The Malays and Indians in Singapore should learn something from the Indian ethnic protests in Malaysia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The publicly stated Singapore government policy of artificially maintaining the Chinese proportion of the Singapore population to 75%, the Malays to 15% and the Indian population to 8% by deliberately bringing in Chinese from mainland China and Malaysia is both unconstitutional and a great injustice to the Malay and Indian citizens of Singapore. Nowhere in the Constitution does it permit this discriminatory policy and it has to be stopped.

I realize, I am treading on a controversial topic, even a dangerous one, which has almost been taboo; but it has to be said, because it is happening and it is unjust. I have no doubt in my mind that I have the full support of the Chinese population of Singapore because they realize that it is not they who wish to perpetrate this injustice; it is this dictatorial government of Singapore, who feel that they can break the law whenever they want with impunity. Indeed I am sure that for local Singaporeans who have lived in harmony throughout their lives, treat their Malay and Indian neighbours as brothers; much closer than any mainland Chinese import. My Chinese friends, I am sure, will vouch for it.

The Constitution of Singapore clearly states all citizens are equal. No provision is made for this artificial racial numbers which this government has conveniently conjured up for their own convenience, not the convenience of the people.

All sorts of Chinese from mainland China are brought in en masse, even those who do know a word of English, totally unsuitable for even a third world country, let alone first world which Lee Kuan Yew claims it is. These people are useless. They do not fit the image of Singapore which is an English bilingual but principally English speaking international city. There is only one reason for these massive human imports; the government is determined to keep the Malays and the Indians as a minority.

The discrimination against the Malays and Indians is seen in several areas. The HDB, the Singapore government housing agency where 90% of Singaporeans live, require that each housing estate should have this ratio of 75% Chinese. As a result, Indians are unable to live in close proximity to their relatives, forcing the family members to be spread throughout the island, because the quotas are not met! What nonsense is this blatant racial discrimination.

I was in Singapore recently from Nov 1 to Nov 13, 2007. In Serangoon Road, have you seen row upon row, building upon building of empty HDB flats! They have been empty for a decade! A ghost housing community! Why? Why, because Indians would like to live there but the quotas will not be met. The Chinese and Malays do not wish to live there and therefore the apartments are empty. Let alone the racial prejudice; what about the total waste of tax payers money in building these apartments! But you see, the government thinks they can do anything they want, and Singaporeans are nothing more than dumb animals who will just accept and go along!

I cannot understand why especially the Malays in Singapore are prepared to take this nonsense sitting down. The country was theirs in the first place. The British came along and brought the Chinese and Indians. But the true natives were the Malays. I am not suggesting that the Malays should demand any special preference since all 3 ethnicities are meant to be equal. But what right does this Lee Kuan Yew Administration have to discriminate the Malays and favor the Chinese.

It is true that the Malays have more children than the Chinese or Indians. And why not. It is their country. They have every right to have children. Children are a gift from God and must be cherished. But the government is feeling insecure that Malays are having more children. This Chinese dominated government of Singapore, feels that if the Malays become the majority, the Chinese would be relegated to their inferior positions as in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Knowing Singapore, having been born and having lived nearly my whole life there, I an tell you this. In Singapore there is no distance in friendship and camaraderie between the 3 races. I remember when I went to Winstedt Primary School 2 from 1957 to 1962, all races were one. Chinese Malay or Indian did not matter. My Chinese friends Ping Yong and Tan Kong Beng, I wonder where they are now. Kong Beng's brother Tan Kong Huat became a physician. I wonder where he is. My house was next to a Malay kampong in Exeter Road. I remember the Malays or rather Boyan people. Great people. Great friendship. But I digress.

The point is this. We are one. Tell the Lee Kuan Yew administration that by asking for equality there will be no race riots or anything of the sort.

Singaporeans have gone beyond that. So don't tell us that we should not mention anything about race because it will incite racial riots. And after we have conveniently been silenced, the government goes out and discriminates against the minorities. Tell the government that this cannot go on.

Malays, Indians and Chinese should join together and demonstrate in front of Parliament house demanding that these discriminatory polices be stopped forthwith. But make sure that such demonstrations includes our Chinese brothers. That way we can clearly tell the Singapore government that we have the support of our fellow Chinese brothers in this noble demand for equality and fairness among Singaporeans.

And one more thing. If you see any rift between the races now, it was not because the Singaporeans are that way. It is because this opportunistic government creates differences between Singaporeans by repeatedly looking down on Malays and Indians and extolling the Chinese as model citizens in their state controlled media. It is the government which is deliberately pitting one race against another. It is not because Singaporeans are that way.

Singaporeans are better people than what you think.

I think it is only right that Malays Indians and Chinese now join together and protest against this injustice to Malays and Indians.

I refuse to call them minorities.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: gopalnair@us-immigrationlaw.com