Recent events in neighbouring countries (“More states in Malaysia may soon ration water”; last Wednesday and “Daily bombings, shootings in Bangkok”; last Thursday) serve as a timely reminder for us to be grateful for what we have in Singapore.
Time and again, our leaders have reminded Singaporeans not to take things for granted as the peace and prosperity which we have been enjoying thus far are a result of assiduous and ongoing efforts.
For an island state, we are, indeed, the proverbial oasis in the middle of the desert. It is easy to lose track of the realities of our regional geo-political climate when Singaporeans are faced with various frustrations in our daily lives.
While these frustrations remain valid, let us not lose sight of the fact that at the very least, we have clean, drinkable water from our taps 24/7, whereas our counterparts in Malaysia have to make do with water rationing.
Let us also be grateful that we do not have a political stalemate like Thailand which would otherwise paralyse our country.
Let us be grateful that despite frequent MRT service disruptions, at the very least, we have an MRT system.
Imagine life without the MRT and having to put up with traffic gridlock. Just look at cities without a mass rapid transit system and one should appreciate that.
Being thankful for what one has would result in one having more. If we concentrate on what we do not have, we will never have enough.
As part of a larger universe, I am most thankful for what we have in Singapore.
Elgar Lee
* Letter first appeared in ST Forum (3 Mar)