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The
Straits Times, Forum Page, 26 Mar 04
Should we have a casino?
NO
I STRONGLY object to having a casino in Singapore. The Government
has always rejected calls to have a casino because it knows it can
cause great harm to Singaporeans, especially those who are unfortunate
enough to have a close family member who is addicted to gambling.
Families have broken up and children suffered.
So what if many Singaporeans are already gambling in neighbouring
countries or on cruise ships? While we want to attract rich tourists
we must not forget that we are harming our own people just to satisfy
the few who will benefit from the opening of a casino. I feel sad
for Singapore if this is what we call 'Remaking Singapore'.
When I was young, I was proud to learn that Singapore became successful
despite the fact that we did not have any natural resources. We faced
difficult times and yet we overcame every difficulty to be where we
are today, thanks to our early leaders, without whom we would not
be able to enjoy a good life.
I fear for the future of Singapore if our leaders think it is all
right to set up a casino now because we must keep up with the times.
It takes strong leaders to reject pressure from a few. There are certain
businesses we should never get involved in and gambling is definitely
one of them. How could one enjoy spending money that had caused families
to break up and children to suffer because their parents went to the
casino in Sentosa, our resort in the sun?
It is even more ridiculous to suggest that we divide Singaporeans
into classes - the 'can go' and the 'cannot go'. I know of a man who
earned $10,000 monthly who would spend all his salary within two days
in a casino and return home empty-handed and in a daze. He did this
for the last two years. What happened to his family? The children
suffered.
KELVIN LING WAI PING
IN RESPONSE to the proposal to set up a casino in Sentosa to make
Singapore a more attractive travel destination, I urge the authorities
to tread carefully. Hong Kong, for instance, has increasingly recognised
that gambling is a fiercely addictive activity, and that an addiction
to it plagues a considerably large proportion of its population.
Such is the government's concern that numerous campaigns have been
implemented to educate the public on the dire consequences of gambling
addiction, and particularly how it could, very possibly, adversely
affect one's family and loved ones.
The way Hong Kong deals with the problem of gambling addiction is
not unlike how we discourage drug abuse. Prime-time television programming
is peppered with campaign advertisements which inform viewers of the
far-reaching consequences of their gambling habits. Viewers are also
reminded that a counselling service and hotline are available for
addicted individuals. Clearly, such action was taken because it is
a serious problem; many an individual's dalliance with gambling has
spiralled out of control, with dire conse-quences.
Closer to home, there is much value, and truth, in urban legends and
grandmothers' tales of how gamblers lost their home and family. Singapore's
largely Asian population is not unlike Hong Kong's. Culturally, we
are very similar. We both share an inherent enthusiasm for food, shopping
- and gambling.
Although Hong Kong's gambling problems are not solely casino-linked,
the scale ought to be a warning to us. Are we ready to deal with the
numerous social problems which would follow from making gambling even
more accessible than it already is, and on a larger scale? Would introducing
a casino lead to problems which we have largely avoided, quite successfully,
by restricting legalised gambling to its current forms?
JONATHAN WONG SHOOU-HUANG |
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