Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Compassionate Fines

Someone once said that Singapore is a “fine” city. We have a fine for littering, a fine for jay-walking, a fine for late payment of taxes, a fine for traffic offences and a fine for paying a fine late.

It is all right to have fines to impose discipline on the people. This is how Singapore gets the reputation of being a clean, orderly and safe city. It has its advantages.

However, in their zeal, the authorities may forget that their manner of imposing the fine can cause additional unintended hardship.

Read more about my article in the Online Citizen.
http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/
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3 comments:

Weng Mao Fa said...

"Middle-age is truly depressing, study finds" (Reuters.com 29 Jan 2008)

http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSL2957448420080129

May 28, 2008 6:05 PM
Weng Mao Fa said...

My foreign friend pick-up me at an Airport. She has no driving licence. "What would happen if caught by Traffic Police?" I asked. She reply: " give the Police 200 Bhat" ! I told her I have International Driving Permit issued by AA. She reply again: " give the Police 100 Bhat in this case". !! It is negotiable !!!

In other developing nations, there are too many this kind of "fine". You check with any Businessmen doing business in third world countries, they will tell you more stories of "undertable fine" or "coffee money".

May 28, 2008 6:35 PM
Weng Mao Fa said...

Are those fraudulent police who collect "coffee money" underpaid? No, they are well paid with good welfare plus life long pension. Why? " 人为财死,鳥为食亡 The life of human and bird are for MONEY and food respectively", this is an answer for it. This was also an answer for my primary six Chinese Exam in 1970 ! Thanks to my Chinese teacher who want me to memmorize it.

What is the different between human and bird?

May 28, 2008 8:16 PM

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