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I HAVE always enjoyed reading Professor Kishore Mahbubani's articles, and his column on Wednesday, 'The yin and yang of development', did not disappoint me.
To illustrate his point, he related that the train service in Washington DC he had expected to board was late and he was initially refused boarding on a later-scheduled train. However, his predicament was solved when three African American conductors were understanding and flexible enough to allow him to board the train in time and catch his flight home.
I feel he has unfairly compared public services in the United States with those in Singapore. Has he ever wondered if Singaporean staff would be 'compassionate and flexible' to accommodate his request, should the same kind of unexpected incident occur here? After my frequent encounters with public-service staff in Singapore, I seriously doubt the same understanding and flexibility shown by the three train conductors in Washington would be bestowed here. A typical reaction would be, 'We don't have such a policy'.
In a strange twist of irony, The Straits Times reported the same day that after a hero saved a woman who jumped into the sea near the Merlion statue, he was slapped with a $90 bill by Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for treating his injuries. In typical fashion, an SGH spokesman responded that the hospital was unable to waive fees for medical treatment.
Perhaps instead of awarding a plaque to the hero, Mr Filip Lou, the Singapore Civil Defence Force could pay his bill. That would be better appreciation of a heroic act, especially in this recession.
Would Prof Mahbubani still feel the same in retrospect?
Tan Swan Hwee
To illustrate his point, he related that the train service in Washington DC he had expected to board was late and he was initially refused boarding on a later-scheduled train. However, his predicament was solved when three African American conductors were understanding and flexible enough to allow him to board the train in time and catch his flight home.
I feel he has unfairly compared public services in the United States with those in Singapore. Has he ever wondered if Singaporean staff would be 'compassionate and flexible' to accommodate his request, should the same kind of unexpected incident occur here? After my frequent encounters with public-service staff in Singapore, I seriously doubt the same understanding and flexibility shown by the three train conductors in Washington would be bestowed here. A typical reaction would be, 'We don't have such a policy'.
In a strange twist of irony, The Straits Times reported the same day that after a hero saved a woman who jumped into the sea near the Merlion statue, he was slapped with a $90 bill by Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for treating his injuries. In typical fashion, an SGH spokesman responded that the hospital was unable to waive fees for medical treatment.
Perhaps instead of awarding a plaque to the hero, Mr Filip Lou, the Singapore Civil Defence Force could pay his bill. That would be better appreciation of a heroic act, especially in this recession.
Would Prof Mahbubani still feel the same in retrospect?
Tan Swan Hwee
