Public transport security a private matter?

Yesterday (20/6/2010), it was reported on Channel NewsAsia that K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, remarked that "profit-driven private organisations must take security of their premises seriously" and stressed that "the onus is on them - not the government or the taxpaying public alone - to ensure that their premises are safe and secure".

Hmm... Why then do we have police personnel from the Public Transport Security Command patrolling MRT trains and stations that are operated by SMRT?

Also, why then are SAF and police personnel deployed to patrol the premises of Changi Airport which is, as far as my unlearned eye can tell, managed by the Changi Airport Group, a corporatised entity?

Confused, I am.

P.S.

For more information, please refer to here.

Filial Piety -- Father and Son

With Mandarin subtitles


With English subtitles


With Malay subtitles


With Tamil subtitles


Related Posts:

i)"Three short films on filial duty"

ii) The previous two video commercials in the series

Arts Engage -- Make Censorship History

Petition to make censorship history

Farquhar, Rajanatnam, Rihlah and Monuments at the National Library

Last Friday (11/6/2010), as I was in the area and had library books to return, I made a stop at the National Library building. While there, I realised that there were four exhibitions being held at the library and went through them. However, as this was a somewhat impromptu visit, I did not bring along a camera to document what I saw at the four exhibitions.

Thus, yesterday (14/6/2010), armed with a camera, I re-visited thew four exhibitions. What follows below are some of the photos, with my thoughts interspersed amongst them, I took of the exhibitions.

However, it should be noted that although photography may not be explicitly prohibited (I do not remember seeing any signs explicitly prohibiting photography) at the exhibitions, it is also not explicitly allowed; it is thus best to be tactical when taking photos at the exhibitions, especially for the Rihlah exhibition since it is located in a more secure area of the library.

Read more »

“唉，晚餐不知道吃什么。。。”

Lamentation of both rich and poor women: "Sigh, what to have for dinner?" 

"为什么　这个世界上 就是有人穷得发疯 有人富有 把钞票当作了枕头?" -- 纵贯线，《亡命之徒》

Churches in society -- a force for good or not?

These few days, partly provoked by news regarding the investigation of individuals and groups linked to City Harvest Church, I have been thinking about and discussing the following question with a few of my friends.

"What role should churches have in society?"

However, before I proceed to discuss this question in greater detail, please note that although the specific term of "churches" may be used in this post, the following points in this post can arguably be expanded to also refer to other religious entities or even religion in general.

Also, looking back at history, it may be observed that while churches may have started off solely as religious institutions which catered only to the needs, particularly those spiritual or religious in nature, of their congregations, they have however, over time, collectively acquired the status of being one of the most important social institutions in people's lives. This is in light of how churches have, besides only catering to the spiritual needs of their congregations, have moved into areas such as the provision of healthcare, education, humanitarian aid and welfare for the marginalised and disenfranchised in society. At times, they have also taken on social or political causes, with a positive example being their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. And while it may no longer be as politically powerful or influential as it used to be, the Vatican or Catholic Church nonetheless had a long history of being a preeminent political institution or power in Europe.

On that note, it can be observed that while the influence and role of churches as social institutions may no longer be as extensive as they were in the past, they nonetheless collectively retain the status of being one of the major social institutions present in today's world.

Yet, the question is: what role should churches have in society today?

Read more »