Forum: Excerpts from readers' letters

Well-deserved honour for pioneer

The report of Dr Oon Chiew Seng getting an honorary degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) is admirable (NUS honours 104-year-old pioneer gynaecologist, Jan 13).

She has indeed achieved much and deserves the honour.

However, why did it take so long - when she is now 104 years old - to be given the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters?

I am glad that she was able to personally attend and receive this recognition.

Jennie Cheong


Educate public on feeding wildlife

I have noticed this fascination people here have with feeding wildlife, such as wild jungle fowl, fish and turtles.

When I tell people not to feed them, some get offended and defensive. When I explain that these animals are able to find food in their own habitats, and that what they are feeding them, such as white bread, is not suitable and is unhealthy, I get looks of disbelief.

How can we educate the population to understand how the ecosystems of nature work?

Tan Bee Chin


Hard to produce a Singapore Elon Musk

It is hard for Singapore to produce an Elon Musk of Tesla or a Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook as we have conformist tendencies and we are cut from the same cloth (Call for employers to shake off bias and hire, train mature workers, Jan 13).

These individuals are products of the Silicon Valley ecosystem which Singapore has been trying to emulate. The pool and depth of talent matter, supported by the market and ecosystem.

We have been able to attract Eduardo Saverin (a co-founder of Facebook) and Dyson to our shores, and this achievement is cause for celebration.

Hua Tye Swee

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