In response to Neil Humphreys'

Upon reading Humphreys “Turn a blind eye to the blind guy”, ST Jan 23, the first and immediate emotion that evoked was, embarrassment. Ashamed that I’m in this country devoid of a community of love, amongst people who lack a sense of compassion, ashamed to even be what they proudly call themselves – a Singaporean.

This is a country characterized by its hustle-bustle – be it to the office, the next of a series of lunchtime appointments, the next “Everything Must Go!” sale, or other pivotal activities that urbanites may engage in. This is a country of strivers – people endeavor to earn the big bucks and live it up. And all these are well and good, until people are so caught up with themselves that they forget there are other people in this world, until they are too busy to even bother assisting a desperate blind man out of this hustle-bustle. As Humphrey aptly puts, how peculiar indeed! This is an act that would come by as second-nature to people in some other countries (communities), but Singaporeans have comfortably dismissed it. Whether ignorance, or arrogance…well, both are perils.

More of such “peculiar quirks and foibles” lurk else when and elsewhere in Singapore. Recently, I ran into a cyclist who conveniently and intentionally dropped his unwanted plastic bag (previously containing a drink) onto the ground as he rode past me. He did it right under my eyes without the slightest sense of remorse.

For a country that boasts of one of the highest literacy rates in the world, surely these would fall under the codes of conduct already imbued in its people? Yet for all that head knowledge acquired, many well-educated Singaporeans (or so claimed) do not know empathy and compassion, the very fundamentals of a community. They remain unaware, and comfortably so, of the reality that is happening outside of the bubble they have encircled themselves in.

A transformation into “liveable and vibrant Singapore” is on the cards. This calls for a community effort, where Singaporeans work hand-in-hand. But how do we even begin to do it when the hostility is so stark? The closest thing to a “vibrant Singapore” that may be observed now, is probably the hustle-bustle that resonates as each day passes. It is laughable how Singapore have been compared against other developed, global cities when its sense of community isn’t very developed at all.