Forum: Society may need more kaypoh Karens to keep it safe

I share senior columnist Tan Dawn Wei’s moral outrage when she witnessed the selfish behaviour of a woman choosing grapes in a supermarket (In defence of the kaypoh Karen, Aug 2). I also applaud her courage and strong civic consciousness in calling out the inappropriate act.

Asians, by nature, avoid conflict. We tend to look the other way, especially if the issue does not concern us. We try to defuse the tension by giving in to the other party’s demands. We may also volunteer a reason for someone’s selfish and reckless behaviour.

But this would only encourage and embolden more self-centred and uncivilised actions.

I remember an incident when a car was reversing to park down a slope, where there was an eatery with a big weekend crowd dining al fresco. The driver was edging closer to the flimsy wooden barricades and was just about a car’s length away when a child shouted “Stop”.

Some adults had noticed the danger too, but nobody wanted to alert anyone. Silence may injure or kill people if nobody wants to be a kaypoh Karen.

So I salute the private-hire driver who reported his young passenger for vaping (‘Grateful to driver who reported me to police’: Ex-Kpod addict who vaped in private-hire car, Aug 2). Kudos to the person who reported a self-radicalised teenager who was plotting a school stabbing (Three self-radicalised S’pore teens detained, including 14-year-old who plotted school stabbing, July 27). They refused to remain silent and chose to be civic-conscious members of society. 

Do not fear being labelled a kaypoh. Sometimes it takes more kaypohs to improve our society and keep it safe.

Foo Sing Kheng