MR FECHNER'S comments are myopic. The two officers involved should be praised for their quick assessment of the situation and cool-headedness. Mr Fechner's comment that the gallant action of the officers was 'reckless and irresponsible' is without substance. I encountered desperate armed criminals a few times in my police career. I had to make a split-second decision, knowing full well I would have had to justify why I had to shoot. Similarly, the officers involved in the shooting of Lim Bock Song must justify their actions at a coroner's inquiry.

I REFER to Thursday's article, 'HK closes all primary schools as flu claims three lives'. It is disheartening to know the ones affected by this flu outbreak are innocent children. There are really no words to describe the parents' grief over the loss of a child.

IN 1977, my husband and I went to the United States on an exchange programme. When we settled into a pleasant town, Scarsdale in New York, a local representative was quick to make us feel at home. He invited us to his church and his home and I was invited to give a talk about Singapore.

I cannot understand the motives of a few Malaysian political leaders who would occasionally say that 'what had happened to the Malays in Singapore could happen to Malays in Malaysia'.

RECENTLY, I was having lunch at KFC Far East Plaza when a group of St Joseph's Institution (SJI) students came in. They were rowdy, like many teenagers, so I thought nothing more of it. After all, boys will be boys. However, before long, I noticed something intriguing. In the midst of all the noise they generated, I saw Chinese, Malay, Indian and Caucasian boys in the group and they were all obviously 'colour blind'. It was a multicultural group but, remarkably, they were interacting interculturally.

Such insensitivity has no place, and should not be tolerated.

LAST Monday, Secondary 1 students who were part of the Band Camp from Anglican High School, reported to school at 7am. Activities were still going on at 8pm. Because of the wet weather, a tug-of-war event was moved - to the school canteen in the middle of long tables and benches.

MR LOW Kwok Mun of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) made what I thought was a pointed speech at the Life Insurance Association annual lunch on Wednesday.

RECENTLY due to work commitment, I had to commute to work during the morning peak hour by bus (I normally take the train to the office). I was utterly annoyed with many passengers who refused to move to the rear of the bus. I have some suggestions for the bus transport company.

AS A cyclist, I was happy to read the report on the issue raised in Parliament by several MPs on the need for a comprehensive system of cycling tracks islandwide. While the Land Transport Authority's claim about the lack of necessary space for a separate cycling lane is understandable, I would like to use the example of Cambridge, United Kingdom, to illustrate how this problem can be circumvented.

I HAVE to agree with Ms Sarah Sun-Campbell in her letter on Wednesday, 'Help me and my baby, says mother with pram', regarding the dangers posed by cyclists riding on footpaths. In some other countries, this is illegal and for good reason. Clearly pedestrians sharing pavements with cyclists poses a problem.

I WISH to relate an experience while patronising a store in popular Sim Lim Square. I bought a Playstation Portable (PSP) Slim by Sony from the salesman. He wrote out a statement of invoice upon receipt of payment on which I signed, stating clearly my purchase details.

I ACCOMPANIED a friend to register for the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) sponsored basic computer course for senior citizens conducted by SAGE-CDAC IT Centre at Toa Payoh West. There is no bus service there and it is quite a distance, about 300m, to walk from Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.

MY HOME number is 63100100. We registered this number some seven years ago. We received (especially this past week) no fewer than 30 calls a day meant for Republic Poly since it changed its customer service hotline to 31001001. Many callers wanting to reach the hotline simply append a 6 in front of the hotline and ended up calling us. I hope the poly can do something to resolve this.

WHILE the Government advocates a good work-life balance and even went on a spree to get Singaporeans to give birth, these signals have not been met by some employers. They demand so much more out of the eight or nine hours at work that it often leaves people staying up till close to midnight to meet deadlines.

WE REFER to Thursday's online letter by Ms Oun Hui Peng, 'Puzzling gym bill in card statement". After investigations, we found that the transaction was not fraudulent as the gym bill was charged to Ms Oun's card by someone she had passed her card to. We had since recommended that Ms Oun sought police assistance with this matter.