The fact is allowing the Philippines people working in Singapore to celebrate their independence day in our own country public place is definitely wrong, period! However, I think there is no offence if they wanted to celebrate the event in their own embassy ground here.
The Singapore Day in London has nothing to do with celebrating a nationalistic or political event. It is the government’s gesture to reach out to Singaporeans living in England and in Europe. It can also be taken as a tourism promotion event.
As such the two events are completely different. So please do not accuse Singaporeans who dare to oppose to be xenophobic. We are not. And on the contrary, we appreciate these foreign workers and professionals coming here to help and contribute to Singapore’s overall economic development.
However, the real issue is the government under the PAP has lost their way already. And we know that there were already many things done wrongly before that in fact showed that they are more interested in making Singapore into a global city for the rich and able around the world, that they had forgotten that it is the common and ordinary Singaporeans that voted them into power.
We have allowed too many foreigners installed into key roles in business already and we have given them the free will to select who they wanted. I don’t think they are wrong because nobody told them so, but what is really wrong is that our government’s manpower policy did not consider the interest of Singaporeans.
Today, there are growing numbers of able bodied Singaporean PMETs still willing to work being sidelined and having to fight for living through competition in the work place with foreigners, coping with high cost of living for housing, medical and transport. And the worse could have been avoided if we have a government that has more foresight for the interest of Singaporeans. But unfortunately, till today this is still seen as really lacking.
And that’s why, many of us do not think that a one-party dominant parliament is a good thing for our country anymore. In such a situation, I think it is better not to trust in the rhetoric of the PM and his allies. In other words, from now on start trusting the system than the people who have continued to say how much they had done for us and that we owe it to them not to change, and to do so will be suicidal.
And we believe that Singaporeans will eventually learn how to make the best out of the new system. Singaporeans are not naive. They are just sick of being told what they should be and how they should behave. They understand that if they don’t participate and continue to leave it to a one-party parliament democracy, nothing significant will change for their interest. If there are no opposing voices, then the government will only think that everything is alright. Isn’t this true?
albert