The war on Sars （Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome） is far from over. We must have the common understanding that we should not let our guard down to prevent a new outbreak of the deadly virus.
Good leadership, effective strategies and active cooperation from the people have helped us bring Sars under control. Our battle against Sars has won Singapore international accolades which every Singaporean should be proud of.
Some people have argued that we have managed to get on top of the Sars problem because Singaporeans are so used to being told what to do - this has made the measures introduced by the government extremely effective.
As I see it, in our fight against Sars, the government has as usual been very quick and resolute in responding to challenges. Besides, it has been rather sensitive to the feelings of the people.
For example, many fear and are on their guard against people who have been served home quarantine orders as they are not sure what “isolation” means.
Sars combat team chief Khaw Boon Wan has said that the person being served the order and his or her neighbours should be explained what it means.
In considering whether to name people who are quarantined, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is in favour of testing it out in one or two constituencies before making a decision.
In short, the concerns and feelings of the people are not ignored.
Sars is a new disease for which there is no vaccine and the medical profession is working overtime to find out more about the virus. The fear arising from it is understandable and people should not be overly criticised for it.
Yet if the fear factor is not managed quickly or managed well, it may give rise to even more thorny issues. It is thus essential to educate people on this “invisible killer”。
But the government soon realised that there is a problem in getting the message across - some dialect-speaking Singaporeans understand neither English nor Mandarin.
Ministers and MPs began switching to dialects to explain to this group of people, who might have been overlooked in the past, the precautionary measures they should adopt.
Ministers and MPs - among them are NTUC Secretary-General and Minister without Portfolio Lim Boon Heng, Mayor Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, and MP Tan Cheng Bock - even adopted a “koyok selling” approach last month to drive home the important message in different dialects on Sars management.
It was a refreshing experience to see the leaders bring themselves so close to the people. Even if it was a “political show”, it was brilliant and displayed political wisdom.
It was also rare to see our leaders shed their serious and no-nonsense image to interact with people in a relaxed and casual manner.
Dialects which are only spoken during elections to woo voter support have “by chance” played an “appropriate” role and showed their “usefulness”。
I'm reminded of the Speak Mandarin Campaign which was launched more than 20 years ago. Dialect programmes on TV and radio stations were all taken off, depriving older Singaporeans who speak only dialects of their entertainment. Did they feel lonely because of this？ Shouldn‘t we have spared a thought for them and not be too obsessed with the “success” of the campaign？
Apart from the objectives, consideration should be given to other concerns. Our aim is to reach the summit, yet we need not be in such a hurry that we ignore the beautiful scenery during our climb.
Dialects have made a comeback like “extras” in a movie who have stolen the limelight from the main cast. This has led to opposing reactions. Some are glad dialects are no longer shunned while others fear dialects will gain momentum and interfere with the learning of Mandarin by young Singaporeans.
Should dialects give way to Mandarin？ I think this is not the issue. A language that is often spoken and used widely by people in everyday life will flourish.
Chinese Singaporeans speak many dialects （mother tongues） and there must be a single language for them to communicate effectively. Yet the existence of a common language does not mean that it will necessarily thrive.
We have perhaps been too uptight about the mother tongue issue （whether Mandarin or dialects） - a slight deviation from the norm is enough to make us all worked up.
The writer is a senior educationist. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.
