The writer is a Senior Research Fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

Leave nothing to fate

Glitches should not just be accepted as the price of progress, but problems to be creatively solved

Yeo Lay hwee

A

Racial harmony, equal opportunity, stability,  prosperity and so on.

But a whole string of events — from security lapses to the flash-floods, freak accidents, backyard beauty clinics, technical glitches and casino crimes — lead me to feel a little concerned about where Singapore is heading.

The unease I feel with all these seemingly isolated, unrelated events lies in the fear that they are actually somehow interconnected and are broader symptoms of a society and people under stress and showing signs of distress.

One could be sanguine about all these lapses, accidents and glitches, and dismiss them by using the type of logic that says the more cars there are on the road, the more accidents there will be. But does this kind of logic undermine good old common sense, and is this kind of mentality befitting a society in the First World?

Let me elaborate on my concerns. First, is the current relentless pace of growth sustainable and the optimal way for Singapore to develop? Just recently, the president of Singapore Green Building Council, speaking at the National Sustainability Conference, admitted that the “demands posed by rapid urbanisation mean it is a challenge to grow the economy in a more sustainable way”.

The floods we experienced in the last two months were not just due to the unusual amount and intensity of rainfall, but has much to do with the effects of rapid urbanisation

that somehow was not anticipated by our planners.

With more asphalt roads and more builtup areas to accommodate the surge in demand for housing, cars, business, et cetera, the rain coming down just could not dissipate fast enough.

Hence, a certain “resignation” that no amount of engineering can prevent flooding.

Indeed, as we become even more crowded, dense and built-up, some degree of flooding might not be unavoidable.

What is important is that the authorities are gearing up efforts to look into more flood-prevention measures and to minimise the impact of floods. Such efforts are more in line with the “pioneering spirit” and the amount of engineering, social and otherwise, that has propelled Singapore from Third World to First.s we prepare to celebrate 45 years of independence, I can’t help but reflect on the achievements that Singapore has made. We have many things to be proud of and celebrate:

Small cuts to save costs could hurt a brand

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And it’s not just the chili sauce, nor is it just Singapore Airlines. More companies here seem to be cutting back on products or services that were part of what differentiated their brand. These aren’t just the small firms trying to compete on cost. Instead, they are the iconic airlines, hotels and other wellknown names that make Singapore stand out.

Another icon, the Raffles Hotel, diluted its image and its product by serving highpriced, lower-quality Singapore Slings. It received flak for pouring pre-made Slings, said to taste more like sweet fruit cocktails than a classic Sling, from large metal containers.

Large firms offering everyday services are making those shifts too. At Singapore Post, customers used to know that they would receive mail six days a week and get a discount when sending greeting cards during the year-end festive season. Now, those services have disappeared.

SingPost quietly eliminated the special rate for sending cards last year and simply replied to an enquiry by saying “we regret there is no special posting rate this year”. In May, mail delivery on Saturdays disappeared.

This is the same company where postal clerks now sell everything from mobile phones to dust busters, with displays and signs that could compete at any pasar malam.

SingTel has cut back too, for example on payphones in public places. While most people do use mobile phones, good luck finding an alternative if your phone dies or you are a tourist without a mobile. While the cutbacks probably saved money, part of what made SingPost and SingTel important to the community simply slipped away.

It’s easy to say that little things like Singapore Slings and Kris Chili Sauce don’t matter much as long as sarong kebaya-clad hostesses and the hotel doorman are still there. It’s easy, too, to say that services like mail delivery on Saturday and payphones in malls are no longer needed in an era of digital communications. Yet the impact of a cumulative series of small cutbacks may be greater than the amount saved.

Customers do remember what’s gone: As they see the little things taken away, buzz can grow about whether the differentiators that make the company great still exist. At some point, the cutbacks could lead them to move to competitors.

Snipping away bits of the fabric of society could weaken social cohesion as well.

Amid debate over changes wrought by the casinos, immigration and redevelopment, there have been questions about what really makes Singapore Singaporean.

With the constant tearing down of old buildings and familiar sites, there’s little enough that remains of what generations here grew up with. Keeping even the little touches — familiar things like payphones or the original Singapore Sling that many here grew up with — helps emphasise that differentiation between this and any other city in the world.

It’s the cumulative effect of tiny changes so small we hardly notice them that add up to fundamentally larger shifts that could be detrimental. And it’s an argument for why companies should spend just a little more for the broader benefit of themselves and the community.lying on Singapore Airlines used to mean the secret flavour of Kris Chili Sauce. No more. Now it’s Tropicana chilli sauce, surely a good brand yet, perhaps, just a little cheaper and easier.

The writer is a consultant who has lived in Singapore since 1992

Isn’t it time we looked at smarter alternative methods of fighting the rise of the habit?verybody knows that smoking is bad for you. Even the tobacco companies admit it. In Singapore, the Government has created what one wag called “the world’s most hostile environment” for the industry.   [WHAT for ?  When result is nOt there ? ?]

Mother Earth dOesn’t have a chance if we dOn’t act

I REFER to Paul O’Hagan’s letter, “If we all did our part, it might still not be enough” (July 30) on carbon dioxide emissions.

It is true that Britain’s CO

The majority of government delegates at the Doha round of CO

To cut a long story short, they returned home to the status quo, driven by their greed for economic growth — as well as their cowardice in not doing what was right.

