Time Keeping

ST Forum
Feb 2, 2007
Parents display appalling attitude by leaving with their children before arrival of guest of honour

My son recently won the Edusave Merit Bursary Award for the third successive year for his excellent academic performance for the previous year.

The function was held at a neighbouring secondary school last Sunday. As scheduled, the function began at 9am. However, the guest of honour for the function, the Mayor of Northeast District, Mr Zainul Abidin, was held up at another function and had informed the organisers to start without him.

The organisers had even apologised on behalf of the mayor for his inadvertent delay. Furthermore, several announcements and requests were made to the audience attending the function to stay on until the end of the function.

The organisers reiterated that it would be inappropriate and discouraging for the rest of the award winners if the parents and the children left immediately on receiving their bursary cheques.

To my horror, there were only a handful of parents when the mayor arrived. And this, despite repeated attempts to have them stay back until the end of the function.

I am only a Permanent Resident but I feel that Singaporeans should be more appreciative of what the Government has done for them in terms of education. Try living in a Third World country for a month and see for yourselves why Singapore is the best place to live on Earth.

Muhammad Shaamel

Something interesting.

I personally think there is nothing wrong in leaving before the VIP arrive.

One kind of people that I couldn’t stand are those that have no sense of time. In this case Zainul was held up in another function and he did the right thing to inform the organiser to start without him.

But I guess the organiser wanted to “look good” and therefore are trying to make the people to stay.

All our times are equally precious no matter whether you are the head of State or the toilet cleaner.

Singapore in the best place to live on Earth? Well Muhammad Shaamet made my day by telling the best joke ever.

There is no one place that is “BEST” on this Earth for everyone. Every have different needs and expectation on the country they are living in. I guess dear Muhammad will make a good Grass Root Leader.