The "kiasu" culture has led to a lack of originality in the business scene, says a Nominated MP. Is being kiasu all bad or is there some good?

Like all cultures, it is good up to a point. With kiasuism, you are always competitive and watchful of the development around you. You play catch up and even overtake the front runner eventually. The bad side of kiasuism is you never relax.

Loh Wai Poon

Being kiasu is not the same as risk taking. A kiasu person is one who wants to win without ever losing... He needs double safety nets and more government grants. Anything involving uncertainty is never his cup of tea. So, innovations are out for him. A good risk taker uses his head to take calculated risks, not blind risks.

Daniel Loh

If a businessman were truly kiasu, he'd be learning new techniques and technologies to battle the competition...

Instead, our industries prefer to stick to old ways of doing things, even though they are long outdated... They are afraid to take risks and wager their golden rice bowls.

Dare Chia

In today's environment, how and when should parents let their children be aware of the facts of life, as well as death?

When my dad passed on last year in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, it was painful... We let our children be involved in the fear, sadness and, eventually, saying goodbye, by being upfront with the facts and course of action.

When they saw how the adults did it, how the adults took sensitive issues to heart and yet allowed pragmatic events to play out, they learnt.

Walter Loo

As parents, we should tell them that every living thing on earth, including human beings, will one day die. It is inevitable, and all of us are mortal. It is a topic that a person will understand when he is older, not a small child.

Peter Tan

Our three-year-old had her first brush with death when we had to euthanise our cat. The experience was invaluable... In time, she got to understand that separation by death is permanent.

Some children (and probably older ones) can become very emotional, and that's OK. Loving and grieving as a family (and being honest about it) binds people together; we just need to help children process their doubts/feelings.

Felicia Everard