Religious harmony in Singapore: Pastor Rony Tan apologises

It’s heartening to read that Pastor Rony Tan of Lighhouse Evangelism Church has made a personal apology to representatives from the Buddhist and Taoist faiths for his insensitive and offensive comments.

Being a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious society, we must ensure that racist comments or comments that insult or belittle other faiths do not occur. We have seen how this has wrecked other countries so we must not take this lightly. A spark can easily set off a conflagration, you know.

From time to time I read of racist comments in online forums, and I find them unacceptable and offensive.

Every culture and faith has something interesting if we bother to dig below the surface.

It’s this very variety that makes Singapore an interesting place. I enjoy the festivities associated with the various cultures.

For instance, on Thaipusam I’d go to Little India to watch the kavadi-carrying devotees. The Pongal festival (harvest festival) is another.

Come Hari Raya, you’d find me in Geyland Serai for the light-up or the Sultan Mosque area to observe Muslims breaking fast, and, of course, to try out the mouth-watering food myself.

Without these festivities I think Singapore would be a much duller place.

The word is Respect. We must respect other races, cultures and faiths in Singapore if we expect the same from others.

Cycling in Singapore:Illegal to cycle on pavements in Singapore so…

The law against cycling on the pavements has been on the statue book for a long time, but it’s only after Traffic Police’s warning that people are more aware of the law.

So we can’t cycle on the pavements on pains of fines up to $1000, then where can we cycle?

Let’s consider some options:

1. in the bus lane (bus drivers will protest if cyclists take to bus lanes en masse as this will cause delay to buses).

2. share road space with motorists (motorists will protest too, real danger of being killed or injured)

3. give up cycling altogether (not realistic as many bike to work, to bus interchange and the MRT, to shop etc)

4. continue to cycle on pavements and risk the fines (only practical and sane option to me)

5. demarcate special lanes on roads for cyclists as in China (best solution to the impasse, and the government can’t say NO now).

Having cycled for more than 20 years, I have yet personally to see any serious accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians (this is not to say there has been none but the numbers are miniscule).

The vast majority of cyclists are sensible and careful so let’s not be too emotional and overreact and demonise cyclists!

Singapore Traffic Police Warning: offence to cycle on pavements except …

The Traffic Police has warned cyclists that it’s an offence to cycle on pavements EXCEPT in Tampines with fines of up to $1000 for offenders.

Why the discrimination?

Why one law for Tampines, where it’s legal to cycle on pavements, and another for the rest of Singapore? This is unprecedented.

I can’t think of any other Singapore law that is discriminatory. Can you?

Are Tampines’ cyclists more disciplined cyciists than those, say, in Ang Mo Kio,Toa Payoh and Yishun and elsewhere? Are cycling facilities there much superior? Or do they have VVIPs who were more persuasive in pushing for their agenda?

Can you imagine Traffic Police chasing after grandfathers, grannies, houswives, kids and foreign workers? Already they seem unable to cope with enforcement duties on the expressways and roads, so if they are suddenly overzealous in booking cyclists then I think it’s downright absurd and ridiculous.

Thousands of cyclists are biking illegally at any one time in various parts of Singapore. If they book all of them, then Traffic Police will be tied down for the rest of the year in reams of paper work.

Assuming everyone is law-abiding and take to the roads. Can our already congested roads cope? Will there be more accidents involving cyclists?

ERP for cyclists then?

I am deeply disappointed.

Civic consciousness or kindness lacking in Singaporeans?

When her father in his 60s fell down in Orchard Road, nobody came to his help except two westerners. She complained bitterly to ST Forum.

No locals helped her father she claimed. Now, I find this hard to believe. Maybe the situation did not look so serious, so people simply ignored her father and went about their business. I’m sure if it were serious, passers-by would definitely have helped.

I don’t know…perhaps she was overreacting.

Singaporeans have also been accused of not giving up their seats on the MRT to deserving passengers eg pregnant ladies, the elderly.

I’ve been training my mental spotlight on this issue whenever I travel on the MRT. And I’m heartened that many people DO give up their seats. Well done.

Of course, there are always the black sheep. They have my contempt.

But I’d like to see more instances of people responding with a smile or Thank you to those who give up their seats.

Singaporeans are generally civic conscious and kind.

Except when they are driving! Sigh.

National Parks: are you aware of this monkey business?

The monkeys are coming!

I’m not joking. The monkeys are coming, or more precisely, they’ve already come to the Malcolm Road, Mt Rosie Road and Goldhill Ave areas.

There’s no doubt in my mind that these marauding monkeys have come from the Bukit Timah forest reserve, driven perhaps by a scarcity of food in the forest.

These monkeys could soon prove to be a nuisance -rummaging in litter bins, attacking little kids, spreading diseases, damaging properties and making their way into homes to forage for food.

In short, they will become a pest.

If nothing is done by National Parks, the primates in these residential areas could increase.

Is National Parks aware of this monkey nuisance? NP should be more proactive in curbing the menace before it spirals out of control.

It’s good to preserve the biodiversity of the forest reserve but too much of something can be annoying.

The residents are not amused.

Singapore Education System: why are our Singapore youths like this?

Singapore students are renowned for their rote-learning prowess, and less for their creativity.

