The Countdown show was a linguistic assault on the non-Chinese and non-Chinese speaking among us. It was not subtle. It was a brutal bludgeoning. So this is what the seamless weave of the Speak Mandarin campaign, SAP schools and red carpet treatment to mainland Chinese has led to. I am now a foreigner in my own country, disoriented and marginalised by what is meant to be the main local broadcast media. 

It was a wholly cynical exercise. Carefully crafted to better Mediacorp’s commercial interests by splaying their Channel 8 artists before us. A sprinkling of non-Chinese and non-Chinese speakers were paraded before us. Background material. I thought this was in mitigation but I appear to be wrong. Mediacorp are unapologetic. Completely fair and representative they say. This is therefore what we can expect from now on. Mandarin is the default lingua franca and the rest of us learn it or be damned. Chinese is the default race. Singapore is a subset of China. A version or Taiwan or Hong Kong. The rest of us must accept our secondary subservient position. 

This is not my Singapore. This is not where I grew up. This is not the country I served national service for. 

Perhaps we should boycott Mediacorp including its print mouthpiece the Today newspaper. Perhaps should boycott those who advertise in them as well as they must surely be taken as subscribing to the Sinocentric philosophy espoused by Mediacorp. 

I am equally concerned that the Government, which is not known for its reticence on matters involving race or religion has not intervened.

Ravi Samuel

*Comment first appeared on his FB page here.

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