Veteran diplomat Tommy Koh said that Singapore is a First World country with Third World people (Singaporeans can be more civic-minded, considerate, says Prof Koh, Oct 2).
The first paragraph of the article misuses the terms First World and Third World, which are used in reference to the economic development of countries and should not be linked with social graciousness or civic mindedness 바카라사이트주소
To judge people as lacking in civility and consideration just because they are citizens of Third World countries is a form of discrimination.
When my 15-year-old air conditioner finally died recently after failed attempts at repair (no parts available), I was told how lucky I had been as all new air-cons last five years at best.
Unfortunately, I was not as lucky with the many shoes, bags, equipment, household appliances and computer hardware that I had to replace in the past few years, often soon after the warranty expired.
I am disturbed about constantly buying new replacements while contributing to the global mountain of junk that can't be repaired or used anymore.
I am also piqued by the quality of building materials: Walls get mouldy, things break down easily.
The amount of waste generated way exceeds the entire volume of plastic bottles, bags and straws that I stopped using over the past two years.
I'm glad to learn that I'm not alone in feeling this way. From Europe to the United States, people are fighting for the "right to repair", with proposals to force manufacturers to make goods that last longer and are easier to mend.
This wiser use of resources will benefit the environment and save carbon emissions.
I am hopeful that as part of Singapore's drive to fight climate change, we can have a "Made to Last" set of quality standards for manufacturers and builders to attain, to assure end-users of product longevity and availability of replacement parts.
We should also study the use of ecologically friendly, traditional building materials like the Japanese Shikkui plaster, which is fire-resistant, naturally anti-static, dust-preventing, anti-fungal and mould resistant.
I am grateful for the Government's strong leadership on climate change.
I want to do my part to reduce my carbon footprint and will appreciate the support to do so. As a consumer, I will certainly choose a "Made to Last" product. It would be wonderful too if my HDB flat is fire-resistant, anti-dust, anti-fungal and mould-resistant.
China's drive to learn and relearn since the late 1970s was immense, and the transformation achieved, breathtaking (China learning, unlearning, relearning, Sept 28).
When its paramount leader Deng Xiaoping visited Singapore in 1978, he spent time to learn about our public housing and industrialisation programme.
In the early 1980s, two colleagues from Lianhe Zaobao and I visited the Wenhui Bao office in Shanghai to explore a cooperation project. There I gained first-hand experience of their humility and keenness to learn.
Circulation-wise, Wenhui Bao was a giant compared with Lianhe Zaobao; but it had very negligible advertisement income. 안전놀이터
Lianhe Zaobao's advertisement revenue was in the tens of millions of dollars, something out of their imagination.
They asked many questions about how we attained the revenue over the years. They were also keen to learn how we conducted market research to help our business and improve newspaper content.
A year or two later, a few Wenhui Bao staff and government officials visited Lianhe Zaobao. The government officials requested that we help arrange for them to visit the Singapore stock exchange. We did.
China re-established its Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1990, which is now the fourth largest in the world by capitalisation.
China is now a major investor in many countries around the world and is a leader in many new businesses, like the tech giants it has.
With its huge capability, China can act and advance faster than any nation once the environment allows.
To tap the opportunities China offers, more and more young people in the region are now learning Mandarin or going to China to study. These nations are taking increasing steps to adapt to the rise of China.
However, the sheer size of China with its vast advancement, not just in the economic but also geopolitical and military fronts, also poses certain threats to countries here.
South-east Asian nations used to adopt a very cautious approach when dealing with China in the 1960s and 1970s, when they were wary about China's political influence then.
China should be sensitive of this new wave of wariness entailed by its fast rising. More diplomatic, social and cultural interactions could help promote better understanding between China and the other countries, and China needs to take a major step in this area.
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