Like many Singaporeans, I would also prefer to have a smaller population of foreigners in our Singapore but ……

We are facing the crisis of our lifetime. Our citizen population will halve every two generations. This is a serious ‘long’ term problem and the only cure is more babies. But the real emergency is not babies, but ageing. That is why the population will increase in the short term before the inevitable decrease in the long term.

Woke up bright and early to send my youngest son to Primary One, along with thousands of other parents island wide. It brought back many fond memories as my friend and I watched our sons don the same uniforms that we wore 45 years ago.

A new beginning for all our children – and may they fulfill all their dreams and destinies along the ‘path of the infinite’.

I was reminded of the wise words of Kahlil Gibran on Children – words that I believe all parents should reflect on :

Christmas Eve 2012 fell on a Monday, and we spent it at the usual Monday Meet-the-People session. There were fewer residents than usual, but I was so grateful that we had a full complement of volunteers who were prepared to sacrifice time for a cause.

The combination of a festive air and basic challenges of life gave us food for thought as we shared a meal after the session.

Dear Prime Minister Lee and Minister of Environment and Water Resources Vivian,I write to the both of you because I and my society view’s this as a serious concern and it requires more

concerted and sustainable effort from the top right down to the bottom.

If you think we are a gracious society and very well behaved today, think again. At a recent public event (presumably attended mainly by our young population), the litter left behind on the floating platform gallery seats was really a sight to remember – it was appalling and frankly quite disgraceful. I am quite sure that the performers from Korea would have been shocked to see such an aftermath! The media gave good coverage on disappointed fans, but, nothing was mentioned about the mess left behind after the event.

Many of our void decks have facilities for the convenience of residents. These serve as open communal spaces for fellowship and bonding activities. Unfortunately, this scene is all too common.

A local resident emailed me – and the issues he brought up are pertinent. It illustrates the real problems we have on the ground – and the difficult choices we have to make. I have extracted our anonymised email exchange below and would be grateful for your suggestions:

Public reaction and support for Singapore to reclaim our status as one of the cleanest cities in the world has been very encouraging. I am grateful for all the many ideas and suggestions over the past few weeks.

One key element has been the need for increased and coordinated peer pressure, including empowering volunteers. NEA will conduct a special training course for senior members of environmental NGOs that will commence in January 2013. These volunteers will then be issued with authority cards which will enable them to identify and take enforcement action against recalcitrant persons who insist on littering. This will give them both moral and legal authority to set standards for our society.