Water festival: My email to Dr Yaacob

[makapaaa]

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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Water festival: My email to Dr Yaacob</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>3:56 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 30) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>30479.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE id=mm class=mhc cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=fhr><TD class=au>BT Kojak <TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 0px" width="100%"><TABLE class=rc cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=_mr_1278aa97384f1191>to yaacob_ibrahim
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-LEFT: 4px" align=right>show details
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD align=right> 6:55 pm (0 minutes ago) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE style="WIDTH: 100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=cbln>Dear Dr Yaacob,

I'm not sure if you know about this:
[URL="http://bukitbatok.sg/node/45"]http://bukitbatok.sg/node/45[/URL]

It appears that Bt Batok grassroot organizations are organizing some sort of "water splashing" festival for foreigners living in Bt Batok:
The Water Festival is celebrated to welcome the New Year in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. Now, in Bukit Batok, organised by the grassroots organizations and the Myanmese community in Singapore. It is to welcome the New Year. 3,000 people expected.
Come celebrate it at Bukit Batok! Have fun! Have a splashing time! When someone splashes water on you at the festival, your troubles will be washed away and you will have good luck through the year! To protect your wallet, hand phone, etc please wrap them in polythene bags. Ladies may want to put on their wind breakers.
In places like Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, I'm sure they can afford to splash as much water they want since they have sufficient water resources. But can we say the same for our island home Singapore? And the most ridiculous thing is, why should Singapore taxpayers be funding, essentially, a foreign festival of celebration? Are Singaporeans expect to know the culture of every foreigner residing here in Singapore? Shouldn't it be them integrating into our culture?
In an online poll done by Temasek Review, 95% of nearly 600 respondents were against grassroots organizations using taxpayers’ monies to organize foreign cultural festivals for foreigners: [URL="http://www.temasekreview.com/"]http://www.temasekreview.com/<!--<WBR />-->2010/03/23/netizens-up-in-<!--<WBR />-->arms-over-bukit-batok-<!--<WBR />-->grassroots-organizations-plan-<!--<WBR />-->to-organize-water-festival-<!--<WBR />-->for-foreigners/[/URL]
And you have also said (reported on CNA, 21 Mar 2010): “Singaporeans’ response to the dry spell last month was to use even more water. This is certainly not desirable should Singapore experience a prolonged dry spell. It is therefore timely to remind ourselves of the need to use water wisely.”

I look forward to your comment on this matter.


Yours sincerely,

Kojakbt


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