Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Beach Culture & Motor Cross in Pasir Ris


I was at the Beach Culture @ WaterCross a restaurant, a sea sports activity venue on the beach at Pasir Ris Park last night. We were having the SPBA meeting. I applaud the entrepreneurial spirit of the owners, Raymond Png & Justin Lee. It is never an easy business setting up a place at the beach in Singapore. Their land lords are the National Park. The rent has gone up 3-fold over the past 3 years. Their lease lasts only 9 years. In Singapore, it is almost impossible to receive friendly help to build one's businesses. The opposite is more often than not the rough reality.
What shocked me about the place was the sea in front of Beach Culture. The POlice Coast Guard had lined up a long string of buoys about 300 meters off the beach to prevent boats from beaching there. Beach Culture's customers used to be the Fish Farmers off Ubin, who would come in for a beer and dinner. Not anymore. The MPA fined them about $300 for illegal landing. These are Singaporeans working their fish farms off Ubin. They cannot land there anymore. No one knows why. It just became so. Have we become so paranoid with fear of terrorists activities that we mistreat our Singapore boaters. Where's the wisdom in all this. Prevention better than cure?
I'll have to give this some very deep thought. Fear is a terrible motivator.

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