Source: TR EMERITUS
TODAY: Anti-FT sentiments only exist online
April 11th, 2015 | Author: Editorial
In view of the rising anti-FT sentiments dominating the chatter in social media, TODAY conducted a survey among the FTs to help ascertain how they feel living in Singapore.
“But based on TODAY’s interviews with 15 foreigners from a range of occupations and who have spent some time here, the real-world experience is out of sync with the prevalent online sentiment,” TODAY said in a report published today (‘Are Singaporeans anti-foreigner? Not in the real world’, 11 Apr).
TODAY reported that the FTs spoke positively about their daily interactions with Singaporeans at work or other social settings.
However, while the FTs were happy to share their views with TODAY, some did not want to give their full names out of concern that they would get flamed online.
Mr Anjan, a senior manager at a media company, said, “I think (the negative sentiments are) all in the online space … there’s no translation of it into the physical world,” said the 45-year-old Indian national who is a PR. He is said to be living in Singapore for the past 14 years. It’s not known if he would consider converting his PR to Singapore citizenship.
Filipino pharmacist technician Gina, 31, said she had a lot to learn when she first joined a hospital here, and the support from her bosses and colleagues helped her carve out a 14-year long career. She appears to have come to Singapore when she was in her late teens.
Ms Angela, a British director at an MNC came to Singapore in 2008. She said that she rarely encountered “any open frustrations with foreigners” from her colleagues or Singaporeans running local businesses.
However, another British director, 43, who only wanted to give his name as T S, felt that foreigners are being tolerated rather than welcomed here. He said, “And because of that … a great deal of us tend to put our heads down, take our salary, pay our taxes, and we’re grateful for our lifestyles and we tend not to try and create ripples.”
Perhaps the British Anton Casey incident in recent years might have rattled T S.
An Australian PR, 52, who had a bad encounter with Singaporeans some years ago, recounted the incident. He had noticed that a parked car along the street in the estate where lived was blocking traffic. He asked the couple sitting in the car if they could move their car. What greeted him next was a string of vulgarities from the car owner, telling him to go back to his own country. “The funny thing is, that was my home. So he came into my (estate) and was blocking the traffic for dozens of people, yet he was abusing me.”
Another PR from UK, Mike, also a long time resident in Singapore, said, “I don’t think xenophobia appears today in the way people interact with each other. Other than online stuff, I don’t think it’s there. I think online is just an easy forum to make noise.”
Vocal minority
TODAY also reported that the foreigners interviewed said they tend not to take anti-foreigner comments too seriously, attributing them to only a vocal minority.
NUS Associate Prof Straughan said the people who perpetuate anti-foreigner comments are “cowards”.
She said, “They know they cannot say it in public because there are very strong laws and normative stance against xenophobia. So what they do then is take to the anonymity of the internet and there, they believe they can sprout whatever they want … It is an act of cowardice.”
“They have become more visible simply because technology has facilitated that with social media. The internet has magnified their lone voices,” she added.
Dr Carol Soon, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) said that sentiments expressed online may reflect how some people feel about foreigners and immigration issues but it does not mean that these views are widespread.
“The internet creates the illusion of many when there could just be a few because of the ease and speed of replication, especially when it comes to provocative material,” said Dr Soon.
Be it that it may be only a vocal minority who spread anti-foreigner comments online, one thing is certain. The policy of the PAP government to increase the influx of foreigners into Singapore has caused the PAP dearly in vote losses during the last GE. In 2011, PAP garnered the lowest percentage of valid votes in the history of Singapore with a whopping 40% of Singaporeans voted against it. Public protests which are almost unheard of in Singapore started sprouting up in Hong Lim Park since the announcement of the 6.9 million Population White Paper in early 2013.
NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser said, “Regulating numbers (of foreigners) reduces competition for jobs, space, amenities, infrastructures, and thereby tension, prejudice, and unhappiness.”
He added, “We can promote integration by ensuring that we bring in the kind of foreigners for jobs which Singaporeans cannot or do not want to take up.”
Do you agree with the views of Dr Tan?
