24 February 2005
Dear Sirs and Madams,
First of all I would like to apologise for any rough words
used later in my statements or the wrong use of the English
Language. I am after all a student and is not that
proficient in my language. I am still coping but I will try
my best to bring across my points.
I have just stumbled upon this website while i was doing my
research for my upcoming school debate. I’ve read some of
the opinions of those Singaporeans and other users of the
website on how Singapore really should be. But really, may I
ask all of you, are your suggestions really feasible? Does
it really make sense?
Most of you feel that Singapore should allow her people to
be more open and expressive. You feel that the citizens of
Singapore should really be allowed the freedom of speech.
May I bring you all back to the reality that YES, Singapore
has allowed her people to have that freedom. This can be
seen from the opening of the speakers corner here in
Singapore itself. But may I ask you people, really, how many
people have been there to express their thoughts? Does the
other Singaporeans really attracted to hear the opinions of
the opposition of PAP to make the changes that you have
proposed? If you really want to make your opinion heard dear
sirs and madams, please feel free to go to the speakers
corner to express your thoughts. If you are afraid of the
actions taken by the government for what you have said, then
I believe you should really review the words that you want
to use. Is it really appropriate to curse? After all, we do
not want the children to learn how to curse right? So would
it not be appropriate to use the right use of words when we
are speaking in the media or in public? And are the facts
that you brought up for real or just your imagination?
I feel that most of us are still comfortable with the way
things are run here. We feel that the government are still
giving us our space, and does not intrude in any of our
privacy. Apart from that our well-being are still taken care
of by the government, and most of us are leading a happy and
comfortable life. If this is not the case, then many of us
would have pressurize the government for a change. Am I not
right in saying this?
The opinions of the the oppositions team sometimes do not
make sense at all. In my opinion, you are there for the sake
of going against the PAP since you are the opposition, is it
not true? How many suggestions have you brought up that has
or have taken the vote of the majority in Singapore?
Dearest sirs and madams, do you really feel that Singapore
has to change the way it is? I would like to bring this
question dear sirs and madams. Are you not comfortable
living in Singapore? You may say its stressful, but may I
say this, everything that we do brings stress. It’s just the
different weights of the stress that we feel.
The security that we have here in Singapore should not be
taken for granted. Really I have to admit crimes do occur
everywhere, but if you were to compare the security level, I
feel Singapore is way on top. Try walking in the streets of
some of the Western countries(i apologise if you feel hurt
by this statement), some children even at the tender age of
5 carry guns. Some even went to the extent of shooting or
killing their own parents if they are not satisfied with
them. People get cruelly murdered, robbed or raped. May I
ask you dear kind sirs and madams, how many such cases can
you find in Singapore?
Dear kind sirs and madams, you have proposed that Singapore
should abolished its heavier sentences such as death penalty
and caning. You feel that sooner or later Singapore
judiciary would make a mistake in punishing one of these
prisoners. You also said that Singapore is having this
punishment for selfish reasons such as reducing the amount
of money spent on keeping this prisoners in prison. May i
say i this dear sirs n madams, no one is perfect. Everyone
makes a mistake. If Singapore does not have this heavy
sentences for the crimes that deserve this, would Singapore
really be safe? Those convicts that are freed may commit
their crimes again. And dear sirs and madams if all these
“dangerous” prisoners are put together, they may make a plot
to escape. After all, they have commit crimes before, and
has planned them before executing them, so having other
prisoners to share n plan their ideas, would it not be easy
to carry them out?
Dear sirs and madams, you also brought up the issue of
National Service. May i ask you sir, if National Service is
to be abolished, can you guarantee that Singapore would not
get involved in war? After all, i still see there are still
many wars taking place around the world. Singapore is after
all a small country. We are vulnerable and our men powers
are limited. If you feel that National Service is to be
abolished, then am i not right to propose the abolishment of
any military aspects there is in this world. What for should
we have them in place since NS is not compulsory and no male
citizens can be trained? Why do we have to train our people
to be ready and vigilant when after all military and self
defence is not important? Am i right to say this sir?
Dear Sirs and Madams you feel that DEMOCRACY should be
practiced by Singapore and that we should follow how the
super powers govern their country. But may i ask you, how
similar is Singapore compared to these super powers? Those
super powers countries are bigger than us. We are after all
the red dot on the map. And how really successful is these
Super Powers compared to us. Those western countries really
have problems that some Singaporeans are not even aware of.
Take Britain for example. Welfare state? Is it really
efficient? Try assesing it and tell me. I would be glad to
see some of your opinions.
Dear Sirs and Madams, Singapore SHOULD NOT follow and
practice what is being practiced by other countries.
Singapore after all has achieved successes through its own
way of governing. In fact we are much better than those
countries bigger than us. We are at the same level or better
than those countries that everyone goes goo-goo-ga-ga on. Do
I really need to elaborate on this point?
Oh before I forget, the issue of Singapore being a clean and
green country. You said that its not true and that Singapore
is just covering up all the dirt and rubbish that is thrown
everywhere and the bushes that are there are just to cover
them. But may i ask, if its true then sooner or later these
rubbish would pile up and we are able to see them. But i
have not seen this happening.What is the reason that we have
cleaners in every part of Singapore? To clean those areas
that are dirty, even if it means under the bushes or
wherever else.And thus by doing it is it not true that we
are keeping Singapore clean? Yes Singapore is not perfectly
clean, but we are sooo not dirty like some of the countries
in other parts of the world. We are way better in our
cleanliness.
I would not go any further.It would take longer than this to
support my opinions on how crappy some Singaporeans can be
in criticizing our government and supporting the opposition.
Some of the foreigners may have their own ideas of what
Singapore is, i would not intrude on their privacy and their
opinion but may i say dear sirs n madams, you should after
all review both the demerits and benefits. Before you say
how a country should be, please think about how your country
should be first. Is it really good enough until it is a full
100% good enough an idea for us to follow?
Dear sirs and Madams, if you are a Singaporean and you feel
that it is not good enough to be in Singapore, and the life
that you are leading is not good enough, than i would say and
propose that you leave this country to go pursue what you
want. Where your freedom is not limited and you could find a
better life. Singapore would not lose out on anything if you
were to leave. There are others citizens from other
countries who wants to be here and live here, find their
hope and dreams here just like you. So please as an educated
person, you should be mature enough to weigh the benefits n
demerits that our government brought to us. I do not say
that it is wrong to have an opinion of your own, but then
again, please review whether your ideas n opinions are
feasible
Thank you for reading this. I hope there is a reply of some
sort from any of the readers or the members of the SDP
themselves to defend their opinions or to support my stand.
I feel that PAP has done a good job and will not disappoint
us Singaporeans in the future.
ROSIATI JUMARDI
a student in Singapore of age 17 this year
[Just to say I’m young but I still think I have better
opinions then some adults which some of it does not make
sense at all.]