Daily Lessons from Life 10 September 2010 - Resorts World Sentosa stops free shuttle to heartlands

Greeting to Muslims of the World on the End of Ramadan. Selamat Hari Raya.

"Fri, Sep 10, 2010 AsiaOne - Resorts World Sentosa stops free shuttle to heartlands

RESORTS World Sentosa (RWS) has stopped operating its free shuttle bus services between the heartland areas and the integrated resort.

The decision was made after a probe by the Government over concerns that a free shuttle service would encourage residents to gamble at the the casino.

The integrated resort said in a statement that it was 'voluntarily withdrawing its shuttle services in the spirit of collaboration with the Singapore Government'."

The inherent dilemma and conflict since the day the Casinos, albeit, intended to be a small part (in terms of sq. ft. or % of total build-up area) of the IRs, was 1st toyed around. The inevitable negative effect it will have on some new gamblers and old gamblers, and, of course, their families and eventually cost to the society.

Lessons for me are:

1. you cannot have your cake and eat it, rarely. Things happened for a reason. There is no wave if there is no wind. Causal effect is a natural phenomenon. If you have businessmen to invest in the IRs with the casinos, which will make the biggest bucks despite occupying the smallest % of total built-up, they have to think of all ways and means to attract potential customers as well as to make existing customers happy and have the convenient to access the Casinos!;

2. of course, since we foresee this conflict at the outset, the invitations did clearly said the casinos CANNOT induce or incentivize or encourage or make convenient for the locals - citizens and PRs -to gamble. So, it is with every right that the government intervened and STOPPED the IRs with casinos from this practice. If people want to go to the IRs and NOT the casinos attached to them, sorry. There is NO free shuttle services! Period. End of discussion. Time to stand firm and do the leadership thing. :-)

3. as for those pro-business folks who said this is not right or not fair. Well, read the fine print of the invitation by the government. No incentivization. No encouraging of locals to gamble. If they want to go and gamble, they will. Let them do it on their own steam and effort. Gamblers DO NOT need too much push. The pull is already irresistible!! :-)

May the 2 IRs continue to generate well paying jobs for Singaporeans, PRs, and FTs and FWs so that Singapore's economy can continue to grow at the top of the world pace.