June Ang

Flyers-are they the new chewing gums?

Let's keep Singapore the cleanest city the world. We have achieved it in the past, and we can achieve it again.

In the past, one of our fights against littering was a total ban on chewing gum. Today, our fight must include the total ban on flyers - a cheap, inconsiderate form of advertisement.

I prefer television commercial or banners than flyers. Although flyers are faster to advertise the goods and services, it causes much harm to our environment. Cutting down of trees and littering are increasing rapidly.

Of course I’m not saying that companies are at fault for creating all this littering. People who received the flyers should be responsible as well. If you are not interested with the paper advertisement, you should throw it in a dustbin rather than the floor.

Another thing that flyers annoyed me is the people who distribute those flyers. As we can see them very often in the MRT stations, shopping streets or even outside your house. Those who distribute flyers along the shopping streets and MRT station are the most irritating ones. Imaging you’re rushing to school or work, they will try to stop your way and make you take the flyers. Even if you’ve said you don’t want, some will still force you. I hate these people!

Advertising using the flyers matter is not the most efficient way. It not only creates litter, it also used up valuable natural resources such as trees. Flyers should be banned!

Jean Ang

Flyers-are they the new chewing gums?

Flyers are everywhere these days;they are handed out on the streets,distributed into household letterboxes and even right up to your doorstep.I feel that flyers should be banned because the world is placing an emphasis for people to start saving gaia.With so many flyers being distributed by companies every day,more trees are being cut down to produce paper for their advertising purposes.People just take a quick look at what the flyer has to offer and throw it into the nearest rubbish bin.

On the streets,people get irritated when someone tries to make them take the flyer by getting in their way.Distributing flyers is a form of advertisement but it is not the most effective way.Perhaps companies should try to advertise their products and services on television and newspapers where they can reach the majority of the public.

That way,they can do their part to save Earth by reducing the wastage of papers and advertise in a more effective way.

Jacqueline Lee

Flyers - are they the new chewing gum? Should they be banned?

Most of the flyers that are shoved into our mail box are rather redundant. Yes, they inform the public of various sales, or the opening of yet another tuition centre, but more often than not, this information is not very useful to most. However, I feel that they shouldn’t be banned as this is a cheaper alternative than having their promotions or their advertising material printed in the newspapers.

Having an advertisement printed in a newspaper can be very expensive for some new companies as they do not have their fixed income yet and printing flyers and giving them out is a lot cheaper. However, some might feel that flyers should be banned as it fills their mail boxes and they find this irritating. This is why people who reside in HDB flats are able to “lock” their mailboxes to block spam mail, only allowing the post man access to their mailbox.

Several companies might hire part timers such as young teenagers to give out flyers for $5.50an hour. I have done so before, they would reject the flyers or even if they take them, they take one look at it and toss it into the garbage. What is the point of giving out flyers? A number of people who are hired to give out flyers are very forceful; they would push you to take their flyers.

In conclusion, flyers should not be banned - instead, they should be given out in moderation. They are a good source of advertising and sometimes can be quite informative to some people, for example if there’s a sale at courts or if a new tuition centre has opened in the vicinity.

June Ang

Singapore table tennis team wins championship: Is there any glory?


It is felicitous news about Singapore Table Tennis have finally won championship in table tennis. Singapore beat China 3-1 in the World Team Table Tennis Championship. It a great honor to Singapore, as created history, because in 19 years, no one has beaten them (China)."

In my opinion, I’m having a mix feeling about it. I will not feel VERY proud about it, as we all know that the players are not the real citizens of Singapore. Although they (players) are PR [Permanent Resident] of Singapore now, they can still consider as the china citizens. It is a great honor to Singapore indeed; however, what will other countries like China think of it? Will they think that Singapore DO have talented people? Well, they might have the same feelings as the some of us; “yes, Singapore won but it’s the CHINA people who are actually winning”
They are still the players under the “foreign talent”. I do not disagree with Singapore’s government about attracting foreign talent, but too much focusing on foreign talent and neglected true Singaporeans' talent is too unfair to our own citizens. Singapore does have their own talented people.

Of course there's still be supporter who believe that it is a glory to Singapore. I also feel happy that Singapore has a championship finally, after so much effort. We also can’t blame them *players for “used to be a china citizen”, maybe in china there are too many competitors, hence here is a place where they can really show out their talent. And they really did win for Singapore, that’s the fact. We should thank them at the same time. Without them, other countries might not treat us *Singapore as a sport competitive country.

Jacqueline Lee

Singapore table tennis team wins championship: Is there any glory?

There is indeed some glory for Singapore, but it's not the true blue Singapore hard work. It's imported foreign talent from China. They are imported in from other countries to help win a medal or two for Singapore. They are PR, permanent residents, and their purpose here in Singapore is to help us win glory and medals for Singapore.

Some Singaporeans feel that ultimately, it is still a “China versus China” competition. These people come from china and them here living in Singapore and fighting against their home country. Do they know how to sing the Singapore national anthem?

However, other Singaporean feels that winning glory for Singapore is important. Singapore does not have a strong athlete base as they are fighting against strong countries like USA and China. China’s population is 1,324,655,000 in 2008 and 307,006,550 in USA in 2009 and Singapore only has 4 million. They difference it so large, therefore they would be more people who are talented in sports and they can afford to have more athlete take part in such games.

I feel PR (china) winning for Singapore is not genuine, as it’s not the hard work of a real Singapore but a hard work and training by the mainland China. I do believe that it’s good for Singapore to win such games as it gives us some recognize that we exist and that we are just as competitive as other countries.

Jean Ang

S'pore table tennis wins championship:is there any glory?


Singapore Table tennis women team won the world table tennis championships in Moscow.This is something Singapore is happy about.History is made for Singapore because for 19 years ,no one had won China.The championship title brought glory to Singapore to a certain extent.

The table tennis women team is made up of foreign talent and this has brought about many discussions among people.Some people feel that it is okay for foreign talent to win glory for Singapore while others feel that it will be more appropriate for Singaporeans to win glory for the country.I feel that it is okay for foreign talent to live and work in Singapore because their contributions will be able to help Singapore's economy progress.Singapore do not have any natural resources,we depend largely on human resource.Therefore,with foreign talent,the human resource in Singapore will increase.

However,when it concerns worldwide events like Olympic games,where every country is supposed to send their country's representatives to participate,only Singaporeans should be involved.In the recent World Table Tennis Game,Singapore won the championships but many people had an opinion regarding the title bacause it was won by foreign talent and not Singaporeans.In that way,people might feel that this title is not truly earned.

Chan Fai
In this society, I believe that teenagers nowadays are mostly well behaved. However, there are also a handful of them who are not. This not well behaved teenagers often not only misbehave when they are at home, they even misbehave in public. From what I have see, the most common one is them using vulgarities in public, as and when they like. Not only they are degrading them self, people around them will also feel annoyed and insulted.

I believe what causes this is due to a lack of moral education. However the school has been teaching us moral education ever since we attended primary school. In home, our parents also teaches us to be well behaved and ban us from using vulgarities. So what exactly went wrong? It may be cause by peer influence. When one sees their peer being rude, they will imitate and slowly they will catch the bad habits.

People around those rude teenagers may actually speak to them and not scold them about their disrespectful way to other people. I believe if things were to be talk in a calm manner and not by scolding them, rude teenagers will gradually change their behavior and be a better person.