Good, civic-minded behaviour begins at home

I refer to the report “Follow overseas laws when abroad, MFA urges S’poreans” (Oct 20) and am puzzled that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs needed to advise Singaporeans to behave well while abroad.

The anti-civic-minded examples provided, such as drug trafficking and hurling vulgarities at immigration officers, applies to all countries, including Singapore. The impression is that these behaviours are acceptable when done here. Obviously, we do not condone them either.

In the case of the woman who hurled vulgarities, she probably displays such behaviour in Singapore. Unsavoury behaviour is not incidental but learnt through unchecked conditioning, either from educational oversight or social apathy.

This attitude of superiority, possibly owing to the delusion that one is either wealthier or better educated than others, is a common problem in Singaporean society.

Drivers who speed and swerve along our highways, with disregard for safety and social graces, come to mind.

Another example is cyclists on walkways; while waiting for a bus, one can observe them passing through the bus stop without disembarking or signalling courteously with their bells.

These antisocial behaviours, which seem to pervade all levels of society, serve only to encourage distasteful actions. These include pedestrians crossing the road without consideration for other users, residents placing items to reserve parking spots along a public road and the flouting of littering and smoking rules.

Those who say these occur infrequently have to only look around with renewed awareness. I see that people abide by the rules grudgingly when law enforcement officers are in the vicinity, only to revert when the opportunity arises.

This is not how a mature society behaves. Singaporeans should not and would not be proud to be associated with such behaviour.

The Government should have a plan to assist society in seeking to instil good behaviour, through encouragement and enforcement with conviction, so as to make reminders such as that from the MFA superfluous.

I see its advisory as evidence of the lack of courtesy and civic-mindedness in the mindset of the public, leading to advice more suited to a rulebook for a schoolchild than a statement for a worldly citizen.