SINGAPORE SHORT STORIES

The Institute of Policy Studies has presented the few scenarios of Singapore’s future population growth. The main problems Singapore faces in its population growth thrust are its declining fertility rate and total replacement ratio. Immigration has been identified as a key plank to keep Singapore’s population younger and at a number which will not undermine economic growth.

I was with my wife in Bedok yesterday, eating at the crowded hawker centre there. The food at Bedok Hawker Centre is value-for-money though I will not go so far as to proclaim that the food there is simply the best. There are now many people of diverse backgrounds in Bedok. The majority is the elderly and there are many foreigners too. The ways and behaviours of the foreigners is not something Singaporeans can accept readily. I have seen a China lady throwing an umbrella, just brushing me centimetres away after a tiff with her boyfriend. Such a behaviour is not readily accepted in Singapore. Alright, now coming back to my main story, my wife and I were inundated or overwhelmed with tissue sellers in the hawker centres. The first such seller who approached me was an old lady with her middle-aged daughter. Then the second one was a China young man. For the first seller, why did the daughter bring her aging old mother out to sell tissues? The sight is not a healthy one as I am thi...

In the latest list published by Forbes, there are now 11  billionaires in Singapore. You would need at least $190 million to be in list of the top 40 richest men in Singapore.

The National Environment Agency will increase the fines for litterbugs and implement the existing corrective work orders (a scheme whereby litterbugs are ordered to clean up public areas) in streets with heavier traffic, part of its bid to curb the ever-increasing littering problem in Singapore. More litter-bins will be added to public places while public education against littering will continue. I believe the measures will only achieve limited success as littering is really a personal habit. The new measures, which are just strengthened existing measures will only deter litterbugs from littering in places with heavier traffic such as in shopping areas for fear that an enforcement officer be in ‘ambush’. In places with no or few people nearby, I think the natural instinct for litterbugs is to chuck their litter onto the floor even though a litter bin may be just nearby. Hence I believe the authorities should send enforcement officers, in plain clothes, to places with lesser human tra...

Major-General Neo Kian Hong, currently Chief of Army will take over from Lieutenant-General Desmond Kuek Bak Chye as Chief of Defence Force come 1 Apr 2010. If you have been observant enough, it has most often been the case of the Chief of Army becoming the Chief of Defence (except for Bey Soo Khiang, who was Chief of Airforce before becoming the Chief of Defence). However, this is not to say that the Chiefs of Navy are not good, in fact Teo Chean Hean, now the Deputy Prime Minister and Lui Tuck Yew now the acting Minister for Information, Communication and Arts were Chiefs of Navy before. George Yeo, Foreign Affairs Minister and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong were also Army Brigadier-Generals before while trade and industry minister, Lim Hng Kiang were ex-Lieutenant Colonel in Army too. The highest military rank: Lieutenant –General (LG) (3 Stars) in Singapore goes to the Chief of Defence. However, most of the Colonels, Brigadier-Generals do not necessary need to become the Chiefs of ...

Are Singapore becoming more and more voyeuristic? The recent news seems to suggest so. At the countdown party in Sentosa Siloso beach, a girl scantily clad in a bikini was held and molested by 4 men vigorously. Singapore partygoers just watched the molestation of the helpless lady, with many taking out their handphones, cameras and videocams, busily taking videos and photos of the perverse act, with nobody lifting a finger to help or even calling for the men to stop! See: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/caught_in_the_act/300934/countdown_party _molest_how_can_heartless_sporeans.html Also occurring on the long weekends of the new year, party-goers and night owls watched in horror as a man with his face masked in black plastic went around the island vandalizing mailboxes belong to Singpost, spraying ink and creating graffti on these mailboxes calmly and nonchalantly, to the horror of passer-bys. He called himself ‘Inkman’ and it was shocking that despites the significant l...

Some months ago, I went to a polyclinic to see a doctor after falling ill to a bout of stomachache and diarrhoea. As I entered the consultation room, I saw the bespectacled doctor behind his desk asking me to take a seat and enquiring me on the illness I had. Next he proceeded to check for the symptoms, a part of the routine procedure. I opened my mouth during the process for him to take a look at the throat using his specialized equipment, it was to my surprise and shock when he suddenly grimaced in front of me, raising his voice to me to open my mouth a little bit bigger. The suddenly change of attitude and mood shocked me and it was also an unprofessional conduct coming from a general practitioner. This doctor seemed mad and looked mad. Few months passed and one day on my way to work, I bumped into the doctor who was walking in the other direction towards my estate. He wore office wear and I presumed that he is now working in a hospital in my estate. This young doctor wore a happy e...

