Co-opting foreigners to 'think Sg' not as easy as it looks

Clivebenss SG

Apr 18, 2012 - ST Forum

MR DAVID Lim urges Singaporeans to readily accept permanent residents (PRs) and other foreigners so as to build an inclusive Singapore, which in turn will make for a stronger nation ('Make this a stronger nation by making all feel they belong'; last Thursday).

His appeal may be easier said than done, given that Singapore is far more complex now because of the influx of immigrants of diverse nationalities within a few short years.

It is understandable that certain segments among Singaporeans are not prepared, mentally and socially, to accept so many newcomers in such a short span.

Mr Lim's analogy of assembling the best team, comprising citizens and foreigners, to achieve a stronger Singapore may not be realistic.

Many foreigners and some PRs are here for purely economic reasons. Among first-generation PRs, the ties to their home countries are still strong.

So, to take up citizenship may not be as simple as it seems because of emotional ties. When it comes to certain national issues, loyalty to Singapore may be divided in such a team. If a war breaks out in Singapore, how many of the foreigners and PRs would stay and fight?

If Mr Lim feels that Singaporeans will not readily accept him because he is a PR and is worried he may be asked to leave, he should take up citizenship, as his children have.

A household with a mix of Singaporeans and foreigners like Mr Lim's may also result in a conflict of views on certain national issues.

Edwin Lim

SBS2601D SG

Our forefathers came here "for purely economic reasons" as well.

Bikeforceful SG

Our forefathers came here "for purely economic reasons" as well.

Our forefathers came for economic reasons sure, but did our forefathers take away jobs from the Orang Laut and the aborigines of Malaya? Did our forefathers get similar priorities as the Raja rajas and the orang putehs to get into village schools? Did the colonial masters integrate with our forefathers so well? I thought they had they own sperate staircase and entrance and our fore fathers went thro the back doors or side doors.Did our forefathers attap hut suddenly cost 900,000 thousand? OH! and basically our forefathers were the ones who stay on! They didn't go back to Swatow or Fukkien or Canton after amassing their great fortunes in the Straits Settlements. Any one including politicians who says let's accept and integrate - please open their home to at least accept one Bangla family or one PRcian to live play and work side by side in their home- then come and talk! Walk their talk ! instead of just sing a song of 6 pence a pocket full of rye!

Dalforce 1941 SG

Our forefathers came here "for purely economic reasons" as well.

But they are already dead. We are local born singaporeans. We were not born overseas.

It is understandable that certain segments among Singaporeans are not prepared, mentally and socially, to accept so many newcomers in such a short span.

I am not prepared for Singaporeans to become minority in Singapore. I am also not prepared for PAP to insult Singaporeans and praise foreigners.

On issue of import of PRCs, I propose to PAP regime to import PRCs from the same provinces of China where our forefathers came from, which is the southern provinces.

Speak same mother tongue, so the differences may be minimised.

The local chinese clans can also be strengthened.

I wonder whether the peranakan Lee Kuan Yew would approve or oppose.

Since Lee Kuan Yew is afraid of dialect chinese of Singapore, I think Lee Kuan Yew will oppose the increase of chinese from southern China till death.

Bikeforceful SG

But they are already dead. We are local born singaporeans. We were not born overseas.

I am not prepared for Singaporeans to become minority in Singapore. I am also not prepared for PAP to insult Singaporeans and praise foreigners.

On issue of import of PRCs, I propose to PAP regime to import PRCs from the same provinces of China where our forefathers came from, which is the southern provinces.

Speak same mother tongue, so the differences may be minimised.

The local chinese clans can also be strengthened.

I wonder whether the peranakan Lee Kuan Yew would approve or oppose.

Since Lee Kuan Yew is afraid of dialect chinese of Singapore, I think Lee Kuan Yew will oppose the increase of chinese from southern China till death.

Indeed! Indeed! The kinds of Prcians these import are from God knows where! all those far north or north west or north east types even Hei long jiang - that speak with the northern type accented tongue stiffening Mandarin! The majority of the Chinese here are from the south which very unfrotunately some politicians here deem them to be of weaker stock!( probably just because Mao was from the north) Little do they realise that the belligerent northern stock type not only makes it difficult for acceptance and integration, they will be the ones in the longer run who probably will upstage the powers that are that brought them in! They have that wildness and erratic emotional bochap madness to go on a emotional rampage if they need to! Just look at those construction workers who protest...and the ones who threaten to throw themselves off buildings if not paid certain sums etc..they are not from the south..they are from the north! Where are the Teochews Hokkiens and TeoYeo and Cantonese?

alize SG

Import what? These PRCs are doing low value jobs encouraging companies to adopt low value methods of production.

Govt talks about restructuring the economy yet imports mountains of cheap foreign labour.

Lazybumy SG

Couple of facts that you did not get it right, Mao is not from the North, he is from Hunan. Most of the communist in the early china come from Hunan and Sichun, which is consider central and south. As for you impression that only the north create problem. Recall the cases that the gal get run off and not one person raise a finger to help. It happen in the South. If you been to china long enough, not much different between their south and north, they behave different many due to culture revolution which make them not so easy to understand. Of cos not to mention they open their door so fast that the whole culture of traditional chinese is gone.

charlize SG

Wah, you win.

Dalforce 1941 SG

Of cos not to mention they open their door so fast that the whole culture of traditional chinese is gone.

I thought it's due to those moronic suppressions of chinese culture during the "cultural revolution"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Olds

I think as a chinese community not touched by the destructive "cultural revolution", we chinese Singaporeans have a duty to protect the traditional chinese culture.

Lazybumy SG

I thought it's due to those moronic suppressions of chinese culture during the "cultural revolution"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Olds

I think as a chinese community not touched by the destructive "cultural revolution", we chinese Singaporeans have a duty to protect the traditional chinese culture.

How can you cut and paste only part of my post,

"they behave different many due to culture revolution which make them not so easy to understand. Of cos not to mention they open their door so fast that the whole culture of traditional chinese is gone."

I had already state that part of the reason is due to culture revolution, though i dun see singaporean chinese actually protecting traditional chinese culture too. At least not at the present moment.

Dalforce 1941 SG

I had already state that part of the reason is due to culture revolution, though i dun see singaporean chinese actually protecting traditional chinese culture too. At least not at the present moment.

Have to wait until Lee Kuan Yew is dead. He is the main figure suppressing chinese in Singapore.

He sees the chinese as a threat to his rule. He does not feel secure with the chinese of Singapore.

Endangered species?

For goodness sake, Lee Kuan Yew practically filled the entire cabinet with inbred Peranakans.

For the last few decades in Singapore, the top positions in civil service, statutory boards, armed forces, GLCs have all along been going disproportionately to the Peranakans.

That is one reason why Singapore has been run to the ground.

Lee Kuan Yew worked with the Japanese Kempeitai and later the British colonizers to suppress the non-Peranakan Chinese.

That's why he has always been wary of non-Peranakan Chinese and could only entrust power to his own family members and his other Peranakan cronies.

http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2009/02/17/peranakans__going_the_way_of_the.html

Bikeforceful SG

Wah, you win.

Ok ok Mao from Hunan ....still not fFukien or canton or swatow lah- Anyone 's grandfather or great grand father from Hunan here ? aiyah north east west central whatever they are here from Yishun to Ang mo kio to CHinatown to Pasir Panjang and Pasir Ris!