Sunday, June 19, 2005

Video record your home

Some families leave the maid alone at home. There is the risk that the maid can bring in strangers to the home.

Here is a simple way to take care of this problem. Install a camera with a DVD recorder. Record the view of the entrance throughout the day.

When you return home, you can use 32X speed to view the happenings in your home. This can be done in 15 minutes. Any visitor can be spotted easily.

You do not need to do this all the time. If the maid is aware about the recording, the maid will not take the risk. It will be a useful deterent.

When silence is the norm, but helps no one

I refer to your news comment by Adrian Tan in Today paper of 14 June, entitled "When silence is the norm, but helps no one".

Adrian Tan referred to recent cases involving a few listed companies that are being investigated by the Commercial Affairs Department. The managers and investigators remained silent about what was happening. The investors were caught holding the shares, and did not know what to do with them.

Adrian Tan suggested that a panel of wise people be formed to help decide on what information could be displosed to the investing public.

I strongly support this suggestion. The panel can help to clear the following uncertainty:

- Who should decide? Yes, the panel.

- How to decide when things are uncertain? The decision is made through discussion, judgement and by majority of the panel.

We have to accept that many issues are not clear cut, and some decision has to be taken. We cannot wait until things are certain. We cannot procrastinate.

In America, many issues involving the public are debated over television. This is a healthy process in dealing with diverse views. I hope to see this done more actively in Singapore.

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