I WAS having a meal at a hawker centre when a boy approached me and asked: "Anybody sitting here?"

He later occupied another table with a woman, who was apparently his mother.

This made me wonder whether his rudeness was due to his upbringing.

Unless parents play a proactive role in instilling a sense of decorum and discipline in their children, Singapore's efforts to cultivate a more gracious society will come to naught.

Mr Jeffrey Law Lee Beng

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