Racism in Singapore

[Guest]

No country in the world can be as racist as the UK, USA and other white countries in case you did not know

[Very True]

[quote

="Anonymous"]Sometimes we tend to mix up racism with classicm.

Let me give you an example.

I have been going to this hawker centre near where i work, and I've noted that one of the Chinese women who runs a hawker stall has been verey rude to the Indian worker who cleans the tables. She treats him like shit. But, I'm Indian too, as dark as him, but I'm a lecture at the polytechnic next door. She knows it and she treats me with a high degree of respect.

So is she a racist? Perhaps not.

It is a question of class or perhaps even education. She obviously knows that I'm far more educated than her and she respects me for it. Should we call it Asian values then?

[/quote]

Absolutely agree with this analysis.. Where I work, I observed the better-off regardless of skin colour are often given better treatment.

[Guest]

No country in the world can be as racist as the UK, USA and other white countries in case you did not know

Yeah Right! That's why the UK gave you your freedom, and built your cities, education system and laws, you uneducated little no brainer! I guess you must have been at the end of the que, when they handed brains out!!!

If it wasn't for the UK, you'd still be living 20 to a room, in your grotty little kampong!

[Guest]

No country in the world can be as racist as the UK, USA and other white countries in case you did not know

Yeah Right! That's why the UK gave you your freedom, and built your cities, education system and laws, you uneducated little no brainer! I guess you must have been at the end of the que, when they handed brains out!!!

If it wasn't for the UK, you'd still be living 20 to a room, in your grotty little kampong!

First I dont agree with statements like country ABC or XYZ is the most racist etc.

Second, its laughable to note how colonisation is perceived as a generous act by some. The British then built the railways in India to meet their own needs; so they can loot and transport the raw materials and finished goods to places where they can be shipped to UK easily.

Bringing in education was just so that they can bring in naive natives to work for them as clerks and ofcourse against their own country men.

Werent the colonists then, infamous for their divide and rule policy which resulted in a single country divide into two. Thanks to that there is never peace between the two countries even today.

[Guest]

No country in the world can be as racist as the UK, USA and other white countries in case you did not know

Try a longer stay in China and then get back to me on this one.

[Guest]

Ok before i am getting flamed by the last post .

Take a read on this: http://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=2135 quite an interesting read.

By the way when I entered Singapore first time in the 2001 (good old IT days hehe) I accidental commented to my landlord that I found it odd that I only saw Indians as road workers in Singapore. His only comment was "this is things we don’t talk about with outsiders." full stop.

Me I originate from a Scandinavian country that has some reflections these years about being racist or not. But in the end people all over the world generally don’t like people they can’t mirror them self in.

Im married to an Chinese Singaporean. And even the comments I get to hear here in Singapore is not just some comments that is offhand, but in my face comments and that piss me off like hell.

So people who say that Singapore dont have an issue with Racism - then go get married to a person who is not in the same race as you. Then you will understand that Singapore is not much different from any other western country or mainland chinese for that sake.



Mark
"I spend 10 years behind a desk growing my stomach, why should I loose it now??"

[selfish_gene]

The people who claim that racism doesn't exist obviously haven't experienced it first hand.

[Guest]

"No country in the world can be as racist as the UK, USA and other white countries in case you did not know". Trus and you should have listed Australia in the list.

There is certainly racism in Europe, but the bulk of it targets Arabs and Africans rather than Asians, because Asians are a very small minority (thus less perceived as a threat), and also because Asians are not involved in violent acts against nationals.

What never failed to amaze me is that Asians still chose to migrate to the UK, USA and Australia (rather than other western countries with lower levels of racism), or to study in those countries despite rampant racism against them.

[malaysia and singapore]

For a society to be prosperous as a whole, there has to be stability, and stability only comes when people see a better life ahead and a reduction in poverty. This is especially true when poverty is associated with a racial or religious group or country (for example, the US).

The roots of our success as a nation lie in our political stability. While this should not come at the expense of democracy, freedom of expression and transparency, it should certainly have as its goal, the alleviation of poverty.

The fundamental and admirable goal of the NEP was the alleviation of poverty associated with the redistribution of wealth. Most socially liberal people like myself have always leaned in favour of redistribution of wealth.

I have met very few people indeed that really object to the NEP being used to help lift the very poor from the kampung out of poverty and into modern society. However, most people I know object to the NEP as a vehicle for the already well off to get even richer.

Now Sabah has arguably more natural resources than peninsular Malaysia but Umno does not seem to be interested in articulating the equity case for the Kadazans and the other indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak as vehemently as it insists on bumi rights.

If an international panel of eminent sociologists, historians, economists and anthropologists, was formed to examine the bumi case, I sure that they would find it extremely difficult to justify it in the form peddled by Umno.

Indeed the panel might even say that the ethnic Indians and the poor urban Chinese have a better case for affirmative action benefits. Many of the affirmative action schemes have been transformed into racketeering ones with parasitic cronies traveling along the Ali Baba highway to become millionaires.

In consequence, the poor of all ethnic groups are more marginalised than ever. Also, not a few of these schemes have engendered a colossal waste of public funds contributed by taxpayers.

It behooves Umno to realise that other races also exist; that they too aspire to better their standard of living especially the poor non-malay bumis in the interior of Sabah and Sarawak.

