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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?
Siti Maimunah 24/03/2004 10:08:45AM
The conversion of the Southern Islands into a world class Casino should
be done with comprehensive study on the impact that this may have
on future generations of Singaporeans Please consider the following:
1. Reclamation of the Southern Islands will greatly affect the ecosystem
including the wonderful and rare marine life found there
2. With the destruction of marine life, future generations of Singaporean
will not get to appreciate and enjoy all the marvellous marine life
at our doorstep, instead they will have to go to far away places like
Tioman, Great Barrier Reef to see such wonderful creatures and lifes
under the sea
3. Reclamation will cause sedimentation and greatly upset the water
quality around these islands, hence this will affect the fishes and
surrounding living things. You'll be amazed at the great number of
marine species that Singapore water harbours
4. The southern islands will be turned into the playground for the
rich and famous. How about us, heartlanders? we will lose our islands
and yet we don't get to enjoy this playground built using taxpayer's
money
5. The presence of a casino on Singapore soil may promote negative
lifestyle for the young and impressionables. Older Singaporeans may
find themselves "donating" their hard earned money to this government-approved
gambling den.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Zaki Jalil 24/03/2004 10:40:22AM
The idea needs to be soberly evaluated. Economic reasons are cited
for the building of the casino without any regards to the ethical
handling of the fragile ecosystems that exist there, as if economic
objectives and conservation objectives are mutually exclusive. Why
can't we have both?
Perhaps the authorities should study if there is an alternative to
the proposed casino. If ecotourism is not glaring enough a possibility,
why not consider developing edu-tourism instead?
I'm sure, students of the region would find our southern islands'
wonderful and unique composition of marine life and the ability to
study in 'Uniquely Singapore', interesting and attractive enough for
them to consider to come to Singapore and spend some years of their
life either as an undergrad or to do postgraduate research. Zaki
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
-- 24/03/2004 10:52:39AM
I do not disagree with having a casino in Singapore: at best it would
boost the tourist industry, help Singapore shed its stereotype of
being straitjacketed, add vibrancy to the nightlife, etc.
However, I strongly disagree with building one on the Southern islands.
No doubt a casino would bring far greater returns to the economy than
a bunch of islands whose coral reefs aren't too spectacular anyway.
What better way to cash in on our tropical location? We've got the
sun, sea, sand, no sangria, no surf but we can have Atlantis 2. (Atlantis:
the Bahamas resort which BG George Yeo held up as worthy of emulation.)
One problem is that our cost-benefit analysis in making such decisions
is too coldly economic. Saving Singapore's last preserve of natural
coastal/marine environment teeters on a much lower rung of priority
than reviving Singapore's downturning tourist industry, because the
latter rakes in significantly more revenue. But any human development
would cause irreversible, long-term damage to an ecologically valuable
area. We should appreciate what little of Nature we have left ourselves;
its value is all the greater for being intangible.
The shining beacon of Atlantis conveniently throws a concealing shadow
over the environmental impact of such large-scale projects -- much
pollution occurs during construction and after that, if waste is not
properly treated and disposed of; beach features, mangroves and mudflats
cannot adapt to rapid changes and will be eroded away (Sungei Buloh
Nature Reserve is currently facing this problem -- its mangrove swamp
requires constant reforestation because it is too small in area to
be self-sustaining); coral reefs, also terribly sensitive, will die,
taking along with them a diversity of marine fauna and millennia of
geological heritage.
A casino can surely find an alternative location. Sentosa perhaps,
since it is already so developed, with all the necessary tourist amenities
and accommodation; its glitz would also be in line with the Sentosa-Cove-for-yacht-owners
theme.
It is highly ironic that we lay claim to a first-world status while
lacking the environmental awareness and conscience of other developed
countries. Development cannot be measured simply in economic terms;
it must be paralleled by progress of the society's maturity in its
priorities, paradigms and culture.
Loosening up a little and giving leeway for a casino may be somehow
indicative of such social progress; why negate it with a blatant lack
of environmental concern?
