On 4 Nov 2009, Mr. Leong Jun Wei died from a fall on his wedding night. While intoxicated, he wondered into the fire escape staircase and could not get out. The doors were locked due to the fire safety regulations. He tried to climb out through a window and fell to his death. His bride, Kerin Pei, took her life a few months later, as she could not bear the grief and loneliness.
This is an example of a safety regulation that has probably been taken to an impractical limit. Why must the door to the fire escape staircase be kept shut? How many people had ended in the trap faced by Mr. Leong and could not get out? They had been greatly inconvenienced in the interest of "safety" although they did not face the fate of Mr. Leong.
Who weighs the pro and cons of the regulatory measures that are being introduced in the name of "safety"?
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