Can we make Singapore a finer city?
Singapore is known for being a clean country. In 1968 when the ‘Keep Singapore Clean Campaign’ was first introduced, the government believed that “improved environmental conditions would not only enhance the quality of life for Singaporeans and cultivate national pride, but also attract foreign investors and tourists to Singapore”.
Image taken from: http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/raw/p06q5m6z.jpg
However, efforts to keep Singapore clean seem to be mainly a ‘top-down’ approach. Litterbugs may be fined up to $2000 for the first court conviction and sentenced to Corrective Work Order so that they would be more aware of the impact of littering and the difficulties faced by the cleaners.
In 2018, the National Environment Agency (NEA) issued about 39,000 tickets for littering offences as a deterrent. A man was fined $300 by an NEA officer for shooting 2 rubber bands onto the public road.
Image taken from: https://www.facebook.com/roadssg/photos/a.861427330556338/2531812036851184/?type=3
These punitive measures can be effective only to a certain extent because it is a shift in mindset and behaviours of residents of Singapore that will make a long-term impact.
“Singapore is not a clean city. It’s a cleaned city,” Liak Teng Lit, chairman of the National Environment Agency declares.
Singapore spends at least SGD $120 million a year on cleaning public spaces. There are 56,000 cleaners registered with the National Environment Agency and likely thousands of independent contractors who aren’t registered. Mostly they’re low-paid foreign workers or elderly workers. Taipei, by contrast, has maybe 5,000 cleaners.
Edward D’Silva, chairman of the Public Hygiene Council, thinks that “Singaporeans have had it too easy for too long, and they need to change”.
“If you are able to instill and cultivate a habit whereby people don’t throw their litter anywhere and anyhow, then the money you would have otherwise spent to employ those cleaners, well, millions of dollars could have been better spent on health and education,” he said.
Sometimes you might feel that an individual’s efforts in cleaning up the environment are negligible and hence you do not take the initiative to pick up a litter. What happens if every person thinks the same way?
How can we make Singapore really clean?
A shift in mindset and behavior are necessary.
Everyone has a part to play in upholding high standards of cleanliness and public health in Singapore. Do not underestimate the power of your actions and the impact they can have on others. You can influence someone positively or negatively through your actions.
Observe your school environment (school corridors, classrooms, canteens, halls, toilets, field etc…) and answer these questions:
- Do you know who are the people who help to maintain a clean and hygienic school environment?
- How old are the cleaners in your school?
- How much do you think they earn a month?
- Describe what would happen if there were no cleaners in your school.
- What can you do to recognise the efforts of the cleaners in your school?
- How can you play your part in ensuring that the school is clean?
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20181025-the-cost-of-keeping-singapore-squeaky-clean
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1160_2008-12-05.html
