News this week that Malaysia is considering releasing genetically modified mosquitoes next month in a bid to combat dengue. The little pests have been engineered to sire offspring that die young, with a view to curbing the overall population. GM animals are nothing new in these parts—it’s now a decade since Singapore first showed the world what it could do with a spare jellyfish gene, and introduced the GloFish. But we can’t help thinking that progress has stalled somewhat in the intervening years. For a nation that prides itself on efficiency and advancement, it strikes us as something of an oversight to have allowed our native species to just sit there getting on with their lives all this time. We’d be the first to admit that we’re not perfect—but they sure as hell aren’t either. Here then, a wish list of creatures that we think would benefit from one or two minor improvements.

Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) Commonly sighted around MacRitchie Reservoir, among other locations, where they can typically be seen hustling for food or splashing around in the water. We say it’s about time they started earning their keep— this is a prime exercise location, after all, and there’s no room for slackers. We’re calling for a minor genetic tweak so that instead of carrying their newborn infants in their arms, they instinctively carry isotonic drink bottles.

Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus) It’s the city’s most common bird, but also, we think, its most underachieving. Unlike some of its close cousins elsewhere in the world, it hasn’t yet developed the ability to mimic the human voice. We’d be happy to give it a helping hand, by implanting the vocal genes from an SAF platoon sergeant. The general public won’t be so quick to misbehave, if even the birds are shouting at them.

Dugong (Dugong dugon) Apparently these gentle giants can be spotted around Pulau Ubin’s Chek Jawa wetlands. But when was the last time you saw one? Taking inspiration from their common nickname, the sea cow, we think we’ve hit on a way to make them easier to find. Hanging a bell around their neck might not work, but having them flash on and off like fireflies ought to do it. Tie them to a rope and they could even double up as marker buoys. You can picture the over-hyped promotional literature already: Du Go and see the Dugongs! Flash photography encouraged!