I refer to last Sunday's article, 'Sorry, no English'.

China staff who do not speak English do not frustrate me; it is those who know but refuse to speak it that frustrate me.

Worse, there are those among them who think that just because a customer is Singaporean and looks Chinese, he must speak Mandarin. This simply won't do.

Singaporeans do not demand that these workers speak the Queen's English, merely that they understand basic words such as 'chilli' or 'no chilli'. I hope the authorities will require firms to train their foreign staff to speak English.

Geneva Yeo (Ms)

This article was first published in The Straits Times.