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China student Wang Pengfei insults Singapore
[video=youtube;-jS5aM_Liy4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jS5aM_Liy4[/video]
TODAY: Anti-FT sentiments only exist online
April 11th, 2015 | Author: Editorial
In view of the rising anti-FT sentiments dominating the chatter in social media, TODAY conducted a survey among the FTs to help ascertain how they feel living in Singapore.
“But based on TODAY’s interviews with 15 foreigners from a range of occupations and who have spent some time here, the real-world experience is out of sync with the prevalent online sentiment,” TODAY said in a report published today (‘Are Singaporeans anti-foreigner? Not in the real world’, 11 Apr).
TODAY reported that the FTs spoke positively about their daily interactions with Singaporeans at work or other social settings.
However, while the FTs were happy to share their views with TODAY, some did not want to give their full names out of concern that they would get flamed online.
Mr Anjan, a senior manager at a media company, said, “I think (the negative sentiments are) all in the online space … there’s no translation of it into the physical world,” said the 45-year-old Indian national who is a PR. He is said to be living in Singapore for the past 14 years. It’s not known if he would consider converting his PR to Singapore citizenship.
Filipino pharmacist technician Gina, 31, said she had a lot to learn when she first joined a hospital here, and the support from her bosses and colleagues helped her carve out a 14-year long career. She appears to have come to Singapore when she was in her late teens.
Ms Angela, a British director at an MNC came to Singapore in 2008. She said that she rarely encountered “any open frustrations with foreigners” from her colleagues or Singaporeans running local businesses.
However, another British director, 43, who only wanted to give his name as T S, felt that foreigners are being tolerated rather than welcomed here. He said, “And because of that … a great deal of us tend to put our heads down, take our salary, pay our taxes, and we’re grateful for our lifestyles and we tend not to try and create ripples.”
Perhaps the British Anton Casey incident in recent years might have rattled T S.
An Australian PR, 52, who had a bad encounter with Singaporeans some years ago, recounted the incident. He had noticed that a parked car along the street in the estate where lived was blocking traffic. He asked the couple sitting in the car if they could move their car. What greeted him next was a string of vulgarities from the car owner, telling him to go back to his own country. “The funny thing is, that was my home. So he came into my (estate) and was blocking the traffic for dozens of people, yet he was abusing me.”
Another PR from UK, Mike, also a long time resident in Singapore, said, “I don’t think xenophobia appears today in the way people interact with each other. Other than online stuff, I don’t think it’s there. I think online is just an easy forum to make noise.”
Vocal minority
TODAY also reported that the foreigners interviewed said they tend not to take anti-foreigner comments too seriously, attributing them to only a vocal minority.
NUS Associate Prof Straughan said the people who perpetuate anti-foreigner comments are “cowards”.
She said, “They know they cannot say it in public because there are very strong laws and normative stance against xenophobia. So what they do then is take to the anonymity of the internet and there, they believe they can sprout whatever they want … It is an act of cowardice.”
“They have become more visible simply because technology has facilitated that with social media. The internet has magnified their lone voices,” she added.
Dr Carol Soon, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) said that sentiments expressed online may reflect how some people feel about foreigners and immigration issues but it does not mean that these views are widespread.
“The internet creates the illusion of many when there could just be a few because of the ease and speed of replication, especially when it comes to provocative material,” said Dr Soon.
Be it that it may be only a vocal minority who spread anti-foreigner comments online, one thing is certain. The policy of the PAP government to increase the influx of foreigners into Singapore has caused the PAP dearly in vote losses during the last GE. In 2011, PAP garnered the lowest percentage of valid votes in the history of Singapore with a whopping 40% of Singaporeans voted against it. Public protests which are almost unheard of in Singapore started sprouting up in Hong Lim Park since the announcement of the 6.9 million Population White Paper in early 2013.
NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser said, “Regulating numbers (of foreigners) reduces competition for jobs, space, amenities, infrastructures, and thereby tension, prejudice, and unhappiness.”
He added, “We can promote integration by ensuring that we bring in the kind of foreigners for jobs which Singaporeans cannot or do not want to take up.”
Do you agree with the views of Dr Tan?
End of Article
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China student Wang Pengfei insults Singapore
[video=youtube;-jS5aM_Liy4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jS5aM_Liy4[/video]
