Foster inclusiveness to prevent bullying
BULLYING is a form of violence in society and needs to be addressed in schools ("Get to the root of school bullying" by Mr Matthew Ong Koon Lock; last Saturday).
We can tackle it by creating an infrastructure and eco-system for inclusiveness as a way of life at all levels of leadership in our schools.
Children bully because they perceive that to be how the world works.
Everybody is using whatever power they have to beat down somebody else; people are not using the power they have to uplift or motivate somebody to his greatest capability.
Bullying stems from a sense of exclusiveness. Once exclusiveness is bred, bullying can occur in schools, workplaces and social situations.
Inclusiveness is the only way to stop bullying.
It doesn't mean we need to be best friends with everyone.
But it does mean we need to see all of us as being connected and part of something bigger, and that we treat people with respect and civility.
Wong Shih Shen
New museum a boost for region
THE launch of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum is a significant contribution to the preservation of the natural history and treasures of not only Singapore, but also South-east Asia ("Museum unveils dino stars"; Sunday).
A big "thank you" goes out to National University of Singapore professors Leo Tan and Peter Ng for their unrelenting effort in bringing to fruition their labour of love for both Singaporeans and visitors to enjoy ("The weird and the wonderful"; Sunday).
Hopefully, there will be a 50 per cent discount for pioneer citizens to visit and enjoy the museum.
Tan Ho Gian
Do more to prevent fund transfer errors
A FEW weeks ago, my wife attempted to transfer a small sum of money to a friend. However, she mistakenly transferred it to another account holder, who had the same name as her friend.
We contacted DBS Bank immediately, but were informed that the funds had already been transferred.
My wife went to the bank to apply for a refund, and was told that the bank would contact the other account holder to return the funds.
After a few weeks, we received a letter from DBS, informing us that despite all its efforts, the bank was unable to contact the person, and there was nothing it could do.
I was later told that the person was deliberately avoiding calls from the bank.
Our only recourse now is to make a police report.
Why was it necessary to transfer the funds immediately?
Why not have a 24-hour delay?
Since banks do not have the authority to take back money that was wrongly sent, delaying the transfer would allow the sender to correct mistakes and avoid such a long and tedious process.
Francis Chia Han Jeng
