Discrimination of minorities in Spore is institutionalised
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TUESDAY, 27 APRIL 2010 Muhammad ShaminDiscrimination against ethnic minorities, though subtle, is till very much alive in Singapore and much of this is perpetuated by the PAP Government. This is the message that the SDP sent to United Nation's representative Mr Githu Muigai. By doing this, the Government undermines the identity of the nation and build mistrust and resentment among citizens.
Githu Muigai (left) with Jufri Salim (partly hidden), Gandhi Ambalam (2nd from left) and Jarrod Luo (left)
Mr Muigai is the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. He is here to study racism in Singapore.
The SDP delegates included Chairman Mr Gandhi Ambalam, CEC member Mr Jufrie Mahmood, and Young Democrats Jufri Salim, Jarrod Luo, Khalis Rifhan, and Muhd Shamin.
A historical perspective
Mr Gandhi briefed Mr Muigai on the history of race relations in Singapore during the British colonial era and the racial riots that broke out in the 1960s that resulted in the expulsion of Singapore from the Federation of Malaysia.
He highlighted that during the time when Singapore was in the Federation, then prime minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew had championed “Malaysian Malaysia”, a policy that did not favour one ethnic group over another.
After Singapore was expelled, Mr Lee espoused a Singaporean Singapore. But this did not take place as his policies discriminated against the minority races.
Discriminated Malays
Mr Jufrie Mahmood gave examples of such policies. In the armed forces there are sectors where Malays are not allowed to enter and there has only been one Malay general - and, for that matter, he is not Malay but an Indian Muslim.
On population issue the PAP had said that the Malays were reproducing too quickly compared to the Chinese. As a result, it seems that the Government has encouraged the influx of Chinese nationals from the People's Republic of China to counter the growth of the Malay Singaporeans.
This clearly showed that the PAP did not consider the Singaporean identity but took race as a priority. The SDP delegation reiterated that they felt first and foremost Singaporean and consider their ethnicity as secondary.
Chinese nationals, on the other hand, find it hard to assimilate into the Singaporean culture which had in the past gradually morphed into a distinct melting pot identity unique to the island.
But with the PAP's racist policy of bringing in Chinese nationals, the Government has driven the wedge in between our ethnic groups because these foreigners don't understand our local mix heritage. The policy has even caused resentment between local Chinese Singaporeans and those from the PRC.
Mr Jufrie also spoke of his personal experience of the PAP manipulating race as an election candidate. During an election rally, he had said “Insya Allah” which means "God willing", a commonly used expression used by Malays.
SDP members with the UN Special Rapporteur
The PAP manipulated the situation, appealing to the fears of the other races by making him look like a radical Islamist "carrying a sword to slay everyone”.
He also talked about the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system introduced in 1988 to “ensure” minority representation. The truth is that the PAP Government had eradicated Malay representation in areas like Bedok and Geylang Serai by limiting the number of minority households in an area.
Today, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) determines the percentage of the various races staying in each housing estate. This has diluted the voice of minority groups.
In truth, the GRC was introduced to strengthen the PAP's hold on power by making it harder for the opposition to campaign. In fact before the system was introduced, there was more minority representation in Parliament.
Other forms of discrimination
I highlighted that discrimination also occurs in the job market where job advertisements specify “Mandarin-speaking” as a requirement even many of these jobs did not necessitate the language. On this point, YD vice-president Mr Jufri Salim added that is able to converse in Mandarin but still found it difficult to land such jobs.
Job discrimination has now extended to Singaporeans in general with many reports of companies stating that they were looking for non-Singaporeans to hire because they are cheaper.
Every citizen has to carry an identity card which clearly states one's race. This tactic clearly interested Mr Muigai.
Mr Khalis brought up the discrimination against members the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The religion is banned in Singapore because its followers refuse to serve in the military as they do not believe in violence. As a result many of its members are imprisoned.
Conclusion
The meeting with the Rapporteur covered many areas during which it was emphasized that racial discrimination that had been institutionalised in Singapore. Mr Muigai mentioned that his report will be presented to the UN committee in June this year which will include a list of recommendations and best practices.
Muhammad Shamin is a member of the Young Democrats. He recently returned to Singapore after a 3-month internship at the European Parliament.http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/3644-discrimination-in-singapore-is-institutionalised
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It is a mistake to "invite" this UN rapporteur.
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racism is a very sensitive issue, please refrain from making it an issue, Singapore has enjoy the best social harmony for many years, we definitely will not allow a nobody from UN or Indai to come here and tell us about racisim...if he is an indian, he better take more care of his own country India racial problems, since cannot do anything there, what right does he got to do here.
Book one tigerair and sent him back to tamil nadu with a packet of Nasi Bryani.
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indonesia and malaysia are even more jialat if you do a comparison.
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give a little bit of respect to others, we're living in a multi-racial environment, so please give some though to people that have difference cultural background.....
