[h=2]What the Philippine National Day saga says about PAP[/h]
April 20th, 2014 |
Author: Contributions
There are so many things that are wrong about the PAP’s mentality
in regard to the Philippine National Day saga. In essence, it reflects the fact
that the PAP has failed in its duty towards the true Singaporean electorate.
First, there is a distinction between the Philippine day event held at Ngee
Ann city and that of Singapore day elsewhere. The latter is a cultural event
which is basically a large scale gathering of compatriots in the park of a
cosmopolitan city – this is hardly different from what is popularly celebrated
in student dorms of international universities.
By contrast, Philippine day in singapore takes on a significant political
element as rightly pointed out by American Timothy Eugene Garlock – with the
exception of embassies, there is otherwise no legitimate right for a group of
nationals to celebrate its national day on another country’s soil.
Through the failure of the police to veto this event, the civil service has
essentially negated to regard the feelings of true Singaporeans – they do not
understand the already strained relations and schism between locals and
foreigners. Thus, we can see the failure of the government as the cause of
exacerbating this issue.
As some may have earlier pointed out, the design of the Philippine national
day poster is also offensive on numerous levels: it carried the symbolic
‘rising’ rays over the singapore skyline while having the picture of
revolutionary soldiers: what is this trying to imply when such measures do not
exist back in the Philippines?
In passing such a remark, has the PAP not considered that such xenophobic are
fueled by their own policies which has resulted in many Singaporeans feeling
unjust on foreign students receiving scholarships while PMETs suffer weak labour
laws while these foreigners are willing to work for less?
Also, what about the fact that many Pinoys have made xenophobic comments
against Singaporeans but have not been censured to the very least? Rachelle Ann
Beguia? One only needs to Google “pinoy insults singaporeans” on Google images
to see the numerous cases.
The backlash from Singaporaans cannot be more obvious in its implications:
from the perspective of an average Singaporean, the PAP has lost its moral
legitimacy both as goverment and as a political
party.
Joseph Kheng-Liang
Tan
* The author is a 21 year-old
polytechnic graduate who is currently pursuing his law degree in Australia.
Widely quoted for his views, he has contributed extensively in his personal
capacity to top socio-political sites. He is also supremely homophobic and would
rather vote for the PAP should the opposition send in a homosexual
representative.
There are so many things that are wrong about the PAP’s mentality in regard to the Philippine National Day saga. In essence, it reflects the fact
that the PAP has failed in its duty towards the true Singaporean electorate.
First, there is a distinction between the Philippine day event held at Ngee
Ann city and that of Singapore day elsewhere. The latter is a cultural event
which is basically a large scale gathering of compatriots in the park of a
cosmopolitan city – this is hardly different from what is popularly celebrated
in student dorms of international universities.
By contrast, Philippine day in singapore takes on a significant political
element as rightly pointed out by American Timothy Eugene Garlock – with the
exception of embassies, there is otherwise no legitimate right for a group of
nationals to celebrate its national day on another country’s soil.
Through the failure of the police to veto this event, the civil service has
essentially negated to regard the feelings of true Singaporeans – they do not
understand the already strained relations and schism between locals and
foreigners. Thus, we can see the failure of the government as the cause of
exacerbating this issue.
As some may have earlier pointed out, the design of the Philippine national
day poster is also offensive on numerous levels: it carried the symbolic
‘rising’ rays over the singapore skyline while having the picture of
revolutionary soldiers: what is this trying to imply when such measures do not
exist back in the Philippines?
In passing such a remark, has the PAP not considered that such xenophobic are
fueled by their own policies which has resulted in many Singaporeans feeling
unjust on foreign students receiving scholarships while PMETs suffer weak labour
laws while these foreigners are willing to work for less?
Also, what about the fact that many Pinoys have made xenophobic comments
against Singaporeans but have not been censured to the very least? Rachelle Ann
Beguia? One only needs to Google “pinoy insults singaporeans” on Google images
to see the numerous cases.
The backlash from Singaporaans cannot be more obvious in its implications:
from the perspective of an average Singaporean, the PAP has lost its moral
legitimacy both as goverment and as a political
party.
Joseph Kheng-Liang
Tan
* The author is a 21 year-old
polytechnic graduate who is currently pursuing his law degree in Australia.
Widely quoted for his views, he has contributed extensively in his personal
capacity to top socio-political sites. He is also supremely homophobic and would
rather vote for the PAP should the opposition send in a homosexual
representative.
