Don't Quit Singapore

A resident in Potong Pasir told me that he was very disappointed at the results of the recent general election and was planning to leave Singapore for good. In response, I expressed my strong disappointment at his plan and urged him to stay.

General elections are a part of the political renewal process that happens once every 5 years or so. The result of the recent election is already an established fact and the higher the votes for the winning party, the greater will be the voters'  expectation of its performance. The new cabinet has just been installed and how it performs will be closely watched. Hopes are running high after SG50 and everyone should rally together after the elections and put aside their political differences. Rather than being pessimistic because many issues seem unresolved as yet, we should learn to be optimistic and hope that the government will have learnt from its past mistakes and address the many issues that bug ordinary Singaporeans.

Singapore is a beautiful place. A small, tropical island with no natural calamities, except the seasonal haze because of the fires in Indonesia which is aggravating. An enlightened government with a responsible citizenry would be all that we need to make this country a modern paradise and the happiest nation in the world. Many foreigners aspire to live and work in Singapore and if Singaporeans should leave one after another, they can be sure that there will be more new citizens. As it is, Singaporeans are not producing enough children and that has been a justification for adding a large number of new citizens each year. If this continues, the Singaporean identity and culture that we know, will eventually disappear.

Besides, billions of dollars in national reserves have been accumulated over the last 50 years. Unlike many small countries, Singapore has a strong financial safety net that will help her weather the storms ahead. Every Singaporean has a stake in the national reserves which is still accumulating. For as long as our government remains incorruptible and financially prudent, and the formulation and implementation of national policies are able to imbue greater confidence in our future as a nation and not just as an economy, there is still a lot that Singapore and Singaporeans can achieve and be proud of.

So stay and do your part.

Post-GE Visit to Potong Pasir SMC

They were surprised that I was back. At the same time, they were utterly pleased that I did.

GE 2015 is over and life is back to normal for the residents in Potong Pasir SMC. I have returned to visit this special town where the residents have extended to me their warmth and friendship during my walkabouts and home visits.

They were smiling and calling out my name even before I reached them to shake their hands. From the playgrounds to void decks, supermarket to coffeeshops, I was given a feeling of nostalgia and it was like home-coming.

We have identified a few under-privileged families here and, for some time now, they are already receiving care and support from Project Awareness and Happy People. One mother said to me that she has been wondering when she will see me again and had been waiting for me to come.

They tell me that Potong Pasir Town Council is merging with Jalan Besar GRC Town Council and there may not be a Potong Pasir SMC in the next GE. That does not matter for politics to me is just a means to do more good and help create a better society. In fact, with the merger, which may well be a prelude to the disappearance of PP SMC in the next GE, I hope the residents in Potong Pasir SMC will benefit from the economies of scale.

As for me and my supporters, nothing has changed. We will continue with our mission to walk and share with everyone in Singapore and make smiles wherever we go. So, do continue to join me in this wonderful life journey and help spread the message of kindness and compassion.

SOCIAL: Haze - Protection is better than cure

The haze problem seems set to continue for some years before it can be resolved. Meanwhile, hazy days are becoming seasonal and it is disturbing to see that most people outdoors are not wearing their N95 masks even when the haze reaches very unhealthy levels. Maybe it is troublesome and inconvenient to wear masks or even "not cool" to do so, but we need to understand the long term implications of not taking such a simple step, especially on the health of our young people.

Haze particles can affect the heart and lungs, especially in people who already have chronic heart or lung disease e.g. asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or heart failure. There may be up to 1-3 days of time between exposure to haze and health effects/ symptoms (Click HERE). But for those who may not already have chronic heart or lung disease, they are the ones who should think about how to prevent themselves from contracting these diseases as a result of the haze.

The haze contains various air pollutants which include particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Short term exposure (i.e. continuous exposure to unhealthy daily average PSI levels over a period of a few days) to these air pollutants can cause respiratory symptoms and aggravate existing heart or lung disease. Long term exposure over several years may have a higher risk of (i) cardiovascular effects, such as heart attacks, (ii) reduced lung development, as well as (iii) the development of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, in children (Click HERE).

It is heartwarming to see television footages of our Ministers and MPs distributing and even helping our elderly folks to wear masks but it is just as important to educate our young on the need to protect themselves from haze particles. Whether our exposures to unhealthy haze levels are to be classified as long or short term, this is an opportune time to educate our children not to take their health for granted. Just last friday, schools were closed because the 3-hour PSI reading crossed the 300 mark for the first time. Although MOE has a set of haze management plans to minimise outdoor activities and exempt students with pre-existing lung or heart conditions or are unwell from all physical exercise, there is little or no emphasis on the need for students to wear masks when they are outdoors in the haze. It is quite a common sight to see children walking to school and leaving school in the haze, without their masks.

Besides parental advice, MOE should take the initiative to implement mandatory wearing of masks in schools when there is a need to do so. The lesson to teach our children is that protection is better than cure. When everyone in school is wearing a mask, the children will not shy away from doing so because they think their friends will laugh at them. And certainly this will go a long way to ensure that our children, who will become the future pillars of our society, will remain as healthy as possible.