沙斯戰(zhàn)役還沒有到可以鳴金收兵的時刻,國人仍須保持警戒之心,以防病毒再次肆虐,這是我們的共識。
我們能漂亮地打贏一場神出鬼沒的戰(zhàn)役,當(dāng)然是戰(zhàn)略奏效,主帥領(lǐng)導(dǎo)有方,而老百姓也理智地給以充分的配合。對抗沙斯的戰(zhàn)役為新加坡贏得了聲譽,這個寶貴的資產(chǎn)是屬于全國的。
有人說,新加坡老百姓一向習(xí)慣于家長式的管理,反而使得抗沙斯的戰(zhàn)略更容易行之有效。其實,我覺得政府在抗沙斯戰(zhàn)役上,一方面仍保持一貫的明快、果敢的作風(fēng),一方面卻也采取了親民的方式。
在處理隔離令方面,因為不少人對“居家隔離”不太了解,對被隔離者存有不必要的恐懼與戒防心理?？寡鬃鲬?zhàn)部隊指揮官許文遠(yuǎn)覺得發(fā)給隔離令,不能一紙令下便了事,而是要向被隔離者以及其左鄰右舍解釋清楚。
當(dāng)考慮要不要公布被隔離者的名字時,李顯龍副總理也主張先在一兩個選區(qū)試行,看是否行得通,再作決定?？傊?是體貼民心,兼顧人情的。
沙斯是一種新的病毒,專業(yè)的醫(yī)療人員也對它所知不多,無法對癥下藥。對一種能致命的病毒,我們只能在防御上步步為營,時時警戒,難免引起多少的恐慌；這是人之常情,難以苛責(zé)。
可是,這種恐慌沒有及時處理,或者處理不當(dāng)就會帶來更多復(fù)雜的棘手問題。因此教育老百姓認(rèn)識沙斯這個隱形的敵人是必要的。
可是,政府發(fā)現(xiàn)“上情下達(dá)”出了狀況,因為部分老百姓既看不懂英文,也聽不懂華語,只能用方言向他們解釋沙斯的種種相關(guān)重要信息。于是,馬上作了調(diào)整,部長、議員相繼用方言向過去可能被忽略的部分老百姓解釋怎么把防備沙斯的工作做好來,大家出一份力量,共同戰(zhàn)勝沙斯。
后來,林文興、符喜泉、陳清木等部長議員甚至放下身段,用方言“賣膏藥”。這么接近老百姓的方式,在本地的政壇上是令人耳目一新的。即使這只是一種政治秀,也無傷大雅；政治秀用得恰到好處,是難能可貴的智慧表演。
何況,難得我國的政治人物一改過去嚴(yán)肅的、近于不茍言笑的態(tài)度,而以輕松活潑的方式與老百姓在一起。本來在全民大選時為爭取選票,才有機(jī)會派上用場的方言,這一次竟意外地扮演了“正當(dāng)”的角色,發(fā)揮了語言的“正?！惫δ?。
這不禁使我想起二十幾年前,當(dāng)我們?nèi)缁鹑巛钡赝菩小爸v華語運動”時,電臺和電視臺的方言節(jié)目幾乎銷聲匿跡；只懂方言的年老一輩觀賞節(jié)目的權(quán)利就這樣給犧牲了。他們是不是因此而寂寞呢？當(dāng)年是應(yīng)該多為他們想一想,不能只考慮到“運動”只許成功,不許失敗。目標(biāo)以外,往往尚有別的什么必須兼顧；登上山峰是我們的目的,卻也不必急巴巴地趕路而放棄觀賞一路上的風(fēng)光景色。
這一次,方言的出場有點像是“臨時演員”脫穎而出。有的人叫好——終于不用含羞答答,猶抱琵琶半遮面了。有的人表示擔(dān)憂；擔(dān)心方言大行其道,會影響新加坡年輕一代對華語的掌握。
方言是不是應(yīng)該讓位給華語呢？我覺得,一種語言有沒有生命力,能不能活在大家的口齒之間,是它在我們生活中有沒有“用武之地”,有沒有讓它施展才華的空間；不是我們認(rèn)為什么應(yīng)該,什么不應(yīng)該的問題。華族各籍貫各有其“母語”,人多口雜,若沒有一個共同的語言,各說各話,當(dāng)然是不行的。有了共同的語言,卻不等于它就必然會生機(jī)蓬勃地活下去。
我們的母語（不管是華語還是方言）神經(jīng)不知不覺地給繃得太久了吧,輕輕撥一下,便全身緊張起來。
。作者是本地資深教育工作者
Good leadership, effective strategies and active cooperation from the people have helped us bring Sars under control. Our battle against Sars has won Singapore international accolades which every Singaporean should be proud of.
