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Release No.: Ol/JUL 09-1/93/07\01 SPEECH by MR WONG KAN Release No.: Ol/JUL 09-1/93/07\01 SPEECH BY MR WONG KAN SENG, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE 1993 NATIONAL COURTESY CAMPAIGN AT THE WESTIN PLAZA HOTEL ON THURSDAY, 1 JULY 1993 AT 4.00 PM Surveys have shown that since its launch in 1979, the courtesy campaign has made some headway. Most Singaporeans now accept the need to be courteous. Courtesy in its broadest sense also encompasses kindness and consideration for others. "Do unto others as we would wish them to do unto us" is both Eastern and Western. Courtesy is more than just saying 'thank you' and 'you're welcome’. It means being sincere, gracious and considerate in whatever we do. There are signs that we are slightly more courteous now. But judging by recent reports in the media, we still have a long way to go. All of us have seen or heard of stories about people piling up on food at buffets and then not finishing them. We have witnessed people cutting queues or not queuing at buffets, cinemas, check-out counters at supermarkets, bus stops, taxi stands and the MRT. We have also seen people streaming out of concerts, football matches or performances before the final whistle or before the curtain goes down. They do this to avoid the ensuing crush. But in so doing, they disturb those who stay to the end. Recently when I was at the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) concert compered by Francis Yip, I saw groups of youngsters running around trying to get a better glimpse of a Taiwanese singer. This distracted the other concert-goers. Equally unpleasant are people talking too loudly in restaurants and buses, or talking during speeches and performances. We witness these happenings almost everyday. We know they are discourteous acts yet some of us invariably commit them day in, day out, consciously or unconsciously. More disturbing are stories which go beyond courteous behaviour into the realm of selfishness and dishonesty. I 2 recently heard of a story about a couple who had rented a room for two at a hotel in Sentosa. They then invited some of their friends to stay with them. Drinks were taken from the fridge in the hotel room and the empty containers simply left in their original place so that the hotel staff would not detect them! There was another case reported in the Business Times recently where a guest opened the bottom of a little box of cookies in the mini-bar, ate the contents, and then carefully placed the box back on the tray so it appeared as if it had not been touched. The same article noted how some members of a Singaporean tour group brought their plastic water bottles to breakfast and filled them up with orange juice. And, for good measure, they popped some buns and muffins into plastic bags in case they got hungry during the day's sightseeing! I can go on giving you more examples. I think there is no need to because you are familiar with these discourteous and shameful behaviour. There is a moral in all these stories. It is that courtesy, graciousness and honesty are not inherited behaviour. They are something that has to be learned, again and again, at home, in schools, at work, till they become part of us. l However, the question still beckons: Is this the work of the "kiasu" Singaporean? Often we try to attribute this kind of misbebaviour to our "kiasu" mentality. The obsession not to lose, to be first in line cannot explain some of these silly and mindless acts. Some of the actions are down right rude and dishonest. They go beyond "kiasuism'. Perhaps we are too optimistic. Perhaps such discourteous acts may never be totally eradicated. Maybe it will take several generations, But I think we can improve if we make an effort, and if we want to be considered as a civilised society. People in developed societies are more courteous generally. We should continue to work at it until all of us are ingrained with the idea that we will be the main beneficiaries of a more gracious society. 3 We should not be courteous just because others are watching us. Even in our own privacy, we must do what is behaviourially correct: by flushing the toilet after use, dropping litter in its proper place, or waiting for our turns at meals. These are common decencies expected of us. This year's slogan for the courtesy campaign is: "Let courtesy show wherever we go". It is a call for us to be aware of our actions, always and everywhere. It is a call for us to be responsible individuals. The campaign this year has been extended to Singaporeans travelling, studying, working and living abroad as well. This l is to counter general criticisms of the Singaporean who tends to bring his alter ego outside Singapore. I am sure you must have read or witnessed, with much chagrin, of the Singaporean who flings an emptied can of drink or peanut shells by the roadside in another country without a thought, knowing that a similar detestable act will bring punitive consequences in Singapare. We have to be mindful that when we are overseas, we are the ambassadors of Singapore. The main objective of the courtesy campaign is to encourage courteous behaviour because we believe in its merits not because we are compelled to do so. If we practise courtesy, l we benefit as we will be creating a much more pleasant social environment for ourselves. Can you imagine living in a self-centred, arrogant, inconsiderate, uncivil and ungracious society where every person cares only for himself or herself? I am sure that every Singaporean does not want to live in such a society. So let us band together as we let courtesy show wherever we go. It will make our lives the better for it. On that note, it is my pleasure to launch the 1993 National Courtesy Campaign. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ MFA(3)/Mju101.'93/Pgs.l-4 From: INFORMATION5 (8812:GVT2241 Subject: [National Courtesy Campaign 19931 Posted: Thu 8-July-93 17:47 SING Delivered: Thu 8-July-93 17:47 SING (58 lines) Msg ID: IPM-8812-930708-160184050 SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION LIST 1 Mr Yatiman Bin Yusof, Parliamentary Secretary (Foreign Affairs) GVT 047 2 Mr Lim Boon Heng, Senior Minister of State (MT1) GVT 090 l 3 Dr Yeo Ning Hong, Minister for Defence GVT 200 4 Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon, Senior Minister of State GVT 234 (Community Development) 5 Dr Ahmad Mattar, Minister for Environment GVT 080 6 BG George Yeo, Second Minister for Foreign GVT 049 Affairs 7 Mr Harun A Ghani, Political Secretary, Ministry GVT 710 of Home Affairs 8 Library Officer, Auditor-General Office GVT 370 9 Library. Ministry of Education GVT 036 GVT 615 l 11 Library, Parliament House GVT 251 12 National Archives GVT 237 13 Mr Aziz Champion, Ministry of Law (PS's COPY) GVT 125 14 Budget Division, Ministry of Finance GVT 052 15 Mrs Elain Swinn-Tan, Head, Public Relations, MOL GVT 168 16 Economics Dept, MAS GVT 721 17 PSD, Ministry of Finance GVT 111 18 The General Manager, Board of Commissioners of GVT 611 Currency 19 Library, Ministry of Community Development GVT 235 20 Commissioner for Lands, Land Office, GVT 463 Ministry of Law 21 Library, Jurong Town Corporation GVT 390 22 Public Relations Dept, Ministry of Home Affairs GVT 137 23 Resource Centre, Ministry of Trade & Industry GVT 091 24 Public Relations Dept, VITB GVT 480 25 Registry Supervisor, Ministry of National GVT 240 Development 26 The Chairman, Singapore Institute of Standards GVT 325 and Industrial Research Librarian, NTUC Research Unit GVT 351 PA to Mr Ong Teng Cheong, Deputy Prime Minister 28 Mindef Library GVT 207 29 Director, Community Relations Dept, Ministry of GVT 470 Community Development (Kindly make copies and distribute to all the secretariats) 30 Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence GVT 560 31 Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Labour & GVT 205 Second Minister for Defence 32 Dr Tay Eng Soon, Senior Minister of State for GVT 030 Education 33 Mr Wong Kan Seng, Minister for Foreign Affairs GVT 044 33a Mr Peter Ho, DS (SEA) Min. of Foreign Affairs GVT 044 Dr Richard Hu, Minister for Finance GVT 017 Mr Yeo Cheow Tong, Minister for Health & GVT 172 Minister for Community Development GVT 230 36 Mr Sidek Bin Saniff, Minister of State for GVT 680 Education 37 Mr J. A. Nathan, Globalink, TDB GVT 817 .
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