Heartlanders not "cultured" enough for Holland V
An angry rant on radio about how Singapore's 'heartlanders' do not jive with 'cultured' folks who live in Holland Village has sparked outrage among netizens in Singapore.
The caller, identified only as Samantha, phoned in to 91.3FM's The Married Men on Wednesday morning and began her tirade on how local heartlanders should stay away away from Holland Village if they are not "high-class".
"I live in Holland Village, and I just can't understand why people from the heartlands want to come here. We people are cultured, and you heartlanders are definitely not cultured," she said.
She defines heartlanders as being "people from Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Toa Payoh and the nearby Bukit Batok" who "have no manners", "talk loudly" and wear "cheap clothes from Bugis Street".
"People who come here are cultured. So if you want to come here, you know, when you're in Rome, behave like a Roman. When you're in Holland, behave like us -- cultured people. "
Her message to heartlanders?
"Please stay where you are, I think you fit best there."
Another caller, Maddy, who lives in Bedok responded to Samantha's comments on air saying, "Every heartlander earns their money, so why can't we go? We go there for good food, that's what they're known for, so why aren't we allowed there?"
Maddy dismisses her comments as "major stereotyping", claiming many renowned schools are located in the heartlands and that people who live there are perfectly capable of carrying themselves well.
Popular radio deejay Rod Monteiro, one-third of The Married Men, told Yahoo! Singapore that listeners who responded after the show unanimously disapproved of Samantha's remarks.
Monteiro, who lives in Siglap, said, "It's not just the locals, even expats thought what she said was unwarranted. Even a foreigner living in Simei called in to say Samantha's comments were elitist."
"Personally, I feel that it's one people, one nation, one Singapore. It's not really about how we dress. Of course, we should dress well while eating at posh restaurants, but when it comes to eating at Holland Village's coffee shops, people should be allowed to wear what they want," he added.
He also denied that Samantha was a caller planted by the station to raise publicity.
"Samantha called in during a segment of the show called, 'What's On Your Mind', where people can just call in if there's anything they want to get off their chests. She probably just had a bad day and felt the need to rant."
Regardless, residents living in Holland Village themselves disagreed with Samantha.
Linus Choo, 22, a business student at MDIS said, "Her view is careless and myopic. She definitely does not spend much time there, because if she did, she would know that the community is very much made of heartlanders -- the residents themselves."
Yew Lee Peng, 24, who lives in a HDB flat in Holland Village added, "It really depends on the purpose of going to Holland Village.... I won't wear a gown to do my grocery shopping, right?"
Student Jojo Tan, 20, said, "I've seen fights and there was a case of a couple walking naked around some time back. I doubt that is very 'cultured'. But the vibe is indeed different from other parts of Singapore -- it is a very Westernised place and unlike other areas, the people are generally more polite and friendlier."
