Opinions

Military Expert (ME2) Ivan Teo, and Third Sergeant (NS) Hubert Wah, will be charged in a military court in relation to the death of actor, Aloysius Pang. 

Teo will face three charges, including two charges for causing death by negligent act under Section 304A(b) of the Penal Code. Wah will face two charges, which also includes causing death by negligent act.

If convicted, a person found guilty of causing death by a negligent act may be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.

Teo is a regular while Wah is an NSman like many other adult Singaporean men.

Accidents happen. However, when a live is lost because of negligence and disobeying of orders, action has to be taken against them.

Servicemen take a pledge of allegiance and promise to defend Singapore with their lives. 

With this development, there will be Singaporeans, young and old, who would question the need for NS.

As a regular, it is Teo's job to obey orders and provide the technical leadership, where required. If he didn't carry out his duty, he has to be taken to task for it.

However it is different for Wah's case.

Young men don't want their future to be taken away from them because of mistakes they made in NS.

Parents want to be protective of their precious children. Why should they send their children to defend the country?

They sacrifice time, money, and other resources to fulfil their duty but is it worth it?

So another survey of race and religious harmony in Singapore by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that while inter-ethnic relations have improved, there remain some areas of discontent.

These areas include the perceived workplace discrimination and the frustrations over some traditions or religious practices carried in the neighbourhood.

Some 60 per cent of Malays and 56 per cent of Indians perceived discriminatory treatment at work, especially when competing for jobs or promotions.

IPS researchers suggests that such issues need to be managed to "reduce the possibility of ill will between the communities".

In Singapore, we do have it a lot better than in many places. We have a relatively harmonious society comprising of communities that, by and large, try to keep the peace and not antagonise one another.

However, as Singaporeans become increasingly disengaged from their neighbourhoods and communities, the level of understanding between people of different ethnic background will inevitably decrease. 

Connections forged in tertiary institutions or even the workplaces are usually superficial, and do not result in firm friendships that last. Of course, there are exeptions to this.

The less you know about the other, the more suspicious you will get. The more suspicious you become, the more you refrain from opening up to others. This viciuous cycle continues.

The less said about how Racial Harmony Day is celebrated, the better.

You become less tolerant because you don't understand. You perceive discrimination also because you don't understand, although they may be some truths in what is perceived.

For Singaporeans to better understand one another, the topic of race and religion should be seen as taboo. It needs to be discussed. 

People need to open up themselves to others.

Instead, people are afraid that they might get into trouble for saying the wrong things. And so, they keep quite, or keep to themselves. 

What suffers in the end?

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is investigating Youtube personality, Preetipls, and rapper, Subhas, for their profanity-laced music-video response to a racist ad, commissioned by E-Pay The ad portrayed DJ Dennis Chew in the four races.

According to SPF, a report had been lodged against the music-video.

Preetipls is known for her satirical take on the issues faced by the minority communities, such as racism and discrimination. Her videos have featured some of her Chinese friends.

Their response may be vulgar and stereotypes us, the Chinese community.

However, it should not detract from what she they are saying.

The race issue began with a misguided excuse for an advertisement. A prominent radio DJ didn't have the sense to understand how what he portrayed could be offensive.

That's racist.

So, the minority community can't talk about how they actually feel? 

Until we learn how to discuss the issues of race and religion, we can't call ourselves a truly harmonious society. 

Our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has once again graced us with his words of wisdom. He made a post on his Facebook page of a short video about how we should put ourselves in someone else's shoes to know what they are going through. 

Pinky Loong's caption was this:

Before you judge a person, walk a mile in their shoes.

Would you spend a day clearing plates at a hawker centre to understand the job of the cleaner, or check 36,000 niches to help someone locate a departed relative’s ashes? These are just two real stories of how public officers have helped Singaporeans, featured in a series of short films.

Honestly, what a load of crap. How dare he say such things. Has he walked in our shoes? How many Singaporeans are out there, struggling to get by with their low pay. Will Pinky Loong start pick up cardboard boxes as a form of 'exercise' and getting by with the little amount of money from the cardboards after he retire? 

How insensitive can he get? What gives him the right to ask us to walk in the shoes of other people when he, as a leader of our country, has not done anything remotely close? If he did, he would understand why we think he is highly overpaid. If he were to walk in our shoes, he would then be able to understand why the pay of ministers should be cut and given back to the citizens. He would know why CPF and the minimum sum is not a good plan for many poorer Singaporeans. 

Or maybe he does know our plight. And chose to ignore our concerns to feed his own ego and to keep his million dollar paycheck. Something has to change here. They need to be voted out.

Neil Humphreys, is a a familiar-face. The writer, and radio DJ, is one of the more famous ang mohs in Singapore.

He has lived in Singapore for many years and feels vested in its developments.

Recently, he launched an impassioned, un-PC, plea to the government to do something about the safety risks posed by e-scooters.

He has this warning to reckless e-scooter riders out there:

If you hit my daughter with your speeding phallic farce, I will throw you and your flaccid vehicle into the river.

Humphreys rightly pointed out that such reckless, juvenile riders are common everywhere. The only difference being their choice of vehicle.

In Singapore, helpless pedestrians stand no chance against these speeding menace, should they collide.

He called on the government to fix the issue, to help make the pavements safer for pedestrians again. The warning from Humphreys was clear - fix it or people will die.

He is not far off the mark.

Unless they are trained and regulated, such recklessness can't be contained.

E-scooters, as a tool for transportion, is not a bad thing. However, there are many different kinds of people using them. Some of them have no sense of right or wrong, and have no idea of how to ride responsibly.

This can't be allowed to continue. 

You know Tan Kin Lian. He is the former CEO of NTUC Income who contested the Presidential elections and lost his deposit.

He's a difficult man to understand.

Yet, from his recent post, it is crystal clear who he will not vote for in the next general elections (GE).

I liked PAP.

But that was the PAP of the past when they took care of the people.

Today, the PAP leaders take care of the rich people, including themselves.

They make life difficult for ordinary people. They make the cost of living high and unaffordable. The ordinary people are suffering. They worry for their jobs and families.

So, I do not like PAP today.

If you are a rich man in Singapore, chances are, you'll appreciate what the PAP has done for the business community.

But, not all Singaporeans are rich like you. Even middle income Singaporeans struggle with the high cost of living. 

Each time the subject is brought up, PAP will point to uncontrollable external factors as the main culprits.

What about their policies?

You may not have voted for Tan Kin Lian in the Presidential elections. But don't ignore him when he tells you that he does not like the PAP of today.