Free Shuttle Services to Bankruptcy and Immorality - Anyone?

I remembered a Taiwanese variety show many years back, featuring the famous host: Zhang Xiao Yan. In the show, it was repeatedly mentioned that Chinese are the people who likes to gamble. This may be a generalization, but it is safe to say that Chinese may have higher tendencies to fall to gambling. The profit of Singapore Pools tells that Singaporeans like to gamble.

As I read today's newspaper, the headline was about the decision of the CRA (Casino Regulatory Authority) to stop the IR's shuttle service. The decision was made, because the free shuttle service were to carry in people from 19 different locations in Singapore into the IRs, where there are many activities going on apart from gambling.

Personally, I applaud this decision and the arguments made by MCYS minister, for taking such measures. Yes, I am anti-gambling, for I know what damage can gambling cause to the family.

Yet, I find it amused, that people are being angry over such decision and write articles to condemn such a decision.

1. An article in yesterday's today says that 60% of the people who took the shuttle do not end up in the Casino or the slot machine.
2. A reader write in to say that the workers in the IRs are having difficulty to go to the IRs without the shuttle service.
3. Another reader write, that gambling is prevailing in Singapore anyway, why do we need to do such, 'knee-jerk' response?
4. Other arguments say, that the shuttle service is to ease and prevent traffic congestion to the IRs.

While all these arguments are true, there are counter arguments that is equally true:
1. How about 40% of the heartlanders who end up at the slot machines and Casino? They are not minority
2. Working in IRs is a matter of choice, if I stay in Pasir Ris and have to work in Tuas, do I complain about needing shuttle service?
3. Gambling in a Casino is radically different from betting in Singapore Pools outlet. It is much faster for people to lose money. The first two days when RWS opened in Sentosa they got 40 million SGD.
4. While traffic congestion is a real issue, do we need to cause harm to others for the sake of our own little conveniences?

Have we become so egoistic that we only think about our own benefit, and forget about other members of the public who are weak to restrain themselves from going to gamble? Or is it just because no one in your family suffered from the problem of gambling that you are being ignorant about the little incentives that 'free-ride' to Casino may bring?

In Singapore's drama "Housewives' holiday" there are interesting and truthful depiction of the offshore gambling in Batam. Here is the scenario:

1. The housewife will go to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, to buy a return ticket to a Batam jetty.
2. These tickets come with a 'TRANSFER' pass, in the form of a rather large laminated paper.
3. When they arrived at Harbour Bay in Batam, they never go through the check point.
4. They cross over to another ferry using the 'TRANSFER' pass and they will be shipped to the gambling ship.
5. The gambling ship provides free food, drink and entertainments in the form of gambling.
6. When they finished gambling, they will board the same Ferry back to Harbor Bay
7. From Harbor Bay, they board another Ferry back to Singapore
8. Since these housewives are holding Singapore Passport, they will be no Chop in their passport to indicate that they ever exited Singapore
9. Since they never went in to Batam Check point, they will be no Chop indicating that they ever arrive in Batam
10. Entire Gambling Trip was hidden to their family

To provide free shuttle service to the IRs, with the Casinos inside, I would say provide the conveniences for our local housewives who have shorter time to escape out of their kitchen and household duties. They can say that they have a short visit to the hospital and end up in the Casino for a few hours of 'excitement'.

And do we see the seriousness and how bad the situation might get? it is there in the newspaper today also. A lady, after losing all her money in the Casino, are touting other visitor for Sex service of 200 dollars. This case surfaced and is being reported. What about those go unreported?

The Shuttle service termination IS the way to go for the greater good of the public, especially the weak and poor ones. If the authority do not step in here, there will be more who end up in bankruptcy by the end of the year due to the Casino. And who would be able to estimate the number of people who might end up in prostitution because of this vice?

So, free Shuttle Services to Bankruptcy and Immorality - Anyone?

Public Transportation Condition in Singapore

Singapore is getting more and more crowded. That is an undeniable fact. With more people, and because naturally people do not just stay at home like in the movie Surrogates, they need to move around and travel.

Traffic congestion is therefore one of the major concerns that affects most if not all of the people in Singapore. People who can afford will try to secure own car, and face the problems of COE, ERP and availability of car park. People who cannot afford will need to settle with the public transportation, which one can hardly argue to get better over the time.

Complains are made by members of public, and the authority will have to 'react' or 'respond' to the complains. One wonders why nothing was being done unless someone complained. Should not the government be more proactive? but no, many of the times the rules and regulations are made to deter people from doing certain things and are not necessarily enforced, unless, some accidents happened to alert the authority (or public who complained).

When I traveled in the MRT with my parents who are above 60, the majority of the time I need to ask the people to give up their seats for my parents. There are occasionally some people who gave up their seats for the elderly, and I should say, sometimes the foreigners of different skin colors are doing better job then local Chinese Singaporean.

