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What
people say about the Southern shores
and plans for its development
Feedback Unit, Government Consultation
Portal
What are your views on the setting up of
a casino in Singapore?
A selection of responses that mentioned the reefs and wildlife
of the Southern shores
23 Mar and earlier | 24-26
Mar | 27-30 Mar | 31
Mar-8 Apr | 9-12 Apr | 15-16
Apr | The
full thread
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Stefan 27/03/2004 09:56:59PM
As a visitor from Germany who has been to Singapore quite a few times,
I'd like to say a few words to all of you who think that it's not
worth to safe the still remaining nature reserves in Singapore and
instead build a casino.
It's true, Singapore is a concrete city already, and this is not really
a nice look. The few nature reserve areas which are still there like
Bukit Timah, Pulau Ubin and Chek Jawa and all the other small islands
around the main island with all their corals and marine life are a
real treasure to Singapore, which Singapore should appreciate.
I was very happy to be able to see that within all this concrete there
is still a natural place one could enjoy seeing, a place to get out
of the city noise.
Do you really think that people like me who have never been to the
tropics before I came to Singapore are delighted to see a concrete
city with casinos? Do you think that a casino really attracts tourists?
Sorry, but we can have that anywhere else in the world too, and it's
definitely not what a tourist coming to Singapore wants.
Think about what really is special about Singapore. What is really
world class about Singapore is that as one of the biggest centers
of trading in the world with so many million people on such a small
island Singapore is still able to do the splits and have the combination
of nature and business life.
If you really think that you need a casino, why not open it in the
city center where money rules life anyway?
Of course Singapore has a real space problem, but the more important
it is that Singapore preserves a bit of life quality with preserving
the nature reserves it still has. Once you have destroyed the last
piece of nature around Singapore, foreign business people, visitors
and tourists will want to leave Singapore as quickly as possible.
A casino won't change anything there.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Anonymous 27/03/2004 10:44:01PM
the key motive of casino is to attract the rich and famous. nature
reserve,corals and marine life cannot attract the rich and famous.
rich and famous will bring top tourist dollar to Singapore. its multiplier
effect can be billion dollars.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Lai CF 28/03/2004 10:57:49AM
"The casino may form part of the many attractions on a proposed international
island resort on Sentosa Cove." Southern Islands had already been
destroyed by on-going land reclamation work. Plus a sewage treatment
plant will be built at these Southern Islands.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Anonymous 28/03/2004 01:23:14PM
how many visit southern islands for marine life ? maybe a few thousands
per year ? how many tourists visit a full-developed southern islands
? maybe a million tourists per year ?
it is totally unjustified and irresponsible to our taxpayers to preserve
southern islands for a few thousands visitors as compared to a million
tourists per year. thus,to create value for our taxpayers, preserving
marine life can be ruled out as a reason for not developing southern
islands. with a casino, the benefits can be multiplied. arguing for
marine life sake cannot be justified.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
enuf 29/03/2004 05:30:42PM
Building a casino has its pros and cons. However im more concern about
the implicit yet negative effects it will have on our future young
singaporeans.
It may mean big business however in the long term, it may arise to
social ills and bring about moral degradation to a civilized society.
Gambling is a social habit and if most of the population is made up
of the middle class society, most likely gambling money will have
to make up most of the income they bring home..families and friends
will most likely be the 'victims' of the addicted gambler, in his
'thirst' for the big jackpot.
On the other hand...our future generation will most probably benefit
if the southern islands are preserved in their natural state of habitat.
School children and adults can learn more about the ecosystem and
thus enriching their lives through outdoor appreciation and come to
understand that life will be more wholesome and is much more meaningful
than just the business of making money. These are the positive intrinsic
values that it will bring if singapore makes the effort to conserve
whatever natural habitat that is left.
