3/06/2013

The xenophobia backlash




Singaporeans are one of the most generous, friendly and hospitable people as far as welcoming foreigners into their country are concerned. Singaporeans are mindful of their immigrant past and have a soft spot for immigrants. Some still think they are immigrants, and passing by, just like the new immigrants. They could not appreciate the fact that this is now a country, their own country, fought, won and built by their forefathers. It is no longer a no man’s land.

Over the recent years, Singaporeans have increasingly become a minority in their own country. Many jokers still cannot see this fact and still harping about becoming a minority in 2030. It is here and now. They are already a minority. Of the 5.3m residents, 3.3m are considered to be Singaporeans by virtue of citizenship. How many of these are true blue Singaporeans? Many are new citizens. The reality is that every one other person is a foreigner now. Could be more!

All this is fine as long as the Singaporeans are doing fine. Trouble has started to brew when the number of foreigners has given them increasing confidence to disregard Singaporeans as irritants. Singaporeans are being scolded, beaten and chased around by foreigners while the Govt continues to lay the red carpet for foreigners, giving them the tag as foreign talents and here to help the daft Singaporeans.

Even Singaporeans wearing foreign dresses for a party, an innocent gesture without any malice or bad intention were attacked for racism by foreigners. Singaporeans are tarred by foreigners as racists and xenophobic in their home land. How dare the foreigners!

And things are getting worst in the job market when Singaporeans are losing out in job opportunities by unfair anti Singaporean practices. With a few hundred thousand foreigners gainfully employed, with high paying jobs, with full employment, many Singaporean graduates are having difficulties getting a job. Many PMETs have been booted out to be substituted by foreigners. Can you believe that?

The evidence in workplaces to discriminate and victimize Singaporeans is everywhere. Someone is sleeping or closing one eye. The xenophobia is not Singaporeans against foreigners but foreigners against Singaporeans in Singapore.

The Hong Lim Rally was an event where Singaporeans gathered to show their despair at the pathetic state of affair in the country, when Singaporeans are being ousted out from jobs, and may eventually be from their own country. There was anger and sadness. But this will not be for long if things continue to go against Singaporeans.

It is heartening to hear Tan Chuan Jin, Christopher de Souza and a few other MPs calling the Govt to do more for Singaporeans. They have openly acknowledged in Parliament that Singapore is for Singaporeans, finally. Tan Chuan Jin is going to give more teeth to his Tafep, Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices, to investigate discriminatory practices against Singaporeans in work places. He would have to do more to mean business, to be seen to be doing something real. Job priorities must go to Singaporeans.

Christopher de Souza is asking the Govt to introduce control measures on the purchase of properties by foreigners to protect Singaporeans. He has suggested that the policies of the Australian Govt are a good model to adopt. Hopefully this will not be discarded and thrashed by vested interests.

The Govt must take heed of the plight of Singaporeans and their interests in Singapore. It is unacceptable that Singaporeans be discriminated and victimized in their home country. Any politician that still call for more foreigners, protecting foreigner’s interests at the expense of Singaporeans will see their political career prematurely terminated in double quick time. The situation is dire. Singaporeans are about to break out from their meek and docile persona. The backlash against foreigners practicing racism in Singaporean and xenophobia against Singaporeans, discriminating against Singaporeans in job opportunities will no longer be tolerated.

The Govt got to act fast and swift to manage the anger of the Singaporeans and to protect their interests from the invading hordes of foreign economic bandits.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

TODAYonline

[MOM studying how others let in foreign talent]

"The MOM is looking at how other countries implement their entry of foreign talent at the Employment Pass (EP) level
to ensure that Singaporeans are given fair consideration during hiring,
said its Acting Minister Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.

He outlined 2 broad strategies aimed at raising 'the capabilities of Singaporeans',
while ensuring that
'foreign workers complement, and not just substitute, Singaporean workers'."


http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/mom-studying-how-others-let-foreign-talent

Anonymous said...

