$40 MILLION down the drain? At least that is better, I can go and salvage it out; it is $40 million down the streets of Orchard Road… lost in the crowds, with less that 1% of the people noticing any significant change.
$40 million is a large sum; not to mention it is our money. Try taking a walk at Orchard Road, and decide for yourself, are the changes worth $40 million? Or even $4 million? Well, that is if you can even see any changes. Maybe if you focus, you might realize that it is brighter on the streets at night. Or maybe notice some potential lenses (or if you wish to see it as it is, glass blocks) around. Since the main objective was to beautify Orchard, why did the STB not work on the floorings? Or on the appearances of buildings? Why street lamps and glass blocks, which would rarely be noticed? It is totally incomprehensible.
Now you may think that a slight change is still a change. Well that is not my point. I agree that the slight change might be of some significance in the future. But my point is that I feel the large sum of money could have gone into better use. Think about it. $40 million! Just to make a slight change? We are in the middle of an economic crisis, and we cannot do anything but stare at the $40 million fly away, when it could have saved a lot of families.
I am also in doubt of the effects that the $40 million will bring about. Tourism plays a large role in Singapore’s economy, and I agree that increasing the amount of tourism is very important. However, I feel that what really attracts tourists to Singapore is not how well the streets are lighted, or how much decorations are put up to block the tourists’ way (although this might have a negative impact on tourists), but it is the worldwide reputation of Singapore as a very safe country with WISE leaders. Well, if $40 million is spent on what it has been spent on, I think many tourists will disagree with the latter about Singapore.
I have no authority to say whether STB is right or wrong, but I definitely have the right to present my opinion, which is that I do not think that $40 million, or, in fact, even $4 million, should be put to such insignificant changes. Singapore has much areas that needs improvement, and I believe those have much more priority than improving the lights of Orchard Road.
P.S. I hope this post will not cost me anything. I had suffered from giving feedbacks in the past.
