Foreigners
Friction on the rise
Immigration concerns: Singaporeans hope the spate of recent run-ins will not be a prelude of things to come. By Seah Chiang Nee
Nov 17, 2007

Ill feelings towards expatriates appear to be on the rise among some Singaporeans that could be attributed to the rapid immigration inflow.

They had resulted in recent incidents recently between locals and Westerners being blown into major angry outbursts.

If not because of foreigners, these everyday happenings in any crowded city would merit little or no attention. But because Westerners and non-Caucasian aliens were involved, it had become a public issue.

These are unusual times in a small city-state that has welcomed hundreds of thousands of foreigners to settle here in such a short time thanks to the reach of the Internet.

Recent incidents between Singaporeans and foreigners: -

-- Singaporean Michelle Quek said a Caucasian and his girlfriend attacked here and her friend after her school ‘accidentally hit the woman.’ A quarrel ensued which resulted in the Westerner – in her account – held up her friend by the arms, lifted her off the floor and dropped her onto the floor, while she was punched on the nose.
The scene resulted in a couple of angry bystanders among a gathering crowd confronting the foreigner, stopping him from leaving and nearly causing more mayhem. The incident was videotaped and released for public viewing. Public sentiment ranged from anger to calls for action against offensive foreigners.

-- Three British tourists mocked a 76-year-old rickshaw driver because he couldn’t pedal fast enough for them, then posted a video of the struggling old man on You-Tube, causing uproar. They were also reported to have run off without paying the full S$10 fare.

-- American Anthony Wildberger, 23 (accompanied by his Singaporean wife) said he was beaten up by nightclub bouncers and other clubbers when some woman alleged he had pinched her bottom.
He claimed that he suffered a concussion, his nasal bone was displaced, three teeth were chipped, and there were cuts and bruises on his face.

Westerners are, of course, not the only people who are affected.

The target of local displeasure is mostly directed at the small army of mainland Chinese and Indians who have come here to work or given PRs. They often find themselves at the end of verbal insults or unable to rent accomodation.

The Thinker –

“Foreign talent resonates with negative connotations within the majority of Singaporean citizens,” said blogger The Thinker.

“Foreigners are viewed as threats to locals' livelihoods, they are viewed with suspicion and envy; yet many a Singaporean would fawn and grovel before white customers, often at the expense of their local 'brethren'.

“This love-hate relationship that exists in Singapore is one-of-a-kind, and does not exist in other premier cities.”

Respected bligger redbean, wrote of a growing potential for xenophobic tension.

“For those who have to face the foreigners daily in all his living activities, when every citizen has to fight for his space and the air he breathes, tension is likely to build up and break out.”

A frequent commuter of bus or train would likely encounter one or two foreigners for every Singaporean.

“When every citizen has to fight for his space and the air he breathes, tension is likely to build up and break out,” redbean added.

The complaints are likely to rise, rather than decrease, when inflation is cutting into the value of people’s earnings, and this is partly attributed to a rapid immigration hike over the past decade.

There is also growing concern that the impact of immigration will upset the social and ethnic balance in Singapore.

The latest to voice concern was Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong who warned that cracks are already appearing not just between different ethnic groups, but also within races in Singapore, TODAY newspaper reported.

His worry made in a constituency speech was issued as the immigration inflow is set to reach a new high, exceeding last year’s total of 70,700).

He was quoted by TODAY as saying that "the new residents did not mix easily with Singaporeans" and Singaporeans, in turn, "tended to leave them alone".

And within the Chinese and Indian communities, crevices are deepening.

Said Mr Goh: "In terms of accent, culture and habit, Chinese Singaporeans are different from their PRC counterparts.

“As for Indians, I have heard that the Indians from India tend to bring their caste culture with them, and that some of them sometimes come across as sikit atas (slight air of superiority) to our local Indians.

"On the other hand, some Indian Singaporeans also display the same attitude towards the many low-skilled workers from India."
Littlespeck.com