The One

Yes, I agree with this FT issue despite being a foreigner.
Too many unacceptable foreigners are ruining Singapore for
locals and foreigners of high quality alike. I feel so sorry to
see how the Singapore of 2003 has ended up into a chaotic
city of 2010. I visited Singapore last September for days.
I was surprised to see a few things.

1. MRTs were so crowded and for the first time, I saw people
not being in queue and it was like a fight to enter.
I never saw this from 2003 to 2008. Dont even talk about Little India.
There is no place to stand there.

2. Everywhere I went, cinema counter, hotdog shop,
asia travel tourist bus — it’s all foreigners.
And, the bus driver knew not a word of English.

3. In the hotel where I stayed, most of the receptionists were foreigners.
And yet the porters who carried 20 kgs of luggage were 70 year old locals.
I was so embarrassed when the uncle insisted to carry my bag that I had
to tip him 10$. But that won’t change anything. A policy change is needed.
It was inhumane to treat elderly people like this. I saw a 80 year old man
cleaning plates at clementi food court. And no one cares. People are used to it.
But as asians, my wife and I felt very embarrassed.

4. Beneath all the gloss of Universal Studios and malls, there is something
terribly wrong with Singapore. There is total apathy for the less privileged
in the minds of the government and the well-off people, both locals and foreigners.
Singaporeans don’t have much empathy for the less privileged too.

Being a foreigner, I do feel foreigners should get opportunities, but I agree
that the limit has been crossed. They are converting Singapore into a
third world city.

I don’t know whether it is tough competition for flats, cars, foreign
education or what; but the human qualities are decreasing in Singapore
day by day. Compassion and empathy for the poor simply does not exist
anymore. It seems that people are so unsecured that they spend their
whole lives earning money by whatever means they can.
It’s no more a place of the middle to lower-middle class people.

I seriously hope that the government will reduce the number of foreigners
in Singapore and build policies to boost population and happiness of
locals and foreigners alike.

At the same time, I hope that Singaporeans learn from this experience of
what it means to struggle and treat the poorer foreigners like maids and
blue collar workers with more compassion and not exploit them.

Live and let live…

.

DumDum

* This posting appeared in the thread, “Civil servant bought Jurong resale
flat at nearly $500,000 out of fear of rising prices”.
Share on Facebook