I APPLAUD the National Environment Agency's (NEA) initiative to grant the town council cleaners a day off every year, so that residents do their part in keeping their environment clean ("Time to bin dirty old ways"; yesterday).
Opinion editor Chua Mui Hoong and assistant political editor Rachel Chang noted that former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was "fussy about order and cleanliness" and believed a "tidy city bespoke an orderly government, a people with good social habits, and pride in their surroundings" ("Did Mr Lee create a Singapore in his own image?"; March 24).
I believe he wanted to instil a sense of belonging and ownership to his people because, after all, this is a shared environment and we can be united by demonstrating kindness and consideration towards others.
He set this tone for us right from the beginning, and it is only right that we carry this as our duty to educate our future generations on their responsibility in keeping Singapore a clean and orderly city.
Last week, people queueing in line, waiting to pay their last respects to Mr Lee, demonstrated that Singaporeans can keep the city clean by picking up our own trash. We do not need others to pick up after us because it is only right that we bin our own trash. The onus is on us and not the cleaners, and Singaporeans have demonstrated that they are socially responsible.
So, this is a timely call by NEA. Let's bin our own trash no matter where we are. Let's demonstrate that we are and can be socially responsible citizens.
Cecilia Ko Sok Eng (Ms)
Opinion editor Chua Mui Hoong and assistant political editor Rachel Chang noted that former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was "fussy about order and cleanliness" and believed a "tidy city bespoke an orderly government, a people with good social habits, and pride in their surroundings" ("Did Mr Lee create a Singapore in his own image?"; March 24).
I believe he wanted to instil a sense of belonging and ownership to his people because, after all, this is a shared environment and we can be united by demonstrating kindness and consideration towards others.
He set this tone for us right from the beginning, and it is only right that we carry this as our duty to educate our future generations on their responsibility in keeping Singapore a clean and orderly city.
Last week, people queueing in line, waiting to pay their last respects to Mr Lee, demonstrated that Singaporeans can keep the city clean by picking up our own trash. We do not need others to pick up after us because it is only right that we bin our own trash. The onus is on us and not the cleaners, and Singaporeans have demonstrated that they are socially responsible.
So, this is a timely call by NEA. Let's bin our own trash no matter where we are. Let's demonstrate that we are and can be socially responsible citizens.
Cecilia Ko Sok Eng (Ms)
