IV

I'm sure everybody has heard of the melamine scandal by now. Of how melamine, an industrial chemical normally used to make plastics, were found in food products made in China. There was this article in the Lianhe Zao Bao last week that spoke of this problem and how it relates to the emergence of a business-centred, corruption-based culture in China.

Corruption and graft in China is more or less an open secret. Government officials expect it, businessmen encourage it, the people suffer it. The milk scandal is just one of the many examples of what happens when officials are willing to turn a blind eye for cash. 

What the author, who profess to be a Chinese national, fears is that corruption which is merely tolerated might have become accepted; that graft has become part of the cultural norm in China. With the boom in China's economy in recent years, it is not surprising that all the common man on the street thinks about is how to make it rich. But what is worrisome is the willingness of some to achieve that aim at the expense of others. 

The Chinese government seem intent on achieving economic prosperity as well. The author cited an example of a party of Chinese delegates that were here in Singapore to learn more on the policies of the Singapore government. They learnt about the economic and city building policies for these are the backbones of a strong economy. They thought that is what the people want. They are right in that sense. What the people need though, is something else. The policies they learnt can help shape a healthy economy but do nothing in shaping the people that can fuel the economy.

The milk scandal is merely the prelude to the impact of a culture where everything goes and money is king would have on its people as well as the rest of the world. Will the author's fears come true or is it too late already?

No. 3

Face it, are there any real reasons for littering these days. There is practically one rubbish bin every few metres. If that is not good enough, there is always a stiff fine of $200 and a chance to be a member of the CWO to dissuade people. But is it really enough?

Look around and what do you see: cigarette butts, abandoned flyers, the occasional beer can. Is it a big problem? No, I won't say so. But why, why with all the above conditions, do people still litter?

The most common reason we heard is that there isn't enough bins. But this is not the case: NEA often hold stakeouts in hotspots and catch these litterbugs in action. In many of the cases, the culprit was not more than 5 metres away from a bin. Yet, they unhesitatingly and unceremoniously litter the floor.

It's clear that it's more than just a question of the placement of bins but rather the mindset of the people. People who felt that it was inconvenient to take a few steps, people who felt that it doesn't matter, they won't get caught anyway and people who just don't care.

How can we then truly make Singapore into a 100% clean city if Singaporeans themselves possess such filthy thoughts?

I am not looking for why people litter, that has been done many times. What I am looking for their justification (or lack of) for such reasoning. It is easy to say "oh there are no bins nearby" or "it is more convenient" but is it really worth getting fined $200 for "convenience"? No. I believe the true reason is something deeper in our minds. As such, the survey will focus on the "whys of whys". Why do you think that? Can you hazard a guess why would people think that? What do NUS students think about the most common excuses Singaporeans come up with for littering?

The objective of this research is to determine the opinions of NUS students towards some of the most common excuses used by litter-bugs.

People don't usually think too deeply into their actions. This is normal but sometimes if we want to change ourselves, we need to think and look deeper into ourselves.