BLACK clouds in the sky now fill many people with dread. Will their house or road outside their home get flooded, they wonder?
Is that big tree in their neighbourhood likely to topple? Given that it does look old and doesn’t stand quite straight, they worry.
These are not trivial or random thoughts, given that heavy rains in recent times have brought chaos, disruption and destruction in many parts of Singapore.
Just look at the photos plastered in the newspapers and video footage shown on TV. It is not a pretty sight, made worse by the fact that "home sweet home" may not ring true nowadays.
Terrorists and gangsters can be dealt with but acts of God are not so easily foreseen, nor defended against.
Sure, many people have screamed that the authorities should have done this or that. They quibble — when was the last time they checked the drains? Why are trees not scrutinised more often for their health?
But the authorities can do only so much, not unless we want to spend a lot more on manpower and infrastructure.
Sometimes, the best defence comes from a good offence.
It is to your own advantage that you take a bigger interest in the goings-on in your immediate community.
Do you make it a point to know your neighbours, or do you shut the outside world at your front door or gate?
Does any neighbour have your contact number so that he can call you if you are at work, and the big rains come to carpet the roads with water?
Do you take regular walks in your neighbourhood? How well do you know the geography and landscape? Are you aware if the drains are clogged or need repairs?
Invest time in becoming more observant of your surroundings so you can either share this knowledge with your neighbours or your own MP. MPs can surely work better if they hear your feedback directly.
Once, I told my area's MP, Mr Chan Soo Sen, about traffic congestion and how it could prove dangerous to children and older residents.
Mr Chan called for a meeting in the neighbourhood park. It was well-attended by residents and grievances and solutions were aired.
This is an example of how residents can take ownership of issues and forge a consensus with others to get things done.
It beats writing letters of complaint to the media. By then, the problem will likely have gotten out of hand and time lost in not getting redress earlier.