Mother tongue languages will evolve over time: PM Lee
While the government will try to keep mother tongue languages alive, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged that such live languages will “evolve and change over time”. PM Lee cited examples in China where people mix English words into their dialogue, which has caused some controversy in China. “The reality is that a language is a live, changing thing. It constantly absorbs words, concepts and usages from foreign languages, so long as people are using it in their daily lives,” he was quoted by media as saying.
Government and environment enthusiasts keen to reduce waste in Singapore
Singapore should do more to reduce the amount of waste it produced. This was the view expressed by various environment interest groups at a dialogue organised by the Nature Society (Singapore), Singapore Management University club SMU verts and Green Future Solutions. The environmental enthusiasts hope to compile views on this issue from the public and submit to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. A representative from the National Environment Agency also opined that the scarcity of landfills demands that Singapore thinks carefully about waste prevention.
More ‘eyes’ for mata-mata
The police plans to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at all HDB blocks, mount cameras on police fast-response cars, and have officers wear cameras to record patrols and when they attend to emergency 999 cases. This reflects its efforts to use technology to manage crime in the face of manpower shortage.
More recreation areas for foreigner workers
Recreation centres for foreign workers will be doubled from four to eight, in a bid to draw them away from Little India following the riot in December last year. These are scheduled to be ready by the end of next year.