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Teo 24/03/2004 10:53:40AM
I strongly support BG Yeo's idea of a casino. coral and marine life
saving and weakened morals are weak ground against a casino setup.
a well-regulated casino is actually contributing to the maturity and
prosperity of a society. its benefits far far outweight all the concerns.
with common access to internet, there is nothing that anyone cannot
access. should we also restrict access to casino websites ? we must
compete and be sensitive to global demand to build a land of opportunities
including a casino or more casinos. let move on to conquer and build
land of opportunies with setup of casino.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
JTC 24/03/2004 04:59:48PM
we need to build casino in the furthest southern island. Sentosa is
too Singaporean. a casino needs raw island like Sentosa Cove to rebrand
as an exotic casino gateway for the rich and famous. with more reclamation
just like Jurong Island, Sentosa Cove will grow into a casino island
of Asia. kudos to BG Yeo.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Faridah Ali 24/03/2004 04:44:46PM
Sure, Why not..Build it on Sentosa if you have to. As it is Sentosa
is a very dead place.The guys there have to come up with lots of gimmick
to force people to come. So, if you have to, build it there. There
are absolutely nothing that attracts visitors to Sentosa, if the government
thinks that Casinos will attract people to Singapore, then might as
well do it there.You can make the island exclusive for the rich and
famous. I know lots of Singaporeans will not care if we don't get
to go there. My children will definitely not miss the place.
Why ruin the other islands? Isnt ruining Sentosa enough? Havent we
learn that no one wants man made plastic island? Can you imagine 'Survivor
Sentosa'? Every year we flock to natural beautiful island in other
parts of Asia, we dont go to clean man made Sentosa. Have you seen
the beautiful marine life that are on the island? Cant we develop
something base on nature for once? Can we tell the people that we
have this beautiful island with all the marine life for the people
of Singapore to be proud of, to study, research, learn? It seems the
govenment are so keen to scrap every single natural, wild place and
replace it with neatly plant trees, buildings, golf courses, shopping
centres, foodcourt and now Casinos...
I am asking the government to for once to think of a way to make money
from nature! I know we Singaporeans must make money, we cant live
without it,(no wonder we are not making babies) so can you please...use
the nature areas that we have and do this ecotourist thingy.
For the sake of the future of Singapore,I plead the government to
rethink.I have every confidence in Singapore Government to come up
with anything that they put their hearts, mind(and pocket) too.
Faridah
- you are crazy, where got pristine clean water in Singapore!
kongct 24/03/2004 05:02:42PM
Aiyah, Kakak, we live in a concrete city lar. The water is dirty with
the fuel oil discharge of the city in the sea lar. Kakak, you forgot
Singapore is the world largest port lar! I still say an attaction
based on our Singapore history, maybe some cook up version!
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Citizen 24/03/2004 05:39:57PM
Having a casino may benefit tourism to a small extent but harm to
the city-state to a large extent.
First and foremost, as noted by many, gambling is not an encourageable
act. No only will it send a wrong impression to the young, it seems
to promote addictable gambling on a lrge scale. This form of damage
could be irreversible just like being on drugs.
Secondly, although I believe that the government would do its utmost
best in preventing organised crime but the risk remains high. Just
like the black markets of toto and 4D that are still rampant in Singapore,
organised gambling could become a potential economical/social problem.
One thing to note is that the stability and security of life in Singapore
is an highly important factor what atrracts immigrants and keeps citizens.
If organized gambling ever gets out of hand, it may disrupt the peaceful
life here.
Last but not least, the gambling casino set up may also disrupt the
biota at/near the location. The fragile ecosystems of coral and etc
are rather vunerable and with increase of vistors due to the casino,
we can foresee the harm to our natural heritage. We may lose our other
natural habitats such as that in Chek Jawa and have already lost much
of our rainforest. Hopefully, this man-caused harm to our environment
would stop.
In conclusion, I do hope that the government may reconsider the decision
and that the casino idea would be put away.
A
Casino in Singapore?
Singlishman 24/03/2004 06:33:16PM
WoW! I feel that it is a very good idea to have a casino on Sentosa.
I do feel that the Sentosa Development management should consider
replacing the the site of unpopular attraction with the casino. Lets
have a great game yet protect the original nature landscape of sentosa
You
don't need to use casinos to attract tourists.
lim 24/03/2004 06:43:24PM
As a businessman, i do see the concern of the government to aquire
new means to prime/stimulate our economy given the mature state of
our economy. However, glarmourising gambling in whatever manners should
not be allowed. The government will lose it moral mandate in the next
generation and i don't see how they are able to command a strong respect
from the people like what they are enjoying now. There are better
and safer ways to improve the competitiveness of our nation without
suffering the repercussion of opening our policies. Some suggestions:
1. Build a world-class exotic theme park (Dubai) where not only gamblers,
but also families that can enjoy themselves. And you can include the
whole population of singapore and not just tourist to particpate instead
of a casio where only high net worth local individuals are allows.
