Opinion piece: Come down hard on abusers, bullies and uncivility

 

 

Austria has the most bullying in the Western world, Sweden has the least. In Europe and North America, boys report being bullied the most in Austria and the least in Sweden, according to a recent report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

 

Decisive and concreate action must be taken against bullies and abusers – even after the bully has left employment. Bullying and harassment can also have a serious adverse effect on the success of the business leading to reduced productivity and profits. This is because bullying and harassment can cause: low morale and poor employee relations.

 

Uncivility is also becoming a growing problem in many parts of the world. In addition, favoritism has seen many productive workers and citizens losing out on rewards.

 

Bar abusive employers; counsel them from hiring helpers

 

I am shocked beyond words to read of the abuse to Ms Khalifa, an Indonesian mother of two from Indramayu, West Java by a husband and wife who were so cruel to their helper “Woman jailed 11 years after abuse left maid with deformed nose, scars”  (The New Paper; Aug,2, 2019)..

 

 

Due to the 6 months physical abuse, the 39-year-old the domestic helper has a deformed left ear, permanent and prominent scars on her forehead, on the back of her head and across her shoulders. Her left little finger is functionally impaired.

 

Justice has been served when the judge sentenced her Singaporean employers Zariah Mohd Ali, 58, and her husband Mohamad Dahlan to jail – 11 years jail to Zariah and 15 months and a fine of $1,000 to her husband.

 

Domestic workers make big sacrifices to leave their families back home to earn better wages here in Singapore so let’s show some kindness and understanding to them.

 

But questions are a plenty. Given that the couple was convicted in 2001 of abuse of another maid (“Abuse by couple left maid, 39, disfigured and traumatised, Aug 2”), it is baffling that they were allowed to hire another domestic helper.

 

 Serving a jail sentence is not sufficient to send a clear message to abusers. They need to be counselling while serving their sentences as well as when they are out of prison.   In addition, they should be barred from hiring helpers.

 

With Singapore’s rapid ageing population, domestic helpers served a useful purpose in helping families cope with caregiving and they must be valued.  Such abuses do not put Singapore in good light.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

 

 

 

 

 

Opinion piece: Maturity and diligence have to be established between fake news and useful opinions and suggestion

Opinion piece:  Maturity and diligence have to be established between fake news and useful opinions and suggestion

By: Raymond Anthony Fernando

 

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again, no government in the world – Singapore include can solve all problems.  During my employment with our national broadcasting station, the then-General Manager of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Moses Lee encouraged all the staff to contribute ideas and suggestion to improve SBC which will in turn would raise productivity.

Lee’s reasoning was that the staff who were on the ground were in a far better position to see problems within their own divisions and then as a team, they could come up with constructive and workable solutions.  Many employees – myself included, encouraged by Lee’s management acumen were rewarded with outstanding SBC certificates and cash incentives.

Promote active citizenry

In the same vein, active citizenry where citizens who are willing to come up with constructive and workable solutions to social issues must be given the opportunity to air their views to help in nation-building. Their feedback can be useful for governments to draw up polices or fine-tune existing ones that will be beneficial to the less fortunate in societies.   

Six aspects of great feedback

 

♦ Be specific. We all respond better when we receive specific feedback

 

♦ Be immediate. The best feedback is immediate and comes while all the details are fresh in your mind

 

♦ Tie feedback to goals

 

♦ Ensure feedback is actionable

 

♦ Use the right language

 

♦ Don't avoid feedback

 

Daily ritual

I make it a daily ritual to read the media reports with special focus on social problems.  It is futile for the MSN to keep up publish articles on growing social problems, but reject outright well analyzed press letters that can improve lives. When I read the report of male teen suicides that went up 10 percent, I responded swiftly with some workable solutions to 3 local newspapers.

All 3 refused to publish my letter.  The why bother to write these reports?

Unfortunately, not all journalists, especially in our mainstream media are well trained to allow useful ideas and suggestions to be published. Or they are afraid to fall out of favour with the establishment. Either way this is this is not useful in improving the lives of those who are struggling to cope.  To stifle creativity is not the right thing to do Period!

High time we change this attitude.

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

Opinion piece: Talk therapy effective in bringing down suicides

 
It  is troubling to read of the report where the number of teenage boys who took their own lives last year hit a record high of 19 as reported in “Male teen suicides hit record high” (The New Paper; July 30)

 

Everyone, young and old needs to value life and this message has to be ingrained so that lives are not lost when wrong decisions made bring much pain to families and friends.

 

The factors and risks that contribute to youth suicide could include academic pressure, alcohol consumption, relationship issues, frequent change of residency, and poor family patterns.  Harassment is yet another leading cause of teen suicide, along with abuse.

 

To tackle suicides head on, frank and candid discussion must be on the cards. Those who are suicidal need to release their pent-up emotions to people whom they can trust, show empathy and who will not be judgmental.  They need motivation and a purpose in life. Suicide survivors who have turned their lives around and become resilient in the process together with professionals will be able to help youths to overcome adversities and treasure life to the fullest.

