In response to the commentary, “Why do some Singaporeans treat security officers and maids badly?” (March 29), TODAY readers offered various reasons such as a person’s upbringing for the bad behaviour. Some agreed that Singapore is a class-conscious society and it has an entrenched “culture” where people ascribe a certain worth to a person’s job. Others pointed out that people behaving badly are not confined to one nationality.

It's not only that we have a class-conscious society, but we have very little protection of the poor or underprivileged… that can lead to exploitation. People will do what they can and get away with it. SHARON NG

Security guards protect you, your family and property. Maids assist you at home and look after your loved ones. Wouldn’t it be to your own peril to abuse them? ALFRED FRED YAP

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, abuse, harm and bad treatment of frontline or essential workers have existed. It is a matter of upbringing, character and bias that we behave in such manner. Enlightened ones treat every person as an equal with dignity and respect. JEFFREY NING

Sometimes, security officers are rude, too. I've come across some security personnel who talk down to and order people around rudely. WENDY WANDERER

They are just doing their job and possibly, people feel it's beneath them to obey a directive from a security guard. If your parents brought you up to show courtesy and respect to people from all walks of life, then this won't be a problem. GORDON REID

A society needs people to fill in all levels of professions. And they need to be respected for the jobs they perform and their contributions to society. I wish I could tell my mother this. The next best thing is to tell my grandchild that. VINCENT KOH

Generally, some people cannot be entrusted with power and authority over others because they do not have the IQ to understand why they had been empowered and the EQ (emotional quotient) to use the power wisely and objectively. ALLAN TAN

I don’t agree with the writer that it is just Singaporeans who behave this way to essential and frontline workers. There are people from other countries who do the same when they are here. CHERRY NG

Ever heard someone say, “If you don't study hard, you will become a cleaner/labourer/road sweeper etc’? I wonder who created a class system to put prestige to certain jobs? A doctor is more worthy and recognised than a cleaner? Because one saves lives and the other does a job that nobody wants to do? Or because one earns so much more than the other? VINCENT YEO

The mindset of many people here are still undeveloped and uncivilised. Upbringing plays a big part. They think living in a developed country or having more money than others means being of a "higher class". Long way to go for Singapore to be a truly gracious and fully developed country. SIMON HO

Why are some security guards subject to abuse or ill treatment? One of the reasons could be that they lack knowledge, experience, initiative and the skills to interact and communicate with people, they have no confidence and are unable to carry out their work optimally. KHAIRUM SAIAN

The keyword is "some". Some Singaporeans treat security officers and maids badly. There are black sheep everywhere. BOON YEO

Not only maids and security staff, any frontline workers can be abused by a particular group of Singaporeans. SIAH JIN KIM

My respect to all the security officers. Some were formerly managers and professionals and the younger ones had lost their jobs for different reasons. They are just earning a decent living. Treat them well just like your friend, brother and sister. Some could even be our parents. PETER SIMON YIU

As they say, a person’s character is on full display by the way they treat those less fortunate than themselves. SYLVIA KONG

These comments were first posted on TODAY’s Facebook page or emailed to voices [at] mediacorp.com.sg. They have been edited for clarity, accuracy and length.