Some people have argued that we have managed to get on top of the Sars problem because Singaporeans are so used to being told what to do - this has made the measures introduced by the government extremely effective.
As I see it, in our fight against Sars, the government has as usual been very quick and resolute in responding to challenges. Besides, it has been rather sensitive to the feelings of the people.
For example, many fear and are on their guard against people who have been served home quarantine orders as they are not sure what “isolation” means.
Sars combat team chief Khaw Boon Wan has said that the person being served the order and his or her neighbours should be explained what it means.
In considering whether to name people who are quarantined, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is in favour of testing it out in one or two constituencies before making a decision.
In short, the concerns and feelings of the people are not ignored.
Sars is a new disease for which there is no vaccine and the medical profession is working overtime to find out more about the virus. The fear arising from it is understandable and people should not be overly criticised for it.
Yet if the fear factor is not managed quickly or managed well, it may give rise to even more thorny issues. It is thus essential to educate people on this “invisible killer”。
But the government soon realised that there is a problem in getting the message across - some dialect-speaking Singaporeans understand neither English nor Mandarin.
Ministers and MPs began switching to dialects to explain to this group of people, who might have been overlooked in the past, the precautionary measures they should adopt.
Ministers and MPs - among them are NTUC Secretary-General and Minister without Portfolio Lim Boon Heng, Mayor Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, and MP Tan Cheng Bock - even adopted a “koyok selling” approach last month to drive home the important message in different dialects on Sars management.
It was a refreshing experience to see the leaders bring themselves so close to the people. Even if it was a “political show”, it was brilliant and displayed political wisdom.
It was also rare to see our leaders shed their serious and no-nonsense image to interact with people in a relaxed and casual manner.
Dialects which are only spoken during elections to woo voter support have “by chance” played an “appropriate” role and showed their “usefulness”。
I'm reminded of the Speak Mandarin Campaign which was launched more than 20 years ago. Dialect programmes on TV and radio stations were all taken off, depriving older Singaporeans who speak only dialects of their entertainment. Did they feel lonely because of this？ Shouldn‘t we have spared a thought for them and not be too obsessed with the “success” of the campaign？
Apart from the objectives, consideration should be given to other concerns. Our aim is to reach the summit, yet we need not be in such a hurry that we ignore the beautiful scenery during our climb.
Dialects have made a comeback like “extras” in a movie who have stolen the limelight from the main cast. This has led to opposing reactions. Some are glad dialects are no longer shunned while others fear dialects will gain momentum and interfere with the learning of Mandarin by young Singaporeans.
Should dialects give way to Mandarin？ I think this is not the issue. A language that is often spoken and used widely by people in everyday life will flourish.
Chinese Singaporeans speak many dialects （mother tongues） and there must be a single language for them to communicate effectively. Yet the existence of a common language does not mean that it will necessarily thrive.
We have perhaps been too uptight about the mother tongue issue （whether Mandarin or dialects） - a slight deviation from the norm is enough to make us all worked up.
The writer is a senior educationist. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.
