Don't blame Singapore

I refer to the letter by Carl Chairul (The Jakarta Post, Oct. 31, 1994) entitled S'pore's complaint.

Being a Singaporean, I am here for some business reasons and I am not pleased to hear Mr. Chairul complaining against his neighboring country. Like the other three million Singaporeans, I too was affected by the haze, caused by the forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. I could not breath properly back home because the haze had reached an unhealthy level.

At least, Mr. Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, the State Minister of Environment, apologized about it. Now, this is a courtesy! It is not "loosing face". By the way, if you accidentally cause a fire and someone's house gets burned down, are you going to say: "Oh, it happens everywhere, even in the developed countries like the USA. So, why should I take the responsibility?" Do something about it, at least apologize!

From his letter, I could see that Mr. Chairul is jealous of Singapore's flourishing trade and sound economy. Do you know why Singapore could progress so quickly? It is because the people work hard. Now, I used to work an average of 15 hours a day. That is normal in Singapore. Mr. Chairul, why don't you come to Singapore to work? Then you will understand what it means to be successful. As a Singaporean, I am proud of my country. And proud does not mean "arrogant".

When I first arrived in Jakarta on Oct. 30, 1994, I was shocked by the infamous traffic jams and noise pollution. Back in Singapore, the government at least did something about it. We know that just complaining will get you nowhere until you do something about it.

Next, he complained about business in Batam. He fails to see the side of the coin that the standard of living in Batam has improved and that the people there are making money. When Batam came to be called "The Second Singapore," he blamed the Singaporeans for it. To me, Batam is an Indonesian Island, whether you change the name or not. Singapore's businessmen just want to have a business-working relationship with Batam. If the people there feel they are "second-class citizens," it is all in the mind.

If you are a Singapore businessman, why do you want to spend excess money in a far away country, when you can invest in a nearer place like Batam? Trust me, even if Singapore did not invest in Batam, the Malaysians, Thais, Koreans, Filipinos and Japanese businessmen would take the opportunity. If that happens, are you going to blame them in your next letter?

Mr. Chairul, is it our fault that we are the biggest foreign investors in Indonesia? Is it our fault when we are contributing to your country? If that is so, perhaps it is time to kick out Singapore businessmen who have been "creating so many problems in Batam".

Finally, he related his smoking incident in Batam. I respect his freedom to smoke but if his smoking begins to affect others (for health reasons perhaps) don't you think it is time to snub out the cigarettes? Just because he and his friends saw some Singaporeans at the restaurant it gave him the opportunity to add on to his criticisms of Singaporeans.

Mr. Chairul, whether the people at the restaurant were Singaporeans or not, they have equal rights, just like you, to inhale fresh, clean air. The Malaysian tourists can tell you that, so do the Americans, why single out the Singaporeans?

I am a non-smoker myself and I support the non-smoking campaign in Singapore, but that does not mean I look down on smokers. Most Singaporeans do not smoke for health reasons. It is not only that it is a hard habit to kick, we also know that Smoking Kills!

WILLIAM TAN

Singapore