Over the past few days, the unfortunate Sichuan earthquake disaster provided headlines for the newspapers. A Current Affairs programme, Frontline, by MediaCorp Channel 8 featured the event by interviewing Singaporeans who were caught up in the airport at Sichuan about their experience.
A man who was interviewed was seen speaking with tears rolling in the eyes. His words were spoken with deep emotions. If I were to watch the interview and keeping the volume muted, I would have thought he had probably lost his families in the disaster. His predicament: he was stuck in the airport as flight schedules were delayed. He lamented at the authorities for not providing information. He was apparently angered by the fact that he had to spend hours strangled at the airport of his holiday destination. He would later return to Singapore via a transit at Hong Kong.
I was irritated by watching the interview. I don't know whether one should blame the programme crews for featuring such a parochial citizen, or sigh at the fact that our fellow citizen, with his Singaporean voice, reacted in such a disgracing manner.
Perhaps the immunity of Singapore to natural disasters had been taken for granted. While global citizens are pouring aid and showing concern over the nasty results of the Sichuan quake disaster such as the growing casualties and the family members lost in the event, our interviewee, on the other hand, was so narrow-minded and selfish by caring over his own plight albeit being in a relatively safe zone.
Maybe one day, National Education would consist of a programme where people get dumped in disaster-prone zones and experience for themselves the hardship and through the process, hopefully they start to appreciate.
A man who was interviewed was seen speaking with tears rolling in the eyes. His words were spoken with deep emotions. If I were to watch the interview and keeping the volume muted, I would have thought he had probably lost his families in the disaster. His predicament: he was stuck in the airport as flight schedules were delayed. He lamented at the authorities for not providing information. He was apparently angered by the fact that he had to spend hours strangled at the airport of his holiday destination. He would later return to Singapore via a transit at Hong Kong.
I was irritated by watching the interview. I don't know whether one should blame the programme crews for featuring such a parochial citizen, or sigh at the fact that our fellow citizen, with his Singaporean voice, reacted in such a disgracing manner.
Perhaps the immunity of Singapore to natural disasters had been taken for granted. While global citizens are pouring aid and showing concern over the nasty results of the Sichuan quake disaster such as the growing casualties and the family members lost in the event, our interviewee, on the other hand, was so narrow-minded and selfish by caring over his own plight albeit being in a relatively safe zone.
Maybe one day, National Education would consist of a programme where people get dumped in disaster-prone zones and experience for themselves the hardship and through the process, hopefully they start to appreciate.
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