Singapore's motley haphazard bunch of people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Although Singapore's population until recently consisted mainly of immigrants together with the pre-existing Malay community, after half a century we could say it was indeed a country, a multi racial country.

The races in Singapore were sufficiently bonded, the people had an undeniable character which you could say was distinctly Singaporean.

Today it is different. Millions of foreigners from Communist China and the neighbouring countries are being flooded into Singapore which naturally upsets the Singaporean character as we know it.

From the very basics, even the interaction between a foreigner and a minority Singaporean (minority in his own country now) becomes uncertain, because neither of them knows what to expect of the other. Will they take offense to certain things we say, to our practices? How is anyone to know the reaction of these foreigners in daily situations and a general uncertainty prevails in social intercourse in daily life.

One manifestation of this can be found in the local newspapers. There has never been so much crime as there is now, with daily muggings, robberies and fraud, not to mention murder which seems to happen more frequently now than ever before. And usually you can tell these crimes are committed by recently admitted Communist Chinese nationals by their jointed Chinese names such as Wi Leijen whereas a local Singaporean would be Wee Lee Jeng.

This increase in crime by Chinese nationals may be because crime in Communist China is more frequent than in Singapore, or because criminals are treated less harshly or some other reason which no Singaporean would know unless he is an expert on China. But when you bring them in indiscriminately, not knowing their way of life, this is what you get; a complete upsetting of your way of life as you have always known it.

You can say the same of the recently arrived Burmese Singaporeans, the Indian Singaporeans and every other recently arrived foreigner in the already crowded small island of Singapore.

It is one thing to bring immigrants to a large country with a large population like the USA. Immigrants there are absorbed into the mainstream population and adapt to it. But in Singapore where the locals are already a fast diminishing minority, the Singaporean national identity simply cannot survive. It will be dead if not already and what takes it's place is the Communist Chinese character.

I am not sure about you, but this is not what I want of Singapore. A Singaporean identity would have been far superior to that of a Communist Chinese one, especially that of rural Chinese outlying areas from where most immigrants come, mostly of peasant stock.

And to make things worse, unhappy Singaporeans leave the island in increasing numbers which in turn increases the foreign Singapore population proportion even further.

With Lee Kuan Yew's determination not to provide any welfare of any sort in his belief that it will encourage a crutch mentality, most of these recent immigrants would not want to settle in the country, since they would be devastated if unemployed. In Singapore if you are unemployed, you either starve and die, or you are cared for by relatives, or you are locked up in an institution. This is what you get for being poor.

Already you can see this in the plight of the old and tottering folk who clean tables at food centers, who stand out as dire reminders as to what will happen to you in your old age if you are poor. Such a sight alone should discourage any foreigner who has a choice not to sink roots in the island.

What happens then is for people to be transitory. They reckon, it may be a better place than their native Communist China to make a few bucks while the going is good. If not, pack up and leave, while someone else comes for a while. With this sort of community you end up with an entire island of people almost like hotel guests. They stay a while and then leave while others take their places.

Another country that is somewhat like this is Dubai, a good place to do business or work. But the question is how many people call it home, not many. But there is one difference between the two. Dubai has oil money, limitless quantities of it, while Singapore has none. It is questionable how long this island with a fast diminishing population who are committed and loyal can stay afloat.

We are confronted with a daily litany of good news in the Singapore press but good news alone never saved a country, that much we should know. With a fast dying out breed of Singaporean being replaced wholesale by a motley haphazard group of people from who knows where, I don't see any hope. Do you?

Looking into the crystal ball, I see the government increasingly struggling with all sorts of unexpected problems, with native Singaporeans leaving and being replaced by second rate foreigners. As it is today, spending some time at the Changi airport businesses is like watching the former British TV comedy program "Mind your language" in a class room in London where foreign students were learning English. No one seemed to know what in Heavens anyone else was saying. Just like in "Mind Your Language" I have been told, in the airport restaurant, if you ordered Chicken, the Chinese waitress would probably give you pork liver! I guess, if you are going there for some fun, it is all right.

You will see more resignations from the Civil Service resulting in even poorer quality workers, poorly qualified policemen with mounting resignations, the armed forces understaffed because of insufficient young Singaporeans, increased crime rate, mounting suicides out of helplessness and desperation, lawyers doctors and every other professional will be a foreigner, newspaper reporters who cannot even write as well as a high school newsletter. It simply cannot go on like this.

Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/

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