2. For a world-class exotic theme park to be attractive, we will indirectly
need to maintain our natural ecosystem. so now we are receiving revenue
from tourists and protecting the environment. Some form of creative
architechure design is neccessary to blend the park with our ecosystem.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Yeo 24/03/2004 07:37:06PM
BG Yeo has my utmost support for developing Sentosa Cove. Singapore
is a small place. we must try to reclaim as much land as possible
to enlarge our space. we must build a tourist hub in southern island
to attract top tourist dollars. what is the point of having nature
reserve when our citizens are unemployed and starving. without tourist
revenue, how can govt give incentives to boost our birth rate ? casino
business is a thinkable and profitable venture.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
just jane 24/03/2004 10:59:51PM
It is a distressing indication of the state of our economy when our
normally prudish government is toying with the idea of sacrificing
precious land to a casino in order to boost the economy. Well, the
good news is that our government officers are finally seen to be doing
some "creative, out-of-the-box thinking".
Another good thing is that, as the battle between the (devil's) advocate
and protestant rages on, the existence of our Southern Islands is
being brought to the public's attention before the bulldozers do more
damage to the rehabilitating ecosystem there. The Southern Islands
are left relatively undeveloped while frenzy construction is being
carried out on the mainland. (Really, do we NEED that many houses,
factories and identical shopping malls? but that's another issue..)
This has given the marine ecosystem a chance to gain a foothold, albeit
small.
Some may feel that the Souhern Islands may not be worth conserving
as a nature reserve but it's the best place in Singapore to give nature
a real opportunity to develop. Rather than building an elitist playground
for the rich, why not have a treasure trove that can be enjoyed by
all and for generations to come? Besides, ecotourism can be another
revenue generator.
What's that again about Singaporeans knowing the price of everything
but the value of nothing?
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
plain truth 24/03/2004 11:29:00PM
if our millions dollars Zoo,Bird Park,Sentosa and Esplanade can't
do the trick, what can a nature reserve or ecosystem do ? a tourist
spot need to be world class before anyone will recommend and talk
about it. can our nature of Southern islands beat our regional neighbours
? in term of their big size,it already beats our southern islands
flat.
don't dream or kid yourself. no tourist will ever notice about our
nature reserve after visiting nature reserves in Malaysia and Indonesia.
the only world class thing is not our land or nature reserve, it is
our people who is truly world class. it is the service and idea that
make Singapore world class.
it is the idea of casino and our service standard that will bring
fame and glory to Singapore.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Betty Ho 25/03/2004 05:15:59PM
Having a casino is Singapore is uplifting her status to international
level. Even Indonesia & Malaysia, being Muslim countries, also have
casinos.So why the restriction and deprivation for Singaporean.In
Singapore you can't get much entertainment. The casino will be value-added
to boost our tourism. But of course there must be certain restrictions
for Singaporean or else they will be addicted to the gambling activities
and we will have broken marriages and sucides. After all most Singaporean
will spend their holiday in Genting Highland, USA or Australia where
they have casino entertainment. If we have a casino here money will
be spent in Singapore and not out of Singapore.
reply
to Betty Ho
Anonymous 25/03/2004 08:05:31PM
Hi there Betty, For your info, Indonesia does not have a Casino. Yes
Malaysia has one at Genting, built high up on the mountain. But not
built at the expense of rare and valuable marine life. Singapore has
already uplifted her status to international level, she does not need
a Casino to do it.
You said in Singapore you can't get much entertainment, have you tried
going to the southern islands to see the lovely nature stuff there.
Yes, the casino will be value-added to boost our tourism, what at
what expense? Think long term.
There are many nature loving tourists. You can attract them to our
shores by the beauty of our southern islands
You expressed fear that addiction to the gambling activities may cause
broken marriages and sucides. Yes you are right to fear that. I do
not agree that most Singaporean will spend their holiday in Genting
Highland, USA or Australia where they have casino entertainment. Then
where will you leave the children?
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
curious 25/03/2004 08:32:33AM
Hi fellow feedback writers I just wonder, do the relevant authorities
read any of our feedback? Or are we just penning our opinions down
for fellow citizens to read but not the people who really need to
know how we feel? Remember the last fare hike. They still went ahead
with the fare hike even though citizens hope otherwise Really guys,
Casino in the Southern islands bring big really big bucks to our government
coffers - they need that money to cover up the loses in their other
white elephant projects.
But fellow writers who are for the idea, could you go down to the
Kusu, Lazarus, Sisters islands and really really have a look at the
wonderful marine life and serene, family friendly environment there
and then only tell me you still think building a casino there is good
for our children and their children
Seriously guys, look at the long term consequence of reclamation and
conversion of these last natural piece of Singapore. Cosidering its
small area, the number of rare and lovely animal and plant species
support Singapore green policy. So why change now? Is it for the money.
