Some 600 people attended the May Day Rally at Hong Lim Park
yesterday – a far cry from the 4000 that showed up for the same
demonstration last year. Have Singaporeans grown tired of such
protests, or apathetic to the issues raised? Even the population
White Paper protests last year drew some 6000 people according to
organisers, Transitioning.
But for all it was worth, speakers like Gilbert Tan and Leong
Sze Hian spoke out articulately and with much gusto about the need
to amend government policy to curtail the number of foreign hires,
and free up more jobs for Singaporeans.
The speakers made sure to emphasises that Singaporeans aren’t
anti-foreigners, or xenophobic. Rather, our anger is directed at
flawed government policies which are depriving the Singaporean
worker of fair opportunities and wages. Some like blogger Roy
Ngerng suggested that things might be better if the PAP was voted
out in the next General Election.
All pertinent topics, and issues which we can relate to in our
daily squeeze. But when it came to standing up for the rights of
Singaporeans, where was the rest of Singapore?