Singapore is a peaceful and safe country, thus if I were to ask you where is the most dangerous place in the country, what would your answer be? Geylang, Little India, Chinatown, Redhill... these 'havoc' enclaves when compared to other districts in Singapore? The answer is none of these as the most dangerous place in Singapore is our Public Roads! Story 1: Stupid Uncle Drivers no longer heed the basic road sign rules. Most of the times, when the Green Pedestrian sign is on, some cars still proceed on and on traffic crossing, drivers treat pedestrians with blatant disregard by driving through just before or after they have cross past the spot in front of their cars. This evening, I was with my Dear in Little India when we were waiting to cross the traffic light. The cars in front of us slowed to a crawl and become stationary due to the long traffic jam ahead. The pedestrian man at the traffic lights was still red though all the cars still crawled to a halt due to the long traffi...

This photo of a bald man masked in two surgical masks may not be familiar to you, but this is really Dr. William Tan, a Singaporean most respected for his contributions to charity taking into account his own background. Dr William Tan, paralyzed from the waist down due to polio at aged two has never given up to fate or his disabilities. He has preserved, endured all the taunting by his peers during school days and worked his way to become a medical doctor and a neuroscientist he is today, helping to heal lives in his profession. But he has never forgotten about the other needy and the unfortunate in the world. From his wheelchair, he has raised funds for many charities all over the world in expeditions like conquering the Arctic, attempting the Antartic and perhaps the toughest of all, successfully completing 7 marathons in 7 continents in 27 days and creating a world record, and these are but just a small number of charity feats he has carried out. He has raised thousand...

Nowadays, HDB flats are built with lifts situated on every floor. Singaporeans are now so used to taking the lift to get to and out from their homes. Staircases are now seldomly used. The lift in my HDB flat malfunctioned today. Hence I have to use the stairs up and down to and fro from my home. Along the way, though it is tiring (been ages since I used the stairs), I discovered the following benefits of using stairs over lifts: a) environment friendly (lifts consume electricity) b) exercise and physical workout c) meet neighbours who you never know exist on the block d) get some tips of home design (as you pass your neighbours’ doors)

In our hectic city life, we may have taken certain things and people who play an important role in our life for granted. The unsung heroes in our daily lives, who help to make life possible for us: the drivers of the MRT, buses we take everyday, the foodstall operators who cook the meals we eat during work, the newspaper vendors whom we receive or bought our newspapers from everyday. Singaporeans love to travel and with airfares hitting rock-bottom prices in the recent years, a large proportion of the world’s population commutes via planes for their vacations and overseas work. We tug at our luggage at the airport every time we travel overseas and hastily find a trolley to ‘dump’ our luggage on so that we can just push our luggage with ease. We can sometimes forget the very person who makes the trolleys available to us: the trolley operation executives, in my own preferred term. I was at Changi Airport last week when I caught sight of the rows of neatly stacked-up trolleys in the tra...

In light of the raging H1N1 virus infection which has taken Singapore and other countries by storm, it is timely that the Health Ministry has once again, emphasize to Singaporeans on the important need to wash their hands! Yes, our hands, which we use for a myriad functions in life also contain a legion of bacteria! It is prudent not only to wash one's hands but also in a proper manner. I always shrug at the thought of many of the Singapore's toilets having doors. What is the use of washing one hands in the toilet after doing one's "business", only to touch the heavily bacterized toilet one before one exits the toilet? The way to go, in my opinion is for all toilets here to go doorless. In the latest campaign by the Health Ministry to remind Singaporeans on the important need to keep their hands clean and hygienic, the above "scare-tactic" poster is employed. But it is not really a 'scare tactic' per se. Our hands contains a multitude of bacteri...

It is not often that I lose my way while navigating around the island. But just a few days ago, I happened to be finding my way around a little district which I was not familar with, it was then I approached one Singaporean, whom was obviously a resident living in the estate for help. To my expectation, he did not know the place I am looking for (though later I found out that the place I was looking for was just behind the block of flats which I have met him). It was within my expectation as close to 95% of all times I have sought help from Singaporeans getting around, the answer was 'I don't know'? though they are living right in the estate! Are Singaporeans really bo chap (apathetic)? or do they really don't know where they are living at all?

