Don't just complain, please use your brain
STOP complaining!
That's the message Mr Suhaimi Nor Nan has for Singaporeans.
The 26-year-old part-time security officer is fed up with hearing people complain about anything and everything.
He said Singaporeans complain about the most trivial matters.
Two months ago, he read in The Straits Times that some park goers were concerned about police vehicles patrolling on footpaths.
But, Mr Suhaimi noted, the police were doing it for the people's welfare.
After Mr Suhaimi read about the gripes, he decided 'enough was enough'.
He wrote to The New Paper to, well, complain about Singaporeans complaining too much.
So, what are some of the things he think Singaporeans complain about too much?
Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), he pointed out.
'You have to accept it. I'm affected by it myself when I take a taxi, but we have a good transport system,' he said.
'If you don't want to pay ERP, just take the bus.'
He was also sick of people griping about taxi fares.
'If you compare our fares with those of other countries, our fares are so much cheaper.'
Another common complaint these days is about petrol prices, though they have been dropping in recent weeks.
Mr Suhaimi said: 'Driving is not necessary because Singapore is so small. If you choose to drive, you pay.'
He himself has complaints about the bad habits of some Singaporeans.
But unlike many others who air their complaints in public, he said he will gripe only in conversations with his close friends.
No need to kick up a big fuss, he said.
What irks Mr Suhaimi most is that people complain about what he sees as really trivial issues.
Like when VivoCity opened in October 2006, shoppers complained that the lighting on the floors may cause people to trip.
And recently, Mr Suhaimi said some commuters complained that the floors at MRT stations were too slippery.
To those people, he had this to say: 'There's no need to make it news, just raise it with the management.'
Mr Suhaimi's advice to Singaporeans who love to complain: 'Make sure you're really affected by the matter before you complain.
'Don't complain for the sake of it.'
Vivien Chan and Fiona Liaw, newsroom interns
This article was first published in The New Paper on Aug 4, 2008.
STOP complaining!
That's the message Mr Suhaimi Nor Nan has for Singaporeans.
The 26-year-old part-time security officer is fed up with hearing people complain about anything and everything.
He said Singaporeans complain about the most trivial matters.
Two months ago, he read in The Straits Times that some park goers were concerned about police vehicles patrolling on footpaths.
But, Mr Suhaimi noted, the police were doing it for the people's welfare.
After Mr Suhaimi read about the gripes, he decided 'enough was enough'.
He wrote to The New Paper to, well, complain about Singaporeans complaining too much.
So, what are some of the things he think Singaporeans complain about too much?
Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), he pointed out.
'You have to accept it. I'm affected by it myself when I take a taxi, but we have a good transport system,' he said.
'If you don't want to pay ERP, just take the bus.'
He was also sick of people griping about taxi fares.
'If you compare our fares with those of other countries, our fares are so much cheaper.'
Another common complaint these days is about petrol prices, though they have been dropping in recent weeks.
Mr Suhaimi said: 'Driving is not necessary because Singapore is so small. If you choose to drive, you pay.'
He himself has complaints about the bad habits of some Singaporeans.
But unlike many others who air their complaints in public, he said he will gripe only in conversations with his close friends.
No need to kick up a big fuss, he said.
What irks Mr Suhaimi most is that people complain about what he sees as really trivial issues.
Like when VivoCity opened in October 2006, shoppers complained that the lighting on the floors may cause people to trip.
And recently, Mr Suhaimi said some commuters complained that the floors at MRT stations were too slippery.
To those people, he had this to say: 'There's no need to make it news, just raise it with the management.'
Mr Suhaimi's advice to Singaporeans who love to complain: 'Make sure you're really affected by the matter before you complain.
'Don't complain for the sake of it.'
Vivien Chan and Fiona Liaw, newsroom interns
This article was first published in The New Paper on Aug 4, 2008.
