Dear Editor: ST’s Forum page is where gripes go public, and sometimes get results

The newspaper clipping in the small photo frame in Mr Jeffrey Law Lee Beng’s Sengkang living room is yellowing, but still a source of pride.

Dated July 21, 2014, it shows Mr Law and his two grandchildren in a profile of him as “Writer of the Week”, a column The Straits Times once ran to spotlight prolific contributors to its Forum page.

The 84-year-old retiree estimates he has had about 1,100 letters published since the 1970s.

Regular readers may recognise his name, but to friends and neighbours, he is simply “Mr Forum Writer”.

“Sometimes, old friends I haven’t met for a long time tell me that when they see my letters, they know I’m still alive and kicking,” jokes Mr Law, a former human resources manager.

His first letter, published in July 1971, defended bus conductors following reader complaints about their behaviour. Back then, he typed his letters on an Olivetti typewriter. Today, he sends them by e-mail.

He is one of thousands of readers over the decades who have made their voices heard in The Straits Times’ letters section.

The paper published its first letter to the editor nearly 180 years ago, on July 29, 1845, in its third issue. The topic? The lack of a competent organist for a newly arrived church organ at St Andrew’s Church.

The anonymous writer, signing off as “A Subscriber”, argued that part of the chaplain’s fees should go towards hiring one. After all, the reader added, there was no reason why the chaplain should consider those fees as his right “unless he wishes to let his flock know that he has as much fondness as they have for the good things of this world”. 

The editor disagreed, stating in a note alongside the letter that the chaplain was fully entitled to those fees.

Letters continued through the years, sometimes under the heading Correspondence. In 1947, a Saturday Forum was introduced to cope with the “enormous number” of letters sent to the Man-in-the-Street column, as it was then called. A dedicated Forum page began appearing daily in late 1979.

A major editorial shift came in 1989: the ban on pseudonyms.

Then editor Leslie Fong announced the change in a June 8 notice, saying it was time more Singaporeans stood up for what they believed in. Real names, he argued, would result in “greater accuracy, sharper arguments and more temperate language”.

Until then, readers could sign off with initials or names like “Three-Legged Chicken”. In a 2012 op-ed reflecting on his move, Mr Fong quipped: “I decided to end this fowl play.”

Today, he stands by that decision. “Readers who want to engage in public discourse must be prepared to put their name to what they wish to say. No anonymity or hiding behind a fictitious name,” says Mr Fong, 76.

The Forum’s popularity continued to grow.

In 2005, an Online Forum was launched to cope with the volume of letters, which surged from about 11,000 in 2000 to nearly 34,000 by 2012.

Explaining the launch of the digital space, then Forum editor Kong Soon Wah said he received up to 70 letters a day but could publish only about a dozen in print. Online Forum uploaded up to 20 more letters daily.

The page evolved to reflect different tones and voices. In 2002, a Bouquets column was launched to highlight positive acts. Voices of Youth began in 2013 as a platform for younger writers. Both features remain part of the Forum today.

“You really feel the pulse of the people and what they are concerned about,” says former Forum editor Angelina Choy. 

A slice of society’s concerns 

Many Forum letters centre on everyday issues like education, housing and traffic.

Education, and language policy, in particular, has long stirred debate, most notably after the 1979 Goh Keng Swee Report proposed sweeping reforms such as streaming and moral education.

Even seemingly trivial topics, such as price discrepancies for mouth gargle in 2004, reflect lived frustrations.

Over time, the Forum has become a window into how Singapore has evolved, and how some issues persist in new forms.

In 1878, a reader using the name “Orang Puteh” questioned road rules for bullock carts. Fast forward, and the modern equivalents – shared bikes and personal mobility devices (PMDs) – continue to spark debate. For the record, PMDs topped Forum topics in 2019.

Veteran contributor Chin Kee Thou, 76, writes to flag things he feels are “not right”. Since 2006, the retired head of trade finance at a foreign bank has had nearly 400 letters published in various newspapers, raising concerns from poor mobile signals to park maintenance.

One of his letters on the “appalling” condition of MacRitchie Reservoir Park led to prompt action from national water agency PUB and the National Parks Board (NParks), a reminder that these letters can make a real difference.

Ms Choy, 64, says that differing views add value to the page, as readers often write in to respond to others. She looked for thoughtful, well-argued letters, ideally with a personal angle. “It may be their own story but it can also resonate with other people who may be in the same boat,” she adds.