Another serious question Umno, or its president Badawi should address is the question of ownership. Umno is still quarrelling that they only have 18 percent of the nation's economic cake.

But they never ask how much is owned by the Brunei, Iban, Kadazan, Kedayan, Orang Sungei, Orang Ulu, etc communities? Did Umno ever give shares to these groups of minority non-malay bumis? For instance, how many scholarships have been given by Petronas to non-malay bumis?

Umno or anyone else, not even a superpower, can stand-alone without depending on others. Umno, like everyone else is only a tiny part of the bigger whole, to which everyone must belong. Don't think that Malaysia belongs to Umno, much less the world.

So Umno, don't be too egoistic, think of others too so that you will get a better and balanced perspective. The world is not about Umno only. It's about every individual that occupies and lives in this world. We are all interdependent. Let's wake up to that reality.

Look at the leaderships both in Sabah and Sarawak. They have all made money for themselves at the expense of the rakyat and Umno continues to condone this. With chief ministers and others who spend millions at casinos - what can we expect?

For Umno Youth to cry for NEP's revival without considering factors like transparency and accountability as its key indicators highlights their moral bankruptcy. Why did they not make the battle against corruption one of their major issues as this would have placed immense pressure on the government to act. Perhaps, the obvious fact remains that you need clean hands to take on such an issue.

What have the Sabahans and the Sarawakians got, the people at the grassroots level? Have their standards even in terms of education improved? We talk so much about Vision 2020 and the Malaysian spirit. The fact remains that unity is only as strong as the weakest link.

With the press under control and the Anti-corruption Agency beholden to the politicians, there is too much selectivity in the way issues are handled. Open up and you will find that there are enough Malaysians who will give you information about all the underground activities that are going on in various government-linked companies.

It is time that Dr Mahathir understands what he had done in providing economic progress without matching this with adequate openness with regards to checks and balances, and space for democratic exchange.

Unless the government opens up, we will continue to be exploited by the greed of those in the administration. Come on, get real. The world is not only about Malaysia and Umno.

[Guest]

Real racism was here 100 years ago, in clubs and pubs entrance for dogs and Chinese’s was restricted, most Indians were convicted.

[written today]

It is time that Dr Mahathir understands what he had done in providing economic progress without matching this with adequate openness with regards to checks and balances, and space for democratic exchange.

Unless the government opens up, we will continue to be exploited by the greed of those in the administration. Come on, get real. The world is not only about Malaysia and Umno.

This post appears to have been written some two years ago. C'mon guys, if you want to do a cut-and-paste job, at least have the sense to change the name to the current PM to cover your tracks. Ha! Ha!

[good man]

Stay cool man.

Malaysia is a neighbour whether we like it or not. Singapore cannot "migrate" to another region.

We have to live with them. And we need them more than they need us.

They provide us with cheaper and harder-working labour. They are a sizeable market for our goods. It is easier and cheaper to sell something to Malaysia than to China, for example. We also invest in them. Heck, we need to invest somewhere.

We go there for holidays and cheap golf. We have relatives there. We contribute to their economy. Whatever smart people they don't want, we take. There is a place for everyone in the food chain.

Things only get nasty when Malaysia refuse to accept the situation and tries to eat our lunch. Then they think up all sorts of irrational competition to spite us, and create a lose-lose situation. This kind of one-up-man ship damages both sides.

We need their leaders to be rational and go for win-win arrangements with us. If Malaysia is "boleh" and becomes rich, it is good for Singapore. Problem is they should not try to "kill" us in the process. Like trying to sabotage our port, airport, etc with ridiculous under-cutting measures. They willingly lose money in the process and we lose business.

That is stupid and self-destructive.

[tfn]

[Shabu-Shabu]

Don't ask me why, but I study in Malaysia.
And yes, I'm Singaporean.
People always ask me, especially Malays, and the Chinese locals here, "Why do I want to study in Malaysia when so many people are dying to go to Singapore to study?!"

Well, I'm not going to justify it here, but I've been told by the locals that the Chinese own more than 70% of the economy here, they're basically dependant on the chinese, who are the engines of the economy.
Malays tend to be in politics.

In fact, Most chinese here own 90% of the businesses I see around. And when I came here it was surprising I had to converse more in mandarin than I ever have to even try in Malay, er, which I don't speak.

My fiancee, the poor thing, was complaining to me, that in Melbourne it was "swarming with Chinese" wherever he went, and in Singapore, it was worse, and now, in Kuching, where he'd expect to study with locals, and which we both expect, muslims, again it's filled with Chinese, who speak mandarin he can't understand - again, and he's the odd one out - again!

[Vaucluse]

Having done business in Malaysia for donkeys years now, I cannot think of another country that has such overt racist policies - stretching from education to politics to entrance to government employment to banking preferences.

Up until now we could blame the mad doctor Mahatir, whom someone should bend over and - oh well . . . He has always had it in for the Chinese, then Westerners and in the end anyone not Malay or Muslim - good riddance to him and more power to those that want to make Malaysia a more liberal and prosperous - based on merit - place.

Anyone want to join in a class-action defamation suit against Mahatir for his famous sentence that all Americans and Europeans practise buggery? Love to drag this guy through te courts. He has been venting his poison without consequences far too long - silly old bugger . . . oops.