TR EMERITUS

Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 (16 Jul) - Cathay Pacific was named the world's best airline at an awards ceremony at the Farnborough International Airshow Tuesday. The Hong Kong-based firm claimed the World Airline Awards title from last year's winner Emirates. It was Cathay Pacific's first victory in the most prestigious category since 2009. The award is decided by the votes of millions of travelers. A Cathay Pacific delegation received the prize from CNN's Jim Boulden. "Of all the sellers, Cathay were the best performers across all types of travel. Some airliners were very good in economy, others in luxury, but they were top or near the top in all categories", Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, told CNN. .... Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines were placed second and third respectively in the global category while Emirates slipped to fourth. .... World Airline Awards - Airline of the Year 2014 1. Cathay Pacific 2. Qatar Airways 3. Singapore Airlines 4. Emirates 5. Turkish Airlines 6. ANA All Nippon Airways 7. Garuda Indonesia 8. Asiana Airlines 9. Etihad Airways 10. Lufthansa [Read more: CNN]  Read More →

I refer to the 13 May 2014 Straits letter “Celebrate Singapore's birthday by learning its history” by Ms Lim Lih Mei. Ms Lim feels that a truly meaningful way of celebrating Singapore’s birthday is to learn Singapore’s history through events or activities that explain the historical significance of places like Bukit Chandu, Old Ford Factory, Fort Canning Park, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Park so that Singaporeans understand our achievements did not come easy or happened overnight and that citizens shoulder a heavy responsibility to make our country an even better place. If Ms Lim truly learns Singapore history, she will know that 8 Aug is not Singapore’s birthday but her Independence Day instead. The day Singapore was given independence was not the day Singapore was born. Understanding the significance of Bukit Chandu and Kent Ridge means showing gratitude to people like Lt Adnan and Lim Bo Seng who rose up to the occasion in our hour of need to fight for our country. They are the perfect role models to inspire the younger generation to defend Singapore, not those who chose self-preservation over sacrifice. The former represented courage, honour, sacrifice, dependability and rootedness for the country. The latter represented cowardice, dishonor, selfishness, dubiousness and rootlessness that swayed according to the winds of change. The day-night difference between the two is captured by the following: • In the war years, against the great suffering of the Chinese-educated who bravely put themselves behind the wheel of resistance, the Westernized elite was distinguished by ingratiating themselves to the Japanese, so Lee remembers: Many of us will remember the unhappy spectacle of English-speaking, Western-educated colleagues suddenly changing in their manners of speech, dress and behaviour, making blatant attempts at being good imitation Japs. Indeed some were sent to Japan so as to be better educated, to enlighten their ignorant countrymen in Malaya and doubtless also to become the privileged class, second only to the genuine Japanese themselves. [Singapore: The State and the Culture of Excess, Souchou Yao, page 34-35] In France, those who fought on despite the capitulation of the French government were hailed as heroes after the war while those who fraternized with the enemy were publicly humiliated as traitors. It would be truly meaningful if Singaporean society can finally learn to distinguish the two and not mistake one for the other. Thank you Ng Kok Lim Straits Times, Celebrate Singapore's birthday by learning its history, 13 May 2014 THE photo exhibition, We: Defining Stories, by The Straits Times and the National Museum of Singapore allows all citizens, young and old, to better understand Singapore's history, struggle and progress. Other organisations can consider organising events or activities that serve a similar purpose. How many of us have heard of Reflections at Bukit Chandu and Memories at Old Ford Factory? What about the significance of Fort Canning Park, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Park, just to name a few? How many of us know of the historically significant events that occurred at these places? During family outings, parents can take their children to these places. Schools should also consider including trips to these places as part of their social studies curriculum. Residents' committees can organise similar outings for their residents. Big companies could even hold employee team building and bonding activities at these places. Gaining knowledge of Singapore's history will help us understand that today's achievements did not happen overnight or come easily, and that citizens shoulder a heavy responsibility to make our country an even better place. Learning Singapore's history will be a truly meaningful way to celebrate its birthday. Lim Lih Mei (Ms)  Read More →

A PRC hawker couple in Singapore. I support Penang's plan to ban foreigners from being hired as cooks at hawker stalls, to protect its food heritage ("Penang may ban foreign cooks at hawker stalls"; last Sunday). In Singapore, too many types of traditional fare are disappearing. Our food is also being "bastardised", from roti prata to Teochew fishball noodles. Traditional ingredients are shunned, and faster cooking methods are being used. Indeed, one need look no farther than our foodcourts to see that our food no longer has "soul". This sad state of affairs is not due solely to the presence of foreign cooks on the hawker scene. Other factors include the lack of pride in maintaining standards and the lack of Singaporeans willing to become hawkers. If we do not intervene to turn back the tide, our taste buds will suffer. Barring hawker stallholders from subletting their stalls will not slow down the dilution of our food culture. A stallholder can easily employ cheap foreign labour to helm the stall while he takes a back seat. In order to maintain the standard of our hawker food, which has fed and made generations of Singaporeans happy, the Government should follow Penang in not allowing foreign cooks to helm hawker stalls. If the Government deems this ban too drastic to be applied islandwide, it should at least apply this rule to new hawker centres. To sweeten the deal, rentals in new hawker centres should be kept affordable, to minimise increases in food prices. Let's work together to preserve our food heritage for future generations to savour!   Colin Loh * Letter appeared in ST Forum (20 Jul)    Read More →