How Singapore can (Build up it capacity, Go for the maximum, Poke above it weight):

1 Develop and help SME to sell and export more to oversea and worldwide. To rely on its own SME which employ which lots of locals to close the income gap?

2 Engage foreign consultants worldwide, to help SME to design better products and services , so that they can grow to global multi national companies, like the Swiss sell its premium watches around the world.

3 Swedish make many important inventions and discoveries and develop many giant companies around the world, with its small populations, through its huge incentive in rewarding discoveries and inventions, Samsung of South Korea and South Korea became the third advanced Asia countries after Japan and Israel?

4 Singapore now is in a much better position, with massive $200 billions foreign reserves and high returns from its reserves, COE, ERP, GST, Levis & rental etc, can be use to develop massive scheme to incentivise SME innovations, patents and inventions, so that they can grow, design better products to sell overseas, give massives incentives and honouring the SME bosses to growth, develop and sell its products and services oversea and train its local workforce to rise above the challenge?

Call for worldwide submissions of their projects, proposals,ideas inventions, innovations, design, breakthrough & discoveries to be financed and develop in SIngapore?

Singapore can’t be advanced if continue to depend on cheaper and cheaper foreign labour?

Anonymous said...

Sleeping all the way. Where is the foresight?

Anonymous said...

SMEs should not expect taxpayers to subsidies 100% with the initiatives. New SMEs with hard working entreprenours must be given a chance but the older SMEs (the fat cats) who are too lazy to innovate should be manage by a more able Singaporean (not New Citizen whose allegiance is still questionable)

We should retrack calls - NS for New Citizens. The latest ongoing in Sabah is a lesson.

Anonymous said...

I wish those fellas in Parliament really mean what they said and not just another TCSS session. The MIWs have a tendency to sing along but do the reverse, remember the PWP vote. The goodwill they eroded for themselves will take a long time to build up again. Never trust them, like that Raffles Pl 2011 apology that was said and forgotten.

Anonymous said...

March 06, 2013 9:07 am
/// Develop and help SME to sell and export more to oversea and worldwide. To rely on its own SME which employ which lots of locals to close the income gap? ///

They are not interested.
Unless the SME is a $2 company that does not employ any staff.

Virgo 49 said...


Now then they are saying this??

Too much damage has been done.

Now want to learn from other countries.

Thought they are the smart ones.

Without all this kpkb, think they heed all their stupid nonsense.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

The most dignified and talented in monetary terms are now looking to learn from the less dignified and less talented elsewhere.

What kind of logic is this? How can they be able to learn anything from the bad when they are the best?

Whenever there is a problem, let's look elsewhere, get a consultant and pay. Is this the best that can be done, the best that we got?

Anonymous said...

Common sense tell you, when one allow any group to grow without restriction. It will gang up
and put favouritism to their own people. With Sporeans as a minority, situation will be dire.

Also let be honest, almost all companies will prefer cheaper employee. Singaporean did not feel they are well paid because around 30% of their money goes to CPF.
As such, should not employer's CPF be cut? Deduct 7% perhaps?
Govt should bare more responsibility for its citizen's retirement by increase CPF interest for Sporean to 'compensate' the deduct loss, 0.5% higher isnt much right?

Some say that will collapse the property price, that is precisely what the govt should be doing.
If all the money stuck in housing, how to upgrade oneself.
Part of CPF should be put under continuous training programming by local institution.

Anonymous said...

Worse frak last week article in the main media about worker attending service training taught to use foreigner lingo when serving foreign/ft such as address them as "ku nain" instead "seow che" frak frak stupid . why should we let them dictate what can or not to say in our country.

Anonymous said...

Gahmen still care? Vote the opposition to save singapore from sinking further.

Anonymous said...

Big brother dare not target china so now target SE Asia using pinoys.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Is it a coincident that fighting broke out in Sabah and growing tension between the Philippines and Malaysia? Has it got anything to do with the pivot to Asia?