So, who is going to solve #sgflood?
Yesterday I had to go to Lucky Plaza to run an errand.
It was still fine as I hopped into a taxi. However, when we got onto the highway it began to rain.
The taxi driver and I – complete strangers – exclaimed simultaneously, “WAH! FLOOD AGAIN!” I then immediately fired of a SMS to my boss going, “It’s raining! I’m going to Lucky Plaza! I don’t have a swim suit!”
Fortunately for me – and the rest of the people at Orchard Road – it didn’t flood yesterday afternoon. But the damage has been done. The pattern has been established. From now on, every time the sky darkens and the rain begins to fall, Singaporeans will begin to wonder and worry about flooding. The poor shopkeepers in the Lucky Plaza and Liat Towers basements, especially, have to bear the brunt of the cost and the anxiety.
If we’re trying to get to the First World stage and a Swiss standard of living, I think we’re going to the wrong way.
This morning I read a wonderful blog post by Mr Siew Kum Hong: ‘Sorry seems to be the hardest word‘. He is right on the money.
Singaporeans aren’t just complaining about the flood because we are complainers. We aren’t calling for 0% flooding in the face of drastic climate change and increased rainfall. Everyone understands that if the amount of rain is absolutely phenomenal, if it buckets down non-stop for seven days and nights, then it is a natural disaster that could not be avoided.
Unfortunately for the authorities in charge, this is not a natural disaster. Not yet. I cringe to think about what would actually happen if it were a natural disaster. We can’t even manage a morning’s worth of rain, much less a full-scale typhoon.
What Singaporeans really want to know is this: what is being done about it? How can we learn from this experience and review the system? How can we make sure we don’t flood again? When can we actually eat at Wendy’s without flotation devices?
And most importantly of all: WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE? WHO IS TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY?
We pay our ministers good amazing salaries and put our trust in them to run this country and serve the needs of the people. When troubles arise, we deserve to know that they are stepping up to the plate and doing the jobs they have been entrusted with. We deserve to hear their apologies for having let us down the first time ’round, and assurances that they are learning from their oversight and fixing the problem.
After all, their mistakes aren’t like some MacDonald’s counter boy giving you chilli instead of ketchup. Their mistakes actually affect lives.
Basically all I want to hear is a direct admission… and i think most Singaporeans feel the same way too. It was the same thing with the MRT case….I love that link you posted…’Sorry is the Hardest Word’ – so so true!
Humility is truly an underrated virtue I like that in the DBS case the problem was owned and the apology issued. It’s actually really simple if they want to start winning our hearts and minds.
They need to understand that the people aren’t actually a bloodthirsty mob out to crucify anyone. We just want to see that they are taking the responsibility and holding themselves accountable. People can be forgiving and understanding.
It is this lack of accountability plus a “holier than thou” attitude that is getting everyone so upset.
What’s there to admit or apologize? There is NO such thing as flooding in this first world country, understand? It’s only PONDING, lah … We paid our ministers admiring salaries to coin terms that you don’t use …. Gotcha … ha! ha!
I think the authorities need to be truthful about one thing. Is the Marina Barrage working or not?
Seriously, I don’t understand what Marina Barrage DOES. Or is supposed to do. It seems to me that AFTER Marina Barrage we have all these floods. It might not be cause and effect, but it certainly doesn’t help them prove whether it’s doing its very expensive job or not.
Hey instead of we pay their amazing salary, they decided to pay themselves without consulting us the citizen
The Marina Barrage does nothing.
It is mm’s pyramid.
My contribution to the ongoing discussion on this issue can be found here:
https://thetwophilo.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=144&action=edit&message=1
My contribution to this discussion at my blog.
Well, I hope it doesn’t rain on Saturday lunchtime as am taking the niece and nephew to Tanglin Mall for lunch at the pre-opening of Nando’s. It’s meant to be a lunch outing, not a swim-fest…
Please go to the following links for more details:
http://thetwophilo.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/the-great-singapore-flood-a-case-of-ponding/
http://thetwophilo.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/the-flood-did-pub-pulled-wool-over-the-eyes-of-st-commentary-writer-about-cuscaden-rd/
Didn’t all along in the history of PAP that there is always somebody taking responsibility and accountability of all these self-made calamity and loss ? No, I not talking about our Lord Voldermount, aka He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named … we name him anyway as Old Fart, I talking about NOBODY.
NOBODY is the greatest friend of PAP, and when he takes responsibility, the issue is completely solved and move-on. One of the greatest challenge by NOBODY is taking responsbility of billions dollars loss of state assets by TH and GIC, an NOBODY has tackled it brilliantly that nothing happen to PAP. Give a five to NOBODY !