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Originally posted by angel7030:
racism is a very sensitive issue, please refrain from making it an issue, Singapore has enjoy the best social harmony for many years, we definitely will not allow a nobody from UN or Indai to come here and tell us about racisim...if he is an indian, he better take more care of his own country India racial problems, since cannot do anything there, what right does he got to do here.
Book one tigerair and sent him back to tamil nadu with a packet of Nasi Bryani.
u gt a lot ofunique views on how to run and improve country hor??? Y nt u marry him and follow him to tamil nadu to spread ur ideology there? Beside nasi bryani he can bring back to his country man our famous dish... mee siam with HUM!!
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Originally posted by Straightstick:
u gt a lot ofunique views on how to run and improve country hor??? Y nt u marry him and follow him to tamil nadu to spread ur ideology there? Beside nasi bryani he can bring back to his country man our famous dish... mee siam with HUM!!
but really mah, we are proud of our harmonious racial society, i think in this world, hardly can you get a place like singapore with so much cultural diversity and races to get together to build as one people, one country, one nation, one Singapore. It led to people envy us and also jealous about us.for you info, indian dun eat hum
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Originally posted by angel7030:
but really mah, we are proud of our harmonious racial society, i think in this world, hardly can you get a place like singapore with so much cultural diversity and races to get together to build as one people, one country, one nation, one Singapore. It led to people envy us and also jealous about us.for you info, indian dun eat hum
u sure all singaporeans, including our minority frens are happy with the current status? Is our society as harmonious as you have described? Or ppl are living in fear and do not dare to express their frusration openly?? leading to this seemingly 'harmonious racial society' that we are seeing??U were from taiwan right? Are the taiwanese envious and jealous of us like what you have mentioned??
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Originally posted by Straightstick:
u sure all singaporeans, including our minority frens are happy with the current status? Is our society as harmonious as you have described? Or ppl are living in fear and do not dare to express their frusration openly?? leading to this seemingly 'harmonious racial society' that we are seeing??U were from taiwan right? Are the taiwanese envious and jealous of us like what you have mentioned??
Certainly, that is why i am here, you got prata, singh original tosai, hainnese chicken rice, malay satay, india roti mary and john, tung lok shark fin, banana leaf and big bananas goreng pisang...etc etc..yummy,... in taiwan, we only got taiwanese food, and even those curry cannot match here, that is why, when i cook curry in taiwan, even the neighbours also come and eat...tho i am a lousy cook here.Taiwan, like korea or japan is a homogenous country, our minority is very less, it got is pros and cons in it, pros being we do thing as one, more united, if we one the president to go, just call for unity, go on the street and protest, get 500NT for a day ++foods and drink and off the president goes, but being unity also got is problem, things like protesting and rioting can bring our economy down, and also because of close relationship, corruption is nearly everywhere.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
racism is a very sensitive issue, please refrain from making it an issue, Singapore has enjoy the best social harmony for many years, we definitely will not allow a nobody from UN or Indai to come here and tell us about racisim...if he is an indian, he better take more care of his own country India racial problems, since cannot do anything there, what right does he got to do here.
Book one tigerair and sent him back to tamil nadu with a packet of Nasi Bryani.
Looks who is talking........about Race....and social harmony?
Why don't you focus on How Taiwanese govt deal with Taiwanese aborigines before you come here and crap about Mr. nobody from UN?
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Obrigines happens all over the world, in NZ, Aust, US, Canada..Malaysia etc etc..but we talking about Singapore, a multi racial society.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Obrigines happens all over the world, in NZ, Aust, US, Canada..Malaysia etc etc..but we talking about Singapore, a multi racial society.
Taiwan, like korea or japan is a homogenous country, our minority is very less,
Can you please go and do more research on your own backyard before craping here.
Yes ....but all the countries that you mention the characteristics, cultures of aborigines are retained but not Taiwan....its been forcefully assimulated.......
If you do not hold truth on your own backyard ....about maintaining identity of aborigines So what kind of multi racial society do you want to talk about in other part of society?
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
Taiwan, like korea or japan is a homogenous country, our minority is very less,
Can you please go and do more research on your own backyard before craping here.
Yes ....but all the countries that you mention the characteristics, cultures of aborigines are retained but not Taiwan....its been forcefully assimulated.......
If you do not hold truth on your own backyard ....about maintaining identity of aborigines So what kind of multi racial society do you want to talk about in other part of society?