In this economic gloom, the more one go out, the more he has to spend. First on the list, the 'to and fro' transport. Then there will be the usual stuff to buy and not to mention the food and drinks. If we would want to reduce our expenditure during this economic downturn, we can cut down on going out and instead do more 'free' things in life like going by foot to your shopping mall or shops in your housing estate, cycle to some nearby parks and do some exercises. Certain outings like these can be free-of-charge. Even when one is to stay at home, he will be still spending... spending his money on water and electricity running the computers, aircon, fans and etc. I introduce here the desperate's guide to beating the economic downturn: Wake up, spend minimial water to brush your teeth and face. Walk to your nearby library to read today's news and while away the time amidst the free aircon and when thristy, sip at the water coolers provided.By the time you hav...

It grates on my nerves these days ordering from one of the premier food catering companies, in Singapore. A sales executive called May from that particular company cannot make it at all! Reasons for my anger: 1) Sent an email for order, took me 1 week and 2 phone calls for her to get back to me. 2) And when she got back to me, after so late, she asked for certain details of my correspondence, gave them to her, took me another few days and calls for her to respond, and when she did, she got the particulars wrong! 3) She got my name wrong despites constant and repeated reminders that I do not have another surname after that. 4) And I must tell you that her email to me does not have any personal thing message at all, just repeat the computer thinggy here and there so much so that all her emails to me are all identical despites my anger has risen to such a certain extent and has reflected that in my email. She simply does not want to apologise but simply repeat the same computer sta...

I hate to meet egoistic and arrogant people who will treat you as though you are invisible whenever they bump into you, reason being they believe they are very ‘high’, for being successful in business or careers, or they are part of a group of Singaporeans who lead charmed lives being automatically promoted rapidly and fast within certain organizations, though they have nothing much to show. I hope they will learn a lesson of humility, I abhor these arrogant people.

I have never been to Geylang for a long time. Just few hours ago, I was at Geylang, the part near to Kallang MRT station for some work. It was dinner time, feeling the hunger pangs in me, I walked around to locate a food centre but I was astonished to see that what greeted me was steamboat buffet restaurants one after another as I walked from one end of the road to near the middle of the long road. In essence, a 'Steamboat' enclave has been carved out of the Geylang landscape and most of these steamboat food centres were operated by mainland China chinese (if I am not wrong, as heavily-China-language-accented waitors beckon me to dine in at their restaurants along my walk). If my surmise on the nationalities of the owners of the many steamboat cateries there was correct, then foreigners in Singapore have not only had an influence of the cosmopolitian mix of our population, but they could also shape places. Foreigners can shape place and people of the locals but their impact on...

Every morning, I would pass an errands lady enroute to the toilet. The lady would always wash her dishes and cups quietly under a running tap, not alike that of the past practices of Starbuck as reported in the recent news, except that she would shut off the valve after she is done with her chores. This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see a foreign apprentice beside her, learning the trade. I was even more surprised when the foreign apprentice turned and greeted me with a ‘Good morning’, for which I responded with the same. Months passed without a word of greeting from the errand lady and there the apprentice was, in just her first day of work, giving me a greeting! Her simple act of greeting may seem insignificant but in its entirety it exemplifies the distinction between a foreign service worker who adds value in his work and a local who simply does not care more apart from doing the basics. Singaporeans grip about the threat of foreign competition but it all boils down to whe...

I was in the city today and the moment I saw two traffic policemen stationed next to their motorbikes at the traffic crossing besides Peninsula Plaza, I know many Singaporeans would be 'caught' by them later. True to my words, within seconds of my realisations, they have beckoned (a woman who had started to jaywalk) towards them and issued her with a document. Seconds later, another Singaporean was 'booked' and there seems to be a continous stream of jaywalkers being caught off-guard later by the traffic policemen and being 'summoned.' Singaporeans seem to get used to jaywalking so much so that they do not realise that it is an offence! Only when they are being caught and fined, reality will then sink in. Jaywalking, I believe is a more common offence than littering.

This morning before work, I went to update my bank account book from an automated bank book updating machine. Long queues formed at the machine though it was still early at that time: 7 a.m. No choice, I decided to try my luck after work. 6.30 p.m, I returned to the machine after work. To my horror, the queues which formed were even longer! My gosh! On an ordinary day, these updating machines saw no more than 3 people at any time, whats the occasion today? Then it dawned on me that these Singaporeans are updating their account to check for the Growth Dividend that the Government is giving to many. to offset the effects of inflation. No wonder they were so kiasu, behaving a though they were afraid the government will not pay them! Relax ba, Singaporeans, you will get your dues, please don't jam the updating machines else the updating machines will run out of ink and you will not see any amount on your bankbook after updating and you will get the shock of your life which harms your h...