 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective to address suicides. CBT is a form of talk therapy to get people who are suicidal to discuss their worries, anxieties and unhappiness in a conducive environment. 

 

To this end, I further propose that the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) work closely with government agencies like the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social and Family Development to carry out these programmes on a regular basis, reaching out to schools, tertiary institutions and religious organisations. 

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

Raymond Anthony Fernando’s letter to The Straits Times: The harsher the punishment, the less chance of rehabilitation

My press letter to The Straits Times is published today, Friday 5^th July 2019

Forum contributor Osman Sidek has rightly pointed out that it is not wise to shame radicals or terrorists (Shaming may hurt efforts to rehabilitate radicals, July 2).

People who move in this direction are most likely disgruntled and dissatisfied, and mistakenly view the world as being unfair. They need in-depth counselling and have to be closely monitored to prevent them from re-offending.

We cannot be judgmental and humiliate them by publishing their photographs as this would only deepen the hatred in them and make them bitter.

We also have to be sensitive to the feelings of their relatives. Must they be "punished" in the process?

Everyone who has made a wrong turn in life, including prisoners and radicals, needs a second chance in life. Isn't that the objective of the Yellow Ribbon Project?

Radicals or prisoners must be open to entertaining the possibility that they may be wrong and be open to learning from the experience of others. That said, can we not find some kindness in our hearts to work towards rehabilitation instead of wanting to punish wrongdoers all the time?

Let's be mindful that the harsher the conditions, the less chance of rehabilitation.

Raymond Anthony Fernando

https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/the-harsher-the-punishment-the-less-chance-of-rehabilitation

 

 

 

 

Raymond ‘s letter to the press: Town councils should be more flexible in helping seniors fix faults inside flats

My letter on the above matter was published in Mediacorp’s Today newspaper on Tuesday 28^th May 2019

To have peace of mind and a good quality of life, we need to live in a safe environment.

There are valid concerns over the use of electric scooters, for instance. These vehicles have endangered the lives of many Singaporeans, especially elders who are less mobile.

As Singapore’s population greys, policies that do not support a safe and healthy environment must be relooked and adapted to deal with shifting trends.

At present, during power failures, town councils can attend to and rectify power trips only if they happen outside an owner’s flat. They do not deal with power faults inside flats.

I live along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 and the town council confirmed this practice to me when I experienced a two-hour power failure last month.

The town council advised me to hire a contractor.  

Elderly persons with mobility problems find it difficult to reach the circuit breaker, which is rather high. It was not installed at eye level.

Moreover, I live alone, have arthritis, and am weak in my hands and legs. So I am wary about meddling with electrical parts.

What if I fall?

The town councils must exercise flexibility when it comes to the needs of elders, many of whom are also unemployed.

With the Government rolling out schemes for our elderly, I urge the authorities and town councils to review this policy to support the needs of our seniors.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

 

 

Raymond's letter to The Straits Times forum page: Reward food deliverymen with good safety record

My letter to The Straits Times on the above matter is published today, Monday 29^th April 2019.

 

Neo Poh Goon concerns regarding food delivery companies are valid (Food delivery firms need to keep tight rein on deliverymen, April 24).

 

There are far too many accidents on our roads and also on the pavements. 

 

I, too, have had my fair share of scary encounters with speeding delivery riders whizzing past, blatantly disregarding the safety of pedestrians. 

 

Are they to be blamed? 

 

Deliverymen are paid a commission based on the number of deliveries they make. It is the same with tipper trucks and lorry drivers, who deliver material to construction sites and are paid based on the number of trips.

 

Such schemes only encourages deliverymen to speed and disregard traffic rules.

 

Perhaps the food delivery companies could learn from public bus operators.

 

They have an incentive programme in place which awards a special bonus to those who meet a certain criteria, including maintaining a good safety record and having zero complaints made against them. Feedback from passengers on good service are also factored in.

 

Besides ensuring that their food deliverymen comply with traffic rules, food delivery companies could perhaps provide similar incentives for their staff.

 

Raymond Anthony Fernando

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/reward-food-deliverymen-with-good-safety-record

 

Raymond's Letter to The Straits Times: Provide refund for recycled bottles and cans

My letter to The Straits Times on the above matter is published today, Monday 22^nd April 2019

Recycling is vital, as waste material has a negative impact on the environment, and undoubtedly reduces the risks of pollution, which can endanger lives.

When consumers purchase bottled or canned drinks or food items, biscuits and chocolates, they are paying for the container as well.



So why not have automated machines to refund the consumer the cost of the bottle or can whenever they return the used container? For example, if a can of Coke Zero costs $1.50, 10 cents can be refunded for a returned used can.

 

In some Western countries, like Germany and America, providing such refunds has encouraged citizens to recycle.

Recycling programmes can also help the needy. In Taiwan, for instance, Buddhist charity Tzu Chi Foundation provides free meals to the mentally ill and encourages them to collect used items such as bottles and cans and place them in allocated recycling bins.

Providing incentives to encourage people to recycle is good, as paying it forward helps to build a far better society.

Raymond Anthony Fernando

https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/provide-refund-for-recycled-bottles-and-cans