Oh! books again, hello u taiwanese, or i taiwanese, you know alisan tribe or not, where got move out, we even make them our icon and a tourist attraction spot, wha lau, singaporean talks about taiwan??? and most of us are from Mingnan tribes who speak fujian due to their occupancy during the Ching dynasty...that is why we speaks hokkien with a mingnan accent. The mix of fujian which are rough and ugly people with our local pretty and handsome obrigine produced good looking gals like me and handsome guys like WongLEEHong ya. And because of our shan ke (mountain song) origin, most of our stars are good in singing and composing songs. Unlike Singapore all the satay and rojak songs. -
Originally posted by angel7030:
Oh! books again, hello u taiwanese, or i taiwanese, you know alisan tribe or not, where got move out, we even make them our icon and a tourist attraction spot, wha lau, singaporean talks about taiwan??? and most of us are from Mingnan tribes who speak fujian due to their occupancy during the Ching dynasty...that is why we speaks hokkien with a mingnan accent. The mix of fujian which are rough and ugly people with our local pretty and handsome obrigine produced good looking gals like me and handsome guys like WongLEEHong ya. And because of our shan ke (mountain song) origin, most of our stars are good in singing and composing songs. Unlike Singapore all the satay and rojak songs.ha ha ha Hokkien is Taiwan aborigines language????
It only reflect how small you are.......
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
ha ha ha Hokkien is Taiwan aborigines language????
It only reflect how small you are.......
i never that mah, beside mingnan, alisan, kaohan, mingli, etc etc...there are so many aborigine dialect, we use hokkien as the main one due to Fujian occupation in the 19th century.Anyway, where is the singapore sukai, iban, bugis, bouyanese aborigine peoples, singapore is worst than us, cannot even find one...all because of LKY
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is this the topic on hostile space aliens???
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indian dude got nothing to do.......so he come to singapore and torture n tacan anything that moves........eh???what a strange person...he must have been an orphan or something....or nuts.
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oooo...wait a minute.....he said job discrimination amongst sporeans!!!!hey.....finally a foreign talent!!!!mugali is a nice man!!
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Originally posted by angel7030:
i never that mah, beside mingnan, alisan, kaohan, mingli, etc etc...there are so many aborigine dialect, we use hokkien as the main one due to Fujian occupation in the 19th century.Anyway, where is the singapore sukai, iban, bugis, bouyanese aborigine peoples, singapore is worst than us, cannot even find one...all because of LKY
Are you trying to aplease Atobe.
Temasek was part of Johor.
There are no aborigines here.
Because there are no natural resources here, The Johor Sultanate largely neglect the island, and it became a haven for passing regional traders and pirates. Until Stamford Raffles came.
LKY only suppressed Chinese dilects in favour of Mandarin. Not the Bugis, Boyanese, or even the Iban, or Sakai.
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Discriminate the malays? I think government give them more subsidies than other races?
Plus action speaks louder than words. Apparently there are many black sheeps amongst the malays, so much that they get accused for any wrong doings. Feel sorry for those who really work.
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
ha ha ha Hokkien is Taiwan aborigines language????
It only reflect how small you are.......
Cesspit . . .. . . treating all here . . . 3 year old to con. Hokkien is not aborigine language, it is from China.Please don't believe . . .. . . . cesspit when she says she is from Taiwan. . . . . .. must have been offended by . . . . . . some taiwanese ..... that push this thing .... to pretend to be a. . . . Taiwanese . . . . to shame Taiwanese.
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When minorities complain discrimination..all pretend nothing happen and keep insisting nothing wrong..sweep problem under carpet..
But when they feel the heat from PRCs and foreigners..they complain discrimination..blame govenment..and come online complain in forum like a small kid..
haha..u shld knw whom i'm refering to..
And angel7030..better apply more lubricant down there..your CB flapping non-stop..
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Originally posted by Agenda:
Discriminate the malays? I think government give them more subsidies than other races?
Plus action speaks louder than words. Apparently there are many black sheeps amongst the malays, so much that they get accused for any wrong doings. Feel sorry for those who really work.
Hi Agenda, please elaborate what subsidises do Malay people enjoy and exactly how much ? If you dont know, please do not make such comment. I am Malay, and since young i have heard on a few occasions on my my family members, relatives and Malay friends comments and discussion that there are no Malays in armed forces. And how easy for a Chinese (whether educated or not) to get PRs and work permit in Singapore compared to other races. These talks are common in the Malay community. -
lets add more discriminations....that is the extremely feminist policies against men...
they are adding fuel to the overcrowded singles and divorces .... IT'S SAFER TO REMAIN SINGLE THAN TO SEE ALL YOUR (MEN'S) MONEY GO TO EXPLOITATIVE SG SLUTS
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Originally posted by Agenda:
Discriminate the malays? I think government give them more subsidies than other races?
Plus action speaks louder than words. Apparently there are many black sheeps amongst the malays, so much that they get accused for any wrong doings. Feel sorry for those who really work.
I always heard of this subsidies, but my malay friends in the workplace always ask what actually is the subsidies, whether its from Mendaki or direct from the Government. i wish the current regime place more on nationality than race and not just pay lip service to race relations.
all race got black sheep, drug addicts, gamblers, drinkers, wife beaters etc... i rather hear it as a form of a joke rather than being stereotypical of each different race. I rather all of us unite to face the mongoloid scum from China or some third world country from taking their bad habits and turning Singapore into an enclave of their fucked up countries