Online petition against building casino in Singapore gaining momentum
By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE : A group of Singaporeans who are against the idea of building a casino here have taken their petition into cyberspace.
Calling themselves Families Against the Casino Threat in Singapore or FACTS, their petition is gathering momentum.
Businessmen Arthur Tan and Fong Hoe Fang are on a mission - to make sure a casino is not built in Singapore.
“The issue is the environment that we are bringing our children up in. By having a casino right in our backyard, we are sending a signal that gambling is okay as long as you can control it. That’s not an argument that I buy,” said Fong Hoe Fang, founder of FACTS.
The petition is addressed to Singapore’s President Mr S R Nathan.
Since the petition went online last Saturday, more than a thousand Singaporeans have signed it.
That averages to about more than 300 signatures a day.
On Tuesday morning alone, it’s estimated that one signature was received every minute.
Singaporeans who have signed it questioned the need for a casino.
They’ve asked if it is a last resort because Singapore is out of ideas to bring in more tourist dollars.
Others say gambling is not a moral value that should be encouraged.
The founders themselves also believe that most Singaporeans aren’t prepared to handle the dangers of gambling.
“If we’re matured enough, then I think what we should do is to allow us to handle our own CPF. But many of us cannot handle our own CPF well. In the same vein, we are not able to handle the addictiveness of gambling,” said Arthur Tan, also a founder of FACTS.
The men behind FACTS are also preparing their online petition to accept signatures through SMS.
They’ve not set a deadline when the petition will end, but it’s a safe bet it’ll be gathering signatures for at least a few months. - CNA
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