer and how he would respond to her words.
I would like also to know what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong -- who gave the civil service a five-day week -- thinks of her.
Why did the French peasants storm the Bastille and took out the guillotine? What was wrong with feudalism? What did Karl Marx say about the problem between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat? What did the Americans fight for in 1776? What was the fundamental divide between the Unionists and the Confederates? What was Martin Luther's dream? Why did Mahatma Gandhi walk across India telling the people to spin their own yarn? What class of people did Mao Zedong try to eradicate when the communists came to power in China in 1949?
Did we not learn anything from all these people of the past?
Back in Singapore, why is it necessary for a cabinet minister to head the National Trades Union Congress?
How did the writer come upon the rationale that maids should not be given any day off?
Then, I pause and look at the accompanying article on the same page of the newspaper. The editor has the sense of humour to put Neil Humphreys' article "Maids need to rest? SHOCKING!" next to the letter. This observant Britisher found it necessary to comment on the proposal to give maids one day off every month.
Perhaps to give us a reason to laugh at how absurd life can sometimes become.
A NEW LOW

Ref: ST online - Charging visitors
Dear Mr Seah
Yes, I was upset when I read that readers going online to read the Straits Times are going to be charged and after reading your comments on this issue has somewhat lessened my 'anger'.
I do feel, however, that SPH could go about making it less 'painful' in monetary terms by imposing a lower charge for subscribing readers and better still a lower rate for senior citizens, like me. Regards
KSW
Mar 2, 2005

Re: Singapore's future
After reading the letter "Singapore's future" by Ian Lim, I felt compelled to write in.
He has put into writing what I have felt for a long time. Except that in my case, I was not among the cream of the crop.
I did badly in my 'O' levels and had to do the equivalent of 'A' levels overseas in order to gain admission into university overseas.
After returning and working in Singapore for a few years, I feel like I am at a crossroads. Either I continue looking for a job like society tells me I should do or I venture overseas and see what the world has to offer.
My heart tells me I should pursue the latter. I have recently returned from a trip to China, my first time there. Although there are many things that are less than ideal, I felt a sense of optimism, probably influenced by the "can-do" spirit of the people there.
Here in Singapore, society tells you to get a job and hold on to it for as long as possible. Although the government is trying to encourage entrepreneurship, the reality is that our society loves to point our fingers at failures and use them as "examples" to reinforce the notion that is better to stick to a full time job, even if you are bored out of your skull.
I want to thank Ian Lim for writing that letter and I want to let him know that he is not alone is his views.
Victor Ng
Jan 27, 2005

Seeking whereabouts
Dear editor,I'm trying to get in touch with a William Sim Meng Lyang, a long lost schoolmate (SES) and colleague from Social Welfare Department. If William is reading this, please get in touch with Jackson Liu at 9-668-8558. Thank you.
Jan 24, 2005

Singapore's future
Dear Sir,
I do not know if this is the right channel to display my views after reading your article on “Singapore’s future”, but I will try anyway.
As a local university graduate with above average grades in my years of studying in so- called elite schools, I have always felt proud to be the cream of the crop, in which life wouldalmost certainly bring to my platter good jobs, good salary and of course, good living standard.However, in reality, things are not actually happening that way. Faced with 2 economic downturns after graduation in 1995, the culminated experiences I have had, revealed clearly to me that Singapore has made it, but may not have actually arrived. I have to leave thecountry in order to achieve my aspirations.
There is no ready platter of goodies for me. There is certainly no vacuum left behind by me since the enormous number of overseas graduates would mostly come home to look for a safe haven after getting their passports for employment. Not to mention the equally employable polytechnics graduates, with lower expectation for remunerations but adding to their advantage as they are favoured by highly cost conscious companies today.The stone throw hitting a graduate saying comes true when the cohorts of polytechnics graduates continue their higher education, benefiting mostly the Australian universities but prompting the Government to quickly commissioning new universities to curb currencyoutflow.
We may be more materially well-off than our neighbors at this moment but our sense of values and attitudes towards life and our inner strength are none much higher than them. Such frivolous action as grabbing old text-books at community centres by Mercedez Benz car owner is one bold example.The recent Tsunami disasters saw rapid responses from our society at large butaccordingto polls, people would only donate to this cause if they were asked to.
I am currently working in Vietnam. Although this country has its share of problems, it has a lot more resources than us. Their food is cheap, their water is almost free and they have many lands to develop into useful industrial and commercial zones if under proper planning. In no time, they will become richer and stronger than us.While working here, I have learnt many valuable lessons about life and Singapore. If we continue to be what we are now, the day will come when our children would have to take our baggage and bear with it at high cost, if we ever get married and have children. Ourprosperity is achieved by sacrificing many other aspects of normal life.We do not have a critical mass of local MNCs, therefore, most of us graduates have to workfor foreign companies.When we are in one, we become one of like a second class lieutenant. You are told what to do and you become an order-taker. Your bold views would seem as a challenge to the topmanagement, who are usually the foreigners.
Therefore, most of us are dull, political, ride of the mill and downright docile. On the other hand, things do not turn for the brighter if you have actually the opportunity to work for local MNC.With untouchable titles and fancy accessories and cars, the top management seems to have its toil of the day and arrived at where they are today. But they are computer-illiterate, they are subjective and stubborn and when something goes wrong, they start to pointfingers.
All these conditions will not breed any quality leaders, stewards or visionaries for our country. Therefore, we are always on the look-out for foreign talents to supplement our society. With “money can make the world turns” mentality, we headhunted them with fatgoodies, only to be swindled by them as they left their thrones after warming them for astint.
For those wh