The Forum continues to serve as a public sounding board, prompting responses from government agencies and organisations. About one in six letters published in 2024 were replies.

Agencies like the Ministry of Education, the Singapore Food Agency and NParks say the Forum offers them a way to clarify policies, address misconceptions and stay attuned to public concerns.

“Where clarification might be required, we may reach out to the writers directly to address their specific concerns in-depth,” adds an NParks spokesperson.

Former Forum editor Mathew Pereira, 67, recalls publishing letters simply to help readers get a response from the authorities. 

Even when government agencies asked him why such letters were published when the issues had previously been dealt with, his approach was clear. “As long as there were people out there who didn’t understand the issue, I was going to run the letter,” he recalls.

Change-makers

Forum letters have sometimes sparked real change.

In 2009, after The Straits Times reported how a bank customer was held liable for about $17,000 in fraudulent credit card charges, more than 100 letters poured in. Two months later, banks reversed their policy and capped customer liability at $100, though no official reason was given.

Letters have triggered parliamentary discussion, such as in 2024 when a reader’s concern about hospital bills drew responses from the Ministry of Health and later Parliament.

Letters have even shaped newsroom policies. A 1991 letter criticising suicide coverage led to an apology from the editor and a shift in how newspapers under the then Singapore Press Holdings group reported such stories.

Some letters have captured key moments in history. In 1985, former president Devan Nair used the Forum to explain why he declined a conditional pension tied to treatment for alcoholism, saying he owed Singaporeans an explanation.

The Forum page holds sentimental value for many readers and contributors.

Former Nominated MP Usha Chandradas says it was always something she and her family would read when she was growing up in the 1980s. In the era before social media, the page gave glimpses into what people were thinking, says the 44-year-old lawyer and co-founder of online magazine platform Plural Art Mag. 

Ms Michelle Chin says she decided to pursue a career in the media after watching her father, veteran contributor Mr Chin, write regularly to the paper. “Some days, he’d spend three to five hours just writing on the computer,” she recalls.

Inspired by his dedication, she joined Singapore Press Holdings after graduating with a biological sciences degree. She spent nine years there, including two as a Straits Times journalist. 

Now a freelance emcee, Ms Chin, who is in her 30s, has started writing to the Forum herself, on topics like housing, employment and social affairs.

The page has also built lasting relationships between writers and editors, including through initiatives like the Forum Writers’ Dialogue (2003 to 2019). Straits Times editor Jaime Ho says there are plans to revive such efforts and reconnect with regular contributors.

The next generation 

Forum letters have become teaching tools in schools.

Since 2019, CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) has used them in Secondary 4 English lessons. Some students have got letters they submitted published. Ms Wendy Lee, head of department for English language and literature, says they get a prize if it’s published but “the real prize is feeling empowered”.

Former CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) student Athena Fong, 17, experienced that pride when her letter on life skills from co-curricular activities was published in March 2024.

Though the volume of letters received has declined to about 20 a day, from 40 to 60 in 2019, the quality remains strong. In 2024, more than 1,200 letters were published, covering topics from government policy to personal experiences.

Long-time contributors like Mr Law continue to write, while making room for new voices.

One such voice is Mr Foo Sing Kheng, 55, who overcame hesitation to write in after seeing a racist advertisement. He has since had more than 155 letters published.

“As a private citizen with no agenda, I believe I can be impartial in my comments, hopefully to bring some thought to Singaporeans and the relevant authorities on crucial issues,” the remisier says.

Younger contributors are also active. Student Jessiree Kwok, 20, has had seven letters published in the Voices of Youth Forum since 2024. She sees it as a more authentic platform than social media.

“Social media can be very filtered and influenced by what my peers are already saying,” she says. “But when I write to The Straits Times, it’s my raw opinion, unaffected by what others say.” 

Ms Chandradas agrees. The Forum’s use of real names and fact-checking encourage accountability. “When people write to the Forum page, they’re very clear about their views and not afraid to stand by them,” she says.

“I could share my views and feedback from the arts community when I was in Parliament and on social media, but not everyone follows parliamentary debates, nor is everyone on the same kind of social media,” she adds.

She also doesn’t have to worry about the social media algorithms that drive content in an echo chamber.

“In this day and age, the diversity of opinions in the Forum page is something very precious.”