Perhaps people are just tired after a long day of work, or looking forward to a long day in the office, that they think they deserved their seats in the MRT? or maybe they are thinking, hey if you are so old why you come out during office hours? if you can come out that means you are strong! don't you think just because you got some grey hair, then you are entitled to a seat in the MRT.

The members of Singapore public definitely still lacks the basic courtesy. And I am thinking, if the media and the authority continue to think, or make the people think that they are okay, then things are not going to improve.

e.g.: it is no point showing how courteous people are when getting on a train during 'off-peak' hours, where people know, no matter how slow they enter the train, they will definitely get a seat. Try to put on some footage of people rushing in the train during peak hour, how they s the yellow line, crowds in front of the MRT door, and being proud that they are nearest to the door. Show how bad the situation is, show the ugly side of the people and show it in their face.

Tai Pei is a much crowded city than Singapore, with a much more complex train system, and yet the people are so organized and courteous when boarding the train and so self-prompted to give the priority seats to the elderly and those who needs it.

in the newspaper today, it was portrayed that a pregnant lady was given their seats eight out of eight occasions. The report proudly announced that it was conducted secretly and filmed using hidden camera. I have nothing against such report, except that I am not sure how was the setting of such experiments conducted?

1. Was it conducted during peak hour or off-peak hour?
2. Was it conducted at a busy station or quiet station?
3. Does the lady appears to have a super-visible tummy?

Try to conduct the experiment differently, using an old man who dies his hair (thus appear younger), holding a purple card for the elderly, but having a problem with his legs which is not visible to the people. Try to go to a crowded station during busy hour. Then see how you fare.

Also in the newspaper today, it was mentioned that a minister boarded a bus unannounced to check on the situation of the bus, after some measures were introduced to improve the situation. I applaud such initiative from the minister. I always say that the policy makers are those people who probably never affected by the policy they make. But such gestures are necessary and not other-worldly to do, considering emperors in China also did that in the history.

But again, we do not know when such visit happens. Is it during the 'comfortable' hour? the picture shows that the minister was standing while some other passengers were seating and nodding off. It is apparent that the newspaper is trying to convey a certain message which is up to each reader to make.

Finally, I need to say that such visits from the officials are necessary, and not as what the newspaper says, to check on the result of the new implementation/policy that the authorities just made. Such visits should happen, rather, before and during the day-to-day life, so that the officials can detect any anomaly or problem in the society

The Core Business of the Church

What is the core business of the Church? one may ask.

Different people may answer this question differently. As a Pastor, I need to really know and understand the core business of the church and be faithful to it, if I want to really glorify God.

When I first came in to the Church a few months ago, I was presented with a problem. Even if it was not put into the words, and not often mentioned by the leadership of the church, even as a mere visitor or observer, one cannot fail to notice the problem. That is: numbers.

The church has an average attendance of 50-60 people in its Sunday service, and about 15 during the monthly prayer meeting. To some reader from Europe, Japan or other post-Christian era countries, that number could be considered big, however for Singapore with its mega-churches, this number may seem to be more on the low side.

From the managerial point of view, therefore, some people may view this as a problem. And to every problem there should be a solution. And if the current set of people are not able to find a solution, therefore they need a problem solver. And that is why, the church hired me and my co-worker in the past few months to solve this 'problem'.

Based on this number issue, by focussing on the people, therefore there are a two-pronged approach to try to raise the number: To retain the existing member through proper pastoral care and counseling, and to increase the existing number through reaching out events. Those are the things on my head initially.

As I continue to serve, I began to see things differently.

What is the core business of the church again? to amass a good number? to worry that your church members may go out to join the mega-church? to do evangelism, so as to increase your number? Where is God in all these objectives?

No! The core business of the Church is not the number of the people. The core business, is to do the right thing, faithfully, regardless of the number of people. The core business is to glorify God and to preach His word to edify to the people. Yes, it involves the people, but they are NOT the main focus. Rather, God IS.

My mind turns back to the Great Revival (and should I add True Revival) centuries ago by Jonathan Edwards. The Revival was granted by God when we turn back to the true preaching of the Word of God. It is what God wants and then we are doing His Will and everything will progress accordingly.

Yes, I became more and more convinced that if we remain people-centered rather than God-centered, then we will be just people-pleaser instead of God. And as I do not have the capacity to please all sorts of different people, I choose the easier and higher calling, to please God and trust that He will provide all I need and He will bless the church accordingly.

What is the Core Business of the Church? It is the faithful and truthful preaching of His Word in a constant and consistent manner that will edify and transform the life of the Church.

The transformation from a small number to a big number can be manipulated by man
The transformation from a rotten life to a God-glorifying life can only be engineered by God