沙斯戰(zhàn)役還沒有到可以鳴金收兵的時刻,國人仍須保持警戒之心,以防病毒再次肆虐,這是我們的共識。
我們能漂亮地打贏一場神出鬼沒的戰(zhàn)役,當(dāng)然是戰(zhàn)略奏效,主帥領(lǐng)導(dǎo)有方,而老百姓也理智地給以充分的配合。對抗沙斯的戰(zhàn)役為新加坡贏得了聲譽,這個寶貴的資產(chǎn)是屬于全國的。
有人說,新加坡老百姓一向習(xí)慣于家長式的管理,反而使得抗沙斯的戰(zhàn)略更容易行之有效。其實,我覺得政府在抗沙斯戰(zhàn)役上,一方面仍保持一貫的明快、果敢的作風(fēng),一方面卻也采取了親民的方式。
在處理隔離令方面,因為不少人對“居家隔離”不太了解,對被隔離者存有不必要的恐懼與戒防心理?？寡鬃鲬?zhàn)部隊指揮官許文遠(yuǎn)覺得發(fā)給隔離令,不能一紙令下便了事,而是要向被隔離者以及其左鄰右舍解釋清楚。
當(dāng)考慮要不要公布被隔離者的名字時,李顯龍副總理也主張先在一兩個選區(qū)試行,看是否行得通,再作決定?？傊?是體貼民心,兼顧人情的。
沙斯是一種新的病毒,專業(yè)的醫(yī)療人員也對它所知不多,無法對癥下藥。對一種能致命的病毒,我們只能在防御上步步為營,時時警戒,難免引起多少的恐慌；這是人之常情,難以苛責(zé)。
可是,這種恐慌沒有及時處理,或者處理不當(dāng)就會帶來更多復(fù)雜的棘手問題。因此教育老百姓認(rèn)識沙斯這個隱形的敵人是必要的。
可是,政府發(fā)現(xiàn)“上情下達(dá)”出了狀況,因為部分老百姓既看不懂英文,也聽不懂華語,只能用方言向他們解釋沙斯的種種相關(guān)重要信息。于是,馬上作了調(diào)整,部長、議員相繼用方言向過去可能被忽略的部分老百姓解釋怎么把防備沙斯的工作做好來,大家出一份力量,共同戰(zhàn)勝沙斯。
后來,林文興、符喜泉、陳清木等部長議員甚至放下身段,用方言“賣膏藥”。這么接近老百姓的方式,在本地的政壇上是令人耳目一新的。即使這只是一種政治秀,也無傷大雅；政治秀用得恰到好處,是難能可貴的智慧表演。
何況,難得我國的政治人物一改過去嚴(yán)肅的、近于不茍言笑的態(tài)度,而以輕松活潑的方式與老百姓在一起。本來在全民大選時為爭取選票,才有機(jī)會派上用場的方言,這一次竟意外地扮演了“正當(dāng)”的角色,發(fā)揮了語言的“正?！惫δ?。
這不禁使我想起二十幾年前,當(dāng)我們?nèi)缁鹑巛钡赝菩小爸v華語運動”時,電臺和電視臺的方言節(jié)目幾乎銷聲匿跡；只懂方言的年老一輩觀賞節(jié)目的權(quán)利就這樣給犧牲了。他們是不是因此而寂寞呢？當(dāng)年是應(yīng)該多為他們想一想,不能只考慮到“運動”只許成功,不許失敗。目標(biāo)以外,往往尚有別的什么必須兼顧；登上山峰是我們的目的,卻也不必急巴巴地趕路而放棄觀賞一路上的風(fēng)光景色。
這一次,方言的出場有點像是“臨時演員”脫穎而出。有的人叫好——終于不用含羞答答,猶抱琵琶半遮面了。有的人表示擔(dān)憂；擔(dān)心方言大行其道,會影響新加坡年輕一代對華語的掌握。
方言是不是應(yīng)該讓位給華語呢？我覺得,一種語言有沒有生命力,能不能活在大家的口齒之間,是它在我們生活中有沒有“用武之地”,有沒有讓它施展才華的空間；不是我們認(rèn)為什么應(yīng)該,什么不應(yīng)該的問題。華族各籍貫各有其“母語”,人多口雜,若沒有一個共同的語言,各說各話,當(dāng)然是不行的。有了共同的語言,卻不等于它就必然會生機(jī)蓬勃地活下去。
我們的母語（不管是華語還是方言）神經(jīng)不知不覺地給繃得太久了吧,輕輕撥一下,便全身緊張起來。
。作者是本地資深教育工作者