We are running against time...the world is aging and it is up to us...to
make the place for our future generation a positive one.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Anonymous 29/03/2004 08:24:12PM
PLEASE! No thank you..if we kill whatever few coral life we left around
our island, we will be killing the opportunity of future generations
to enjoy Natures beauty and many sea creatures who depend upon this
small patch of coral reefs. We owe it to tomorrows world to leave
this world a better place.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
manson 29/03/2004 11:04:44PM
If the casino is built on sentosa island. It must contribute a percentage
of it profit to protect and safe-guard the island natural coral reef
and the plants and insects on the island.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
HoeBian 29/03/2004 11:04:50PM
A casino would bring in revenue and create jobs. I do not deny this
fact. But the question i want to raise is : Yes. A casino does bring
in the $$, but is that the best idea the govt could come up with to
boost the economy?? If thats so, i do think its time for us to re-evaluated
the credibility of their leadership.
To the hardcore gamblers out there, do not hide behind the excuse
of " Casino's good because it boosts the country's economy". Admit
it, you guys are just attracted to the possibilty of satisfying your
gambling addiction without the need to travel out of Singapore. Developing
an eco-tourism site in the area will also bring in the tourists money
and create jobs, but i doubt you guys would even type a single word
to support this cause. Ask your foreigner friends, i believe that
they will tell you that they have less interest in visting a casino
in Singapore compared to you guys. Anyway, this paragraph is only
directed at those who are guilty, if you do take offense, chances
are that i have uncovered your real agenda.
As for the impending demise of the eco-life in that area, the trend
i've noticed is that decision makers have kept using the incident
of Chek Jawa as a shield. They have "saved" Chek Jawa, does it give
them the liberty to destroy whats left of other natural areas in Singapore?
That's the impression i get from you decision makers. Stop using the
"saving" of chek jawa to justify your encroachment into other nature
areas.
Check your Singapore Green Plan, you made a promise to accord Singaporeans
a percentage of green areas; its ok if you are still far away from
this traget, but i dont see how killing the marine life around the
proposed casino site brings us any closer to the fufillment of this
promise. Unless all along, the "green" you have promised so often
was actually refering to the US tourists money.
In the past, environmental disasters around the world have occured
basically due to human ignorance and greed. It is indeed sad if it
have to be up to the public to plea with the government not to commit
the same mistake. Sadder still if the government chooses to ignore
the pleas.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
BoBian 29/03/2004 11:42:59PM
compared to eco-tourism,casino is definitely the better idea. casino
can generate bilion dollars' revenue and benefit millions of Singaporeans.
eco-tourism can never match this feat and it may only benefit a few
thousands of eco-visitors.
why should govt give up helping millions of Singaporeans to preserve
eco-life for a few thousands eco-enthusiasts ? university graduates
have to become taxi drivers, hawkers,cleaners,nurses and health assistants
to earn a living, what can an eco-life do for them ? only casino can
provide more economic activities for them.
it is either a choice to slaughter the sacred cow (eco-life) to feed
your family or let your family starve to preserve eco-life. casino
is definitely the undisputed choice for the govt.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Gavin 30/03/2004 04:40:32PM
Building a casino is definitely a boast in the economy, but sacrificing
the natural beauty, is it worth it? One has to consider that mother
nature cannot be replaced easily once it is destroyed. It is priceless...
The damage is done and cannot be reversed on the ecosystem.
For a casino, besides the income it genereates, how abt the detrimental
effect that it brings along also, on the society and the culture?
Would you want your child to grow up in a society that appreciates
$$ more than nature itself?
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
HoeBian 30/03/2004 05:54:45PM
I can understand if there are people who are uncomfortable with putting
their real names with their posting, but at least the decent thing
to do is not to take liberties of the names of those who do.
Casino may be a choice, but as the ONLY UNDISPUTED choice for the
government? I'll be worried if thats the BEST they can come up with
to boost economy. If we dare to claim certain things (eco-life, morality,
security )to be sacred, then we have a responsibilty to protect them,
even more so in difficult times. If the decision makers were to sacrifice
these things so readily, lets not kid ourselfs, money would the ultimate
sacred object here.
