Curtain falls, what’s next?

Posted to Letters to the Editor, Monash Weekly 21/2/2011
Curtain falls, what’s next?

Who is going to pay for the on-going up-keep and maintenance of the curtain at the Clayton Swimming Pool? The ratepayers, of course!

Every dollar spent on the curtain is a dollar sacrificed on other items such as maintenance of roads, street lighting, tree pruning, rubbish collection, etc. Now that this matter is so publicised, the flow-on negative effects will outweigh the benefits. There will be additional financial cost on security in addition to cost stated above, and social cost such as racial/religious harmony.

The next DEMAND will be prayer room and special toilets in all public facilities in the City of Monash. Some larger organisations have bowed to pressure to provide special prayer rooms, and companies must make allowance for workers to pray during work hours. Some religious believers DO NOT use toilet paper, but wash the soiled bottoms with water instead.

While I was assisting in a project in a middle-eastern country, my colleagues and I were advised to be sensitive not to eat in front of fellow colleagues at lunch break during the fasting period!

Monash Council's move opens the Pandora Box

Posted to Letters to the Editor, Monash Weekly 15/2/2011
Title: Monash Council's move opens the Pandora Box

I have written in various papers including this about my views on segregation, whether it is on businesses in Kingsway or the use of swimming pool.

Multiculturalism is not a one-way traffic. Australians are asked to be patient, tolerant, and acceptant with other’s cultures, and expected to learn about them, and yet many immigrants do not reciprocate. Unless there is a common unifying force to bind them together, the Australian social fabric will be torn.

Just on language alone - as myriads of immigrants from different races and ethnic backgrounds reach our shore grow by the day, and more and more indigenous Australians joining the mainstream society at large, Australia will soon become a Tower of Babel. Not only does this create misunderstanding and suspicion among people, but also bring forth many workplace and road safety problems.

There are cases whereby expensive construction projects are delayed because initial design plans did not include facilities for certain religious groups and needed to be rectified. Many public hospitals have to provide special meals, not because of health reason, but of religious origin. Cultural and religious diversity will only increase, and segregation, special treatment and privileges have to stop now before they multiply like cancer cells.

Should Australia give special privileges to the indigenous Australians since their fore-parents were here before Captain Cook founded Australia? Neither an indigenous Australian nor an immigrant should be given special privileges. However, Australia has an obligation and responsibility to provide the opportunity to lift the standard of living of all Australians including indigenous Australians and immigrants.

Former Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Kwan Yew once said, “give a beggar a gold coin, he will ask for a second one”. In some countries where special privileges were given to a specific group, they soon rise to become a force that can exert strong political influence to topple any government attempting to remove the privileges. Do we want this to happen in Australia or in your City like Monash?

I firmly believe that multiculturalism should make way for uniform practice in many publicly funded organisations.

Segregation spells the downfall of Equality!

Posted to Letters to the Editor, Monash Weekly on 20/10/2010
Title: Segregation spells the downfall of Equality!

Monash Council last week moved towards having women-only swimming and exercise sessions at the Clayton Community Centre once a fortnight.

I strongly oppose gender segregation whether it is religious base or otherwise.
This is a bad precedence for future argument about separate workplace offices, classrooms, buses, train carriages, taxis, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals and the list just goes on.

Imagine in a crowded train or bus, aren't women in closer contact with men? Will there be enough female gynaecologists to help pregnant women or deliver babies?

I'm a Chinese by descent, and there are a lot of differences between my beliefs, values and the Australian way of life. I choose to be an Australian, and therefore I can't be dogmatic expecting the country / fellow citizens to change for me. I have to adapt or compromise to some extent. In the worst case scenario, I avoid!

Some women chose to walk 10km each week to swim at Kingston Council's Don Tatnell Leisure Centre instead of using the Clayton pool, that's their prerogative. There are different modes of transport, or they can carpool with friends. On the positive side, walking is a good form of exercise.

It will cost City of Monash $45,080 to restrict views from outside the centre into the Clayton pool and exercise room during the program.

Who pays for the $45,080? All ratepayers including myself do. I don't expect the Mayor or the City to waste my money in such proposal.

Segregation spells the downfall of Equality!