We refer to ''I do declare, I'm confused'' (TODAYonline, Oct 27). The headline appears to lead readers to think that there is no certainty in making a customs declaration. This is not the case. For the benefit of Mr Melvinder Kanth and other readers, we wish to first explain Singapore's customs regulations and clarify the issue on making a declaration during...

I REFER to ''It pays to be kind'' (Nov 4) and am glad that the Singapore Kindness Movement aims to get people thinking about taking the appreciation of kindness to a higher level. The photograph accompanying the report showed a cleaner, Mdm Gan Beet Phang (picture), receiving a bouquet of daisies. While I suppose World Kindness Day on Nov 13 is meant for...

ENCOURAGING kindness in the young, especially among primary school pupils, is a move in the right direction. Learning how to be caring will help mould them into socially responsible adults. The home is just as influential as schools in this aspect. Hence, parents and family members also play a role in instilling in their children the need to be kind. For the...

OUR rental contract is up and, seeing as my husband is still jobless, we decided that we should downsize. But that's when we started running into a gross problem. Unlike in Singapore, real-estate agents here in Hong Kong quote the gross and not nett living...

I hope to seek clarification from the Ministry of Health on the distribution of the H1N1 vaccine. Presently the vaccine is only available at Pandemic Preparedness Clinics (PPC). Other general practitioner clinics that are not registered as PPCs currently do not have access to the vaccine. However, it has been observed that at the height of the spread of the...

I REFER to the report ''HDB turns community builder'' (Nov 3) by Esther Ng. The Housing and Development Board's move is long overdue and must hit the ground running. Problems endemic to HDB living run the gamut of downright inconsiderate behaviour: Laundry dripping onto the neighbours'; loud talking and drunken behaviour at void decks and playgrounds deep...

SOME government services are so fragmented that frankly I do not understand the point of some of the newer organisations. For instance, we used to have the Residents' Committee, Citizens' Consultative Committee and Community Centre/Club Management Committee. I'd bet some Singaporeans did not know about their existence, let alone had a clear idea of their...

I RENEWED my phone contract with SingTel and got a new handphone as part of the deal. However, within two days I found that the phone had technical snags. When I took it to the manufacturer's service centre, they did not replace the phone and instead repaired it by replacing an internal component. The day after the repairs, the phone stopped working again....

I HAVE a funny, sad experience to share. My block of flats recently completed its Lift Upgrading Programme exercise, but the way the lift landings have been designed, all residents have to climb up or down a half-flight of stairs to get from the corridor to the lift. The Housing and Development Board even pasted blue stickers at the landings stating that the...

I REFER to the report ''Lingering pessimism'' (Nov 4). I am confused by the comments from Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) president Teo Siong Seng. On the one hand, he asks our Government not to withdraw its stimulus measures too quickly as ''he is not certain if the economy recovery will be strong or sustained'', but on the other,...