This was explained by Professor Paul Krugman in his commentary “Who cooked the Planet?” (July 28). The phrase “little drops of water make a mighty ocean and little grains of sand make a mighty land” comes to mind.

Perhaps Mr O’Hagan didn’t read Prof Krugman’s commentary? If those who read it still offer the same old excuses for not doing our parts as individuals, I’m afraid dear old Mother Earth doesn’t stand a chance.2 emissions make up only 1.8 per cent of the global total, and thus seem insignificant. However, Mr O’Hagan’s reasoning falls short of taking personal responsibility for contributing to reducing CO 2 emissions.2 emissions reduction talks seemed guilty of similar reasoning.

Ronald Koh

17 trees uprooted early Sunday

17 trees uprooted early Sunday

 

SINGAPORE : Seventeen trees were uprooted in the early hours of Sunday morning, while another 26 trees had branches blown off by gusty winds of about 77 km/h, according to the National Parks Board (NParks).

Of these, eight trees were not managed by NParks.

NParks contractors quickly cleared the fallen trees and branches within the hour, or pushed them to the road verges to be cleared later.

One fallen tree at Jalan Mutiara near River Valley Road hit the boundary wall of a condominium. And a parked car nearby also sustained some scratches.

And over at Burlington Square near Bugis Junction, a restaurant owner recounted what he saw when he approached his restaurant on Sunday morning.

Nayan Patel said: "When I was here, the storm threatened to uproot two trees. The two trees were badly damaged and their branches were falling off. Fortunately it did not happen in the day. So no one was injured." — CNA/ms

Word leader

Dr. Petroski, at Duke, writing in “Success Through Failure,” noted the innovative corollary. Failures, he said, “always teach us more than the successes about the design of things. And thus the failures often lead to redesigns — to new, improved things.”

A snip in time ...

Letter from Simon Longman

Director (Streetscape), National Parks Board

WE REFER to Mr Tan’s letter, “To prevent more tree tragedies ...” (July 29). We are aware that recent incidences of fallen trees due to intense weather conditions can raise concerns about our tree care programmes. We want to assure the public that there is a structured approach to our tree care programmes, and these are continually reviewed to take into account the dynamic weather patterns.

Trees are inspected regularly. Where necessary, the latest technology is used in such inspections to detect internal defects. If any is detected, we will carry out the appropriate treatment, which may include pruning the tree or even removing it if required. Inspection details are recorded in a computerised database, which enables us to identify trends and take preventive action s to minimise the risks of tree failure. Stringent programmes are in place for renewal of our roadside trees with hardy species. Regular tree pruning is also carried out to reduce the weight of foliage in the tree crown and improve stability.

In the past two months, our staff and contractors have been stepping up tree inspection and pruning. In addition to our scheduled 15,000 tree inspections per month, we have inspected another 2,000 trees along expressways and major roads and done pruning to reduce the weight of their crowns. We will continue with this intensified maintenance regime. Our arborists are well-trained professionals. We benchmark our arboricultural expertise as a specialist skill against the best in the world, with 120 of our officers certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. In addition, there are another 170 certified arborists in Singapore, including those who are working for our contractors.

We seek the public’s continued support as we are fully committed to our responsibility.

Tree pruning, checks

Shadrake won’t say he’s sorry

Teo Xuanwei

xuanwei@mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPORE

But British author Alan Shadrake, whose recently-launched book discussing the death penalty in Singapore saw him fall afoul of the law, rejected Chief Counsel David Chong’s offer to him in the High Court on Friday.

Mr Shadrake — the author of

has vowed to fight all charges against him, even if it meant he could be jailed.

He was arrested in his hotel room on July 18, a day after his book was launched. The Attorney-General’s Chambers alleged that Mr Shadrake’s book contained statements which called into question the impartiality, integrity and independence of the judiciary. Contempt of court offences are punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine.

If charged and convicted of criminal defamation, he could be jailed for up to two years and/or fined. Seeking a one-month adjournment for the contempt of court hearing on Friday, Mr Shadrake’s lawyer, M Ravi, told the court he needed more time to prepare for the case.

He added that he is seeking to obtain sworn affidavits from “various sources”, including the German and American government. Justice Quentin Loh granted Mr Shadrake two weeks to file his affidavit. Prosecutors will have one week to respond after that. The judge also told Mr Ravi he could apply to file more affidavits from other sources when he obtained them. Mr Shadrake, who is currently out on $10,000 police bail, is likely to return to court late next month.— Apologise to the Courts, and the contempt of court proceedings against him will be dropped.Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock —

Engineering and science are the means which mankind have used since time immemorial,

     and will continue to use, to make great and greater progress in improving life,

           the environment and the world as a whole.

               And, contrary to some silly and near-moronic views, intelligent engineering 

                     is mankind's only hope to long-term survival in the often hostile natural environment. 

                         Thus, continued intelligent and wise use of  engineering is itself mandatory for advancement of life. 

pharoah88      ( Date: 24-Jul-2010 16:15) Posted: "BONSAI"  will start  recruiting  ENGINEERS  ? ? ? ? SOME ENGINEERS  will be LUCKY to earn  S$ Million  annual  compensations  ? ? ? ? Isolator      ( Date: 24-Jul-2010 12:37) Posted: I can only say the Party members are lousy. I believe none come from Engineering background, most are likely from lawyer, doctor, or maybe marketing...

LETTER FROM PAUL O’HAGAN