MUCH has been said about the state of cleanliness, or lack of it, in Singapore after the music festival event at the Gardens by the Bay recently ("PM reacts to meadow of trash that music fans left behind"; Jan 29).
There is a deep-rooted problem here of relying heavily on domestic maids and cleaners that must be tackled.
Based on Ministry of Manpower statistics, there were 218,300 foreign domestic workers in Singapore last year. In addition, a sizable number of part-time maids and cleaners do household chores for Singapore families.
A significant proportion of Singaporeans are not directly involved in cleaning their own homes these days, relying on paid services to have their homes cleaned.
It is the norm now for all our hawker centres to have cleaners clear the tables and clean up the mess left behind by diners.
Many Singaporeans do not see it as their responsibility to keep their dining tables clean and tidy.
The Housing Board estates are very clean. The town councils do a good job of maintaining the estates. However, the real credit goes to the foreign workers who clean the estates from dawn to dusk.
Many people seem to take the clean HDB estates for granted. It is common to see litter in the void deck after it has just been cleaned.
Somehow, many Singaporeans seem to have developed a mindset that as long as they are paying someone to keep a place clean, cleanliness is no longer their responsibility. Worse, some could even believe that they have a right to dirty the place, be it their home, estate or at hawker centres.
Schools are trying hard to inculcate in students values relating to a clean and green environment. However, what the children see at home and in their surroundings surely negate what they have been taught in school. The children need role models at home and in public places. Where are these role models?
The challenge is in impressing upon Singaporeans that they should be thankful they can afford to employ people to keep the environment clean.
However, it is still everyone's responsibility to keep their homes and public places clean.
A conscious effort should be made to reduce the reliance on foreign maids and cleaners while maintaining similar standards of cleanliness.
In striving to be a developed society, residents should take pride in helping to keep the living environment clean and being role models for the young.
Tan Hong Choon
There is a deep-rooted problem here of relying heavily on domestic maids and cleaners that must be tackled.
Based on Ministry of Manpower statistics, there were 218,300 foreign domestic workers in Singapore last year. In addition, a sizable number of part-time maids and cleaners do household chores for Singapore families.
A significant proportion of Singaporeans are not directly involved in cleaning their own homes these days, relying on paid services to have their homes cleaned.
It is the norm now for all our hawker centres to have cleaners clear the tables and clean up the mess left behind by diners.
Many Singaporeans do not see it as their responsibility to keep their dining tables clean and tidy.
The Housing Board estates are very clean. The town councils do a good job of maintaining the estates. However, the real credit goes to the foreign workers who clean the estates from dawn to dusk.
Many people seem to take the clean HDB estates for granted. It is common to see litter in the void deck after it has just been cleaned.
Somehow, many Singaporeans seem to have developed a mindset that as long as they are paying someone to keep a place clean, cleanliness is no longer their responsibility. Worse, some could even believe that they have a right to dirty the place, be it their home, estate or at hawker centres.
Schools are trying hard to inculcate in students values relating to a clean and green environment. However, what the children see at home and in their surroundings surely negate what they have been taught in school. The children need role models at home and in public places. Where are these role models?
The challenge is in impressing upon Singaporeans that they should be thankful they can afford to employ people to keep the environment clean.
However, it is still everyone's responsibility to keep their homes and public places clean.
A conscious effort should be made to reduce the reliance on foreign maids and cleaners while maintaining similar standards of cleanliness.
In striving to be a developed society, residents should take pride in helping to keep the living environment clean and being role models for the young.
Tan Hong Choon
