Canadian PR: Anxiety over foreigners come from “frail†sense
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Canadian PR: Anxiety over foreigners come from “frail” sense of national identity
Temasek review
Canadian permanent resident Eric Brooks which sparked a massive outcry last year with his letter calling on Singaporeans to be “grateful” to the PAP has stirred controversy again with his latest letter to the Straits Times forum titled “Foreigners are not why we don’t do well.”
In his letter, he chided Singaporeans’ frail sense of national identity as the chief culprit behind their anxieties about the presence of foreigners in Singapore.
“….many young Singaporeans think of themselves as Chinese, Indian or Malay first, Singaporean second. Many Singaporeans feel more comfortable speaking to someone of the same race from China or India than a Singaporean of a different race. If anything, anxiety about foreigners may come from the Singaporean’s frail sense of national identity,” he wrote as if he knows a lot about Singapore.
He next boasted about the “advantages” of being a foreigner from his own personal experience:
“Foreigners have two important advantages. First, at age 13, my first job was picking up rubbish at a carpark. This was followed by cleaning toilets, stocking vegetables at supermarkets and cooking smelly fish, among others. From my teenage years to university graduation, everyone I knew did humble jobs during school holidays and sometimes while studying too. By comparison, I have met many young Singaporeans who are embarrassed to be seen doing this type of work. Many parents say the same thing for their children.”
Due to the PAP’s pro-foreigner and immigration policies, foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 percent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 percent who are citizens, an increasing number are born overseas.
The PAP has been actively courting the newcomers by roping them into the YPAP and grassroots organizations to boost its flagging support base among native Singaporeans, many of whom are getting sick and tired of its repressive one-party rule.
Being offered a chance to succeed in Singapore, these immigrants are naturally hardcore supporters of the PAP. One of them, YPAP leader and new citizen from India Mr Sinha Shekhar even insulted Singaporeans publicly on the REACH Facebook by labeling PAP critics as “DOGS”.
It is therefore hardly a surprise that Mr Eric Brooks has stepped forth again to protect his own kind. In reality, he knows nothing about Singapore’s “national identity.”
A Singapore Chinese has more in common with a Singapore Malay or Indian than with a mainland Chinese. He/she is likely to eat Mee Rebus or Roti Prata for breakfast than dumplings. The males also go through the common experience of National Service which is alien to outsiders like Mr Brooks.
Perhaps Mr Brooks may consider taking up Singapore citizenship before opening his mouth again to “interfere” in domestic politics.
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Increasing number of chow ang mo are invading our HDB estate.
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It's that Eric Brooks guy again.
I recall he created some news previously before when he said Singapore was better than his own home country of Canada or something like that.
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I hate to admit, but he does raise a couple of valid points. Racial segregation (ICs, government policy) has led to a divided nation. Go to a Chinese wedding and count the non-Chinese guests if you think we're united. And by-and-large angmohs in western countries do work more in grunt work as they grow up, including those who become successful professionals. There's a work ethic that many of us miss.
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Singapore govt has over the years continue to have a dual policies....over ethnicity. On the one hand divide and managed its people. On the other hand its upheld a moral high ground policies of equality and Meritocracy.............. Except that Temasek is not under Meritocracy.
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If Mr Brook migrate here,he will cry n regret that why he was sooo stupid into believing the PAP propaganda who picture Singapore is a good place to live in.
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Originally posted by Tanrave:
If Mr Brook migrate here,he will cry n regret that why he was sooo stupid into believing the PAP propaganda who picture Singapore is a good place to live in.
We have no idea whether he is real or not.
I find it hard to believe that Canadians would actually prefer to live in Singapore than back home.
Really.