Dear
readers,
I
am delighted to learn that recently some known SG bloggers has come forward to
open the topic of discussion about Xenophobia arising in Singapore both online and offline.
See the news image below which I obtained from: Fabrications About the PAP
Many of
them have recognized, agreed and feel that it is the most pressing issue that
has not yet been addressed in Singapore
with the raising number of foreigners working and tourists visiting our
country. Xenophobia started a few years ago, it is only till the recent months
I saw it growing more serious and started my blog/ Facebook page to create
awareness the best I could. (I will explain more below on why I came online…)
Known
bloggers in Singapore
such as Alex Au, Andrew Loh, Martyn See, Ravi Philemon are meeting up with MP
for Chua Chu Kang, Zaqy Mohamad to discuss. I see something positive will come
out of it and I trust this healthy will be addressed well by professionals from
both the government and citizens. I am thankful they all come forward for a
good cause.
As
I blog along below today, this could well be my last blog as I wish to spend my
time & focus on more important things in my life. The blogging, reading,
research, Facebook-ing on social media isn’t an easy job. It is very tedious,
even more especially when communicating with some certain people who cannot
seem to understand at all. When I talk about Point A, they turn to Point B,
when I talk about Point B, they turn back to Point A. In the end, nothing came
out of the conversation.
I believe
some readers may want to know how and why I came forward as Little Fish.
It all happened
a couple of months ago in early January when I was out with a group of friends
for coffee session. We talked about the GE2011 and PE2011, the most talked
politics in SG between the PAP and Oppositions. Then a topic of ‘Foreign Talent’
was brought forward out of nowhere. We were talking about the foreigner’s
quality; how some of them passed off as talent, fake diploma/ degrees, imposed
changes in our workplace etc. It did piss us off & we were teasing,
cheering and jeering all about it. Most of my friends also do that online at
Temasek Review Facebook wall pages (too many clones now)
One of the incident
came when I was out for a lunch appointment with a female friend of mine. Both
of us walked in a restaurant and after we are seated, I noticed her eyes were
scanning around the restaurant, when the waitress came to take down our orders;
her eyes were fixed on her name tag. She tried to start a simple conversation
with a waitress such as where she came from. As soon the waitress’s back turned
and walked to the kitchen, I asked my friend what’s up. She said that waitress
is a ‘Foreign Talent’. Next she went on and on… I shaked my head & gave out
a sigh. No comment. It certainly wasn’t about the foreign waitress. It is about
my friend.
When we are
eating, she was looking around at her food. I asked what was wrong; she raised
her hand and called for the waitress. She spoke how the food sucked, the meat
wasn’t properly cooked or the soup isn’t warm enough. She expected a better
service from a known restaurant. Omg, I thought she sounded a little
exaggerated; she didn’t even taste the food. She was in fact trying to find
fault on the waitress.
I ate my
meal and finished it silently. There was nothing wrong with the food. Their
services are also fine. I foot the bill & received my receipt. The
restaurant didn’t charge for her meal. It was free of charge. The waitress
thanked us for our patronage. She was happy about it but I felt bad, a little
embarrassed about my friend’s behavior.
On
our way back by MRT, as soon we are in the train cabin, she started to scan
through the passengers. ‘Foreign Trash’, she said. I was like speechless, never
actually understood why she has to do this. I asked what if they are just
tourists? (See image & links below)
Image screenshot from source: Wikipedia
For more accurate statistics, you may check out Singapore Tourism Board
This is the link to a PDF file year 2011 of tourists arriving in SG by Air, Land & Sea.
It is an average of 1.09 million tourists in a month.
continued...
She said
nothing more. She went on and on how the ‘foreigners’ this and that… all the
way to our destination.
The other
night I caught my friends commenting on a photo about “FT = Foreign Trash”. I
read thru the comments and wondered why their friend took a photo of a stranger
who looks like a foreigner in MRT & posted on his wall, yakking away about
the way he dress, looked so dumb, like third world country…etc.
With all
the news about PRCs, Pinoys etc appearing and the anti-foreigners sentiments
stirring up, I began to worry about their behaviors online. Then I recalled
there was one article about the neighbour’s curry issue & the Law MinisterShanmugam cautioned us against Xenophobia last year on 17 August 2011. I wondered what is
Xenophobia all about? I googled and found my answers.
I tried to
alert the Temasek Review Facebook but they just brushed me aside with some
standard replies. When I pressed on & on, they blamed the government &
shoved some articles in my face. Articles such as ‘double standards’ about
locals and foreigners, how they took our jobs, how they caused the cost of
living to raise, accidents, crimes etc. They won’t stop. My message didn’t
manage to deliver through. They aren’t even listening or giving some thoughts
about it.
Thus the
birth of Little Fish. I came online to expose them, the source of xenophobia.
They certainly aren’t helping Singaporeans which they claim to be. How does
fuelling the anger & hate helping Singaporeans? With 50k ‘Likes’ on their
facebook and 1 million readership, somehow I see the urgency to stop them.
During the
process, I saw some online lunch mobs tried to hunt me, label me as a
pro-government & tried to talk me out but it didn’t deter me from doing
what I wanted to do because I know it is a right thing to do.
You know
the rest of the story from my blog. I am glad some sensible people saw me &
I shared with them about it. One of them is the owner of ‘Fabrications About
the PAP’. He heard my story, understood it and he agreed to share on his FB
page. Then a reporter from The NewsPaper (TNP) came across my blog and contacted me.
It came at the time when they are also working on the same topic issue for their article. The next day
they released the story on their newspapers.
With the
above I blogged & to put an end my blog, I hope readers can open their eyes
and mind to be cautious when they read stuffs online. THINK first before
anything else.
That will
be all… A special thank you to all of you very much for your courage &
support though there is only a small group of you in cyberspace. It was well shared
to like-minded people, courageously spoken up & positive points delivered…cheers…
With love
& respect,
Little
Fish.