But there’s another aspect of our students that’s easily missed unless you’re sufficiently observant.

And that’s they’re loud-mouth, boisterous, playful and inconsiderate in public. I have nothing personal against youngsters, just their behaviour.

When a group of students, irrespective of gender, congregate whether in a coffee shop, food court, MRT or bus for instance you’re guaranteed a lively demonstration of their tomfoolery accompanied by decibel-busting chatter and laughter.

Oh, it slips my mind…in public libraries as well.

As I’ve said, I’m not against youngsters, least of all youngsters having a good time. But there’s a time and place for everything. The word is etiquette, isn’t it?

In a place of worship like a church we listen respectfully.ln the cinema we stop our chatter. You get the picture.

You may protest and say Hey, teens are the same everywhere, aren’t they?

Sorry to disappoint you but they aren’t the same everywhere. I’ve travelled in trains and public buses in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. The youths there know how to behave themselves. And they don’t certainly sit on the floor of commuter train, blocking the exits.

Aren’t our youths taught any etiquette and manners in school?

Or maybe their high energy level is the result of being too well fed?

Tragic death of a Singapore sports veteran

I was shocked by the news of the death of one of Singapore’s most illustrious sportsmen, Tan Eng Yoon.

He was knocked down by a 33-year-old driver.

It was also at this spot where a couple were knocked down by a drink-driving motorist. The wife tragically died.

I’ve been been highlighting the anarchic state on our roads and expressways in my blog.

LTA and Traffic Police must adopt a zero tolerance attitude towards dangerous and reckless driving, and increase the penalties eg mandatory jail term for anyone who knocks down a pedestrian as in New York.

How else can the authorities be made to realise that the current situation can’t go on anymore?

A spectacular accident?

A member of Parliament being knocked down?

Or perhaps a Minister on his rounds canvassing for votes being knocked down by a speeding motorist?

No prize for guessing which scenario will galvanise the authorities into action.

Meanwhile, while they dither the madness continues, and more kids, the elderly and other road users will be killed.

Remember the Romanian diplomat who knocked down three pedestrians in one fell swoop, killing one? The coward fled to Romania, and police have identified him as the culprit (murderer, in my book).

The outcome would be interesting.

Singapore General Election: protest vote

One fine day I noticed my neighbour painting his house. To see him thus engaged surprised me for he never lifted a finger to even wash his car, leaving the chore to his maid. The mystery was soon solved for not long after this he sold his house.

Now, you may well ask What has this to do with the general election?

Well, you must have read the recent slew of feel-good news in the papers. Yesterday the government announced that citizens would enjoy a higher subsidy in health care than permanent citizens.

In December last year, the government declared that permanent citizens would have to pay higher school fees.

All this it says is to demonstrate that there’s a significant difference between citizens and foreigners.

As the general election looms, there will be more feel-good soundbites.

It’s called sweetening the ground, isn’t it? Just like my neighbour who threw himself into a frenzy of physical labour.

The frustrating thing is that people have been complaining about these things for years. Nobody listened. The complaints were brushed aside with their customary clever-sounding arguments.

Too little, too late?

To the PAP: 10 reasons why people will cast protest vote in Singapore General Election

Here are 10 reasons why people will cast protest vote in the next General Election:

1. The rising cost of public housing which is supposedly subsidised.

2. Foreign workers depressing wages and robbing Singaporeans of jobs.

3. The poor seems to be getting poorer, and their numbers seem to be increasing.

4. Ever rising cost of living.

5. Sky-high ministerial salaries.

6. The widespread perception that the PAP has become too elitist.

7. The PAP has lost touch with the ground. I see my MP only when GE is around the corner.

8. Questionable payments and fines eg TV licence, exit toll at Woodlands Checkpoint, late payment fee for TV licence and road tax, ERP

9. Lack of freedom of expression

10. Unlevel playing field in the political arena.

(This is by no means an exhaustive list. You may add to it.)

In all fairness, the current administration has brought tremendous progress and prosperity to Singapore that is the envy of many countries. But the world has changed, and if it fails to change and continues to be seen as too authoritarian and persists in talking down to the people, there will be protest vote.

Common sight: Poverty has forced many to rummage in litter bins.

5 reasons why Sengkang Library is the most user-unfriendly public library in Singapore.

Photo above shows armchairs in Yishun Library.

Sengkang Library in Compass Point is probably the most user-unfriendly library in the whole of Singapore.

These are the reasons why:

1. There are no chairs in the library only hard benches.

2. There are no tables.

3. There are no tables for newspaper reading. (I noticed Yishun Library has just added another table.)

4. Even the hard benches are not enough as students convert them into their own study tables.

5. Library users are therefore forced to sit on the floor all over the library.

I raised my concerns with NLB. Their reply was laughable if not ridiculous. Their reply was that Sengkang Library is a DIY library, whatever that means. Hence the minimal facilities. Then why does Yishun Library come equipped with so many facilities even though it is also located in a shopping mall?

Bureaucrats are brilliant at justifying anything. A DIY library. My God!

In all public libraries users are urged not to sit on the floor but in Sengkang Library you have no choice.

The people of Sengkang and also of Punggol deserve better.

Or else people will ask, “Why the double standard?”

A newspaper reading table in Yishun Library.