By MP for Hougang SMC, Png Eng Huat
[Delivered in Committee of Supply on 11 March 2015]
Madam,
The late Mr E.W. Barker, in his answer to a parliamentary question on whether his ministry would consider launching another “Keep Singapore Clean” campaign because “the bad habits of littering has come back”, said, “It has not come back. It has always been with us. It has not gone away.”
The year was 1978.
Almost 4 decades later, the bad habits of littering are still here. From the observation on the ground, Singapore has not become cleaner over the years despite NEA having to spend an average of $3 million a year on anti-litter campaigns and outreach activities since 2010.
I don’t know how much did the late Minister spend on anti-litter campaigns but I can remember those early campaigns. There were no fanciful messages, just “Keep Singapore Clean”. There were jingles and commercials broadcast daily over the air. There were posters and banners put up all over the island. The simple campaign message was visible everywhere especially in schools. Most important of all, the impact of the campaign on the ground was felt.
The success of the early campaign was due largely to the involvement of the society as whole. From schools to factories to markets, shops, restaurants, etc, every fabric of our society was involved in helping to spread the message – “Keep Singapore Clean”.
Fast forward to today, how many of us can remember the anti-litter campaign message launched in 2010? The answer to this $3 million question is “Do the Right Thing. Let’s Bin It”.
Therefore I would like to encourage the Ministry to bring back the spirit of our early campaign in our jubilee year and to spare no effort in its drive to keep the bad habits of littering at bay.
Let us recycle those old posters, banners, jingles, etc not just to bring a sense of nostalgia in our jubilee year but to drive home the message that the community as a whole needs to work together to keep Singapore clean.