I'm resigned to the fact that the casino will be built regardless
of whatever feedback is provided here. Opening this issue for dissusion
so late in its development phase precisely shows how seriously any
negative feedback would be taken. What we are now interested in:
1) Any mitigating programmes to reduce the impacts building the casino
has on the surrounding environment?
2) Any plans to develop eco-tourism (IF theres any eco left) in that
area, TOGETHER with the seting up of the casino? If infrastructure
can be built to cater to the expected influx of tourists, why not
take an addtional small step of creating marine attractions (eg. top
class dive sites)? Why not broaden the project's appeal to both people
who want to gamble and people who are interested in nature?
3) An environmental impact assessment should have been done on the
project, but was it? The decision makers should have expected sections
of the public to raise their environmental concerns, why won't they
use this report to convince u? Was the report not done? or was it
not credible enough to support the building of the casino? To those
who keep insisting that reclamation works will have neglible impacts
on the marine environment, try dumping a bag of clay into your aquarium.
Given the atrocious attitudes we have towards the sea and natural
environment in Singapore, it is ironic that we still try to promote
ourselves to tourists as a green, island nation.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
BoBian 30/03/2004 06:08:58PM
if casino can coexist with eco-life, it should be a win-win situation.
govt should look into this and create a land of opportunities for
casino and eco-life. however, if it is inevitable to choose either
casino or eco-life but not both, then casino should take precedent
over eco-life.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Siti 30/03/2004 08:05:55PM
I was really shocked upon hearing this from the news. Iam not an anti-casino.
However, there are some disadvantages on setting up a Casino in Singapore.
First and foremost, I would like to touch on the issues of depleting
nature beauty in Singapore. Do you think that the lives of Singaporeans
have been filled with the polutions caused by urbanisation that at
times it would be really be good to be somewhere away from the hustle
and bustle of the city? Do you think we should preserve such places
so that our children are not deprived of being in such places where
they can admire and learn about the nature and the corals that are
available in Chek Jawa? Singapore is already lacking of such good
places where we can really adventure.
Where else can we go? Of course, we can go to places like Gunung Ledang
in Malaysia but this is our homeland. Aren't we proud to see such
corals in Singapore rather than paying a larger amount of money to
go to our neighbour?
Of course those who are not a nature lover would not agree with me
but do consider. Is it worth it to build a casino where people gambles
and lost money? Those who lost money may eventually have financial
problems. These financial problems may lead to other social problems
such as wife-beatings, quarrels among husbands and wives, more people
involving in loan sharks, more school dropouts due to financial problems
in the family, increasing number of theft and other social problems?
I am not saying that everyone will eventually be like this but it
is possible that more people will be involved.
Wouldn't it be better and more enriching to pay $2 per person to learn
new things about life and nature In addition to that, I do not really
agree that a Casino can improve the economy. If more people are becoming
financially poorer eventually, can we call that economic improvement?
In fact, recently few years ago, it was written that the poorer are
becoming poorer while the richer are becoming richer, do u think that
we should concentrate on improving this gap instead?
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
manson 30/03/2004 08:50:39PM
Building a casino on sentosa island will not affect the eco-life or
the coral around sentosa island if thetre is any coral around.
Singapore lies on a busy shipping line. Thousand of ships passed over
here. The pollution that created and discharge by the ships all year
round will distroy the remaining coral around Singapore. When Jurong
Island and the other smaller islands that have to be development to
be an industrial area. The coral there today exist no more. Do people
than make any effort to stop it. We can't and we knew it. So why make
such an issue now.
A casino is just an building just like any other buildings there.
A casino that well regulated will definately benefit Singapore. Singapore
unlike other countries, our Police Force are not corrupted and effective
in contolling all the vice, secret society or if any trial society
here. A casino will intime be part and parcel of our life-style.
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