Don't the govt get more than enough from COE, GST, maid levy etc etc
?
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Blue Water Volunteers 25/03/2004 07:54:13PM
We refer to the posting by Mr K C Ong on 23/03/2004
09:52:09AM. We would like to clarify that Mr Ong is not a member
of the Blue Water Volunteer (BWV) committee and his views do not represent
those of the BWV. We will however be posting our views very shortly.
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Nick Baker 25/03/2004 02:50:46PM
It doesn't make sense to me that Nature Areas like Portsdown Road
and the Southern Islands have to put up with more development ...
while large areas of land in Marina South and Marina East lie unused.
I don't care about a casio ... if people want to waste their money,
that's up to them ... but why not put it down in Marina South ?
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
kai 26/03/2004 08:58:21PM
i am on for the idea of a casino, cos from what i gather many locals
go overseas to gamble. even if they dun go overseas, they go underground.
in the past the govt already legalise horse betting, toto, 4D. this
help to reduce chance of pple doing illegal betting. now can even
bet on soccer games liao, no need for bookie anymore. so to reduce
number of pple going against the law by gambling underground, govt
set up casino to legalise gambling, luggy best.
regarding those who worry abt future generation, i dun think there
is a need, cos anyway population is reducing really fast, there wun
be much of next generation to talk about in a few more years. anyway,
it is the family that teaches the next generation, not the government
or schools. watever value one want the future generation to have,
the parents shld do the job of teaching the children. so it is up
to the parents to teach their kids abt the bad influence of gambling
and casino. wat the govt can do is to set the age limit for the pple
working there and pple who go to gamble there, like how they set limit
for RA shows. but hink it is useless too, kids nowadays can get hold
of many X discs easily.
wat i feel sad is that southern islands is going to be used, i juz
hope the govt or pple can try to salvage as much natural landscape
as possible. cos there is nothing much left of our natural landscape
liaoz.
one last thing, for those who really care abt the future generations,
you all better do something abt teaching your kids. whether you are
parents or not, pls wake up your ideas, it is the parents' and families'
responsiblity to teach and groom your children to watever you want
them to be. dun wait for schools or the govt to help clean up after
you make a mess of everything
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Lai CF 26/03/2004 09:10:18PM
Dear Chua Siew Chin, BWW and the "Green" Party,
More than 5 years agao. Pamela Lee (STB) presented her grand idea
to merge all the Southern Islands and developed it in the image of
Capri. It was supposed to be standalone proudly with no link to mainland
and again, mean for the "Rich & Famous" only. Casino then was a definitely
no-no. (More details on this project)
Today, BG Yeo announced it will be in the mode of Atlantis, a luxurious
family-oriented resort for everybody, including the R & F, and of
course, the gamblers. He also announced a land link maybe build.
Why at Sentosa Cove? I can only speculate it is to boost land sales
of course. Just watch the forthcoming land-parcels and observe how
many "gamblers" will rush in and bid-up the prices.
During the SARS saga, Koh Boon Wan personally shot-down the very idea
of a casino in Singapore. Why did BG Yeo brought up this idea now?
And start "public consultation" on this matter? I suggest that Sentosa
had already in hand a "firm" proposal to build a multi-billion 6-star
international resort with a casino as the linchpin. In this depressed
economic situation, will Gov't passed up this opportunity for a direct
multi-billion "foreign fund" injection into Singapore Economy?
Shall we sell our souls? Shall we listen to PAS and get our rewards
in Paradise with all those perpetually-virginal houris in attendance?
RE:
A Casino in Singapore?
Chua Siew Chin 26/03/2004 12:45:58PM
More reclamation at the Southern Islands to build an international
resort and maybe even a casino? Somehow this is reminiscent of the
conflict between golf courses and rainforests ? sacrificial of natural
areas for recreational purposes that will probably serve only a minority.
Perhaps many people are unaware, but we do have rich coral reefs in
Singapore, and most of them are located in the southern islands. Reclamation
works at southern islands will destroy the reefs at the affected islands,
and the resulting heavy sedimentation will smoother the remaining
corals. Land reclamation, dredging and coastal development have already
destroyed over 65% of our total reef area. Granted that economic needs
have taken precedence over conservation of natural resources in the
past, but there should be at least an effort to try to balance development
and conservation at present. Allow some lives to strive in our water.
And even if the corals have to go, let it be for something more than
a casino. Land is scare in Singapore, doesn't that make natural resources
such as coral reefs and rainforests rarer, and more to be treasured?
Do we really want to destroy the nature at our doorstep and deprive
future generations from such wonders? |
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