6/22/2010
Don’t be ungrateful
There is this line of thought with regards to employing foreign talents here. It goes like this. Our forebears were foreign talents too. We must not forget our beginnings and must appreciate foreigners as they were like our forebears before. We should therefore welcome foreigners and treat them like one of us.
Is this the right thinking, the acceptable thinking to determine govt policies on recruiting foreign talents, especially to top positions, instead of true blue Singaporeans.
Yes, I must agree that our forefathers were migrants. I must also say that they came to a no man’s land. There was no country but a British colony. The British only cared about the wealth they could bring back to England. What the migrants did, whether they survived, what happened to this colony and its future well being, were not too much of their concern. And in 1969 they decided that it was time to pack up and go home. The migrants were left to fend for themselves, find their own ways, and build this rock into a country.
That was the beginning of a generation of migrants sticking together to make this island their home, a home for themselves and their children. They slogged in pretty harsh conditions, and very low pay, without knowing if they could succeed. No proper housing or infrastructure. Not much of a govt until they formed one. And through their hard work and sacrifices, we have this beautiful and wealthy island we called home.
We are the descendants of these migrants. They were not welcomed here as foreign talents but labourers, coolies, transient workers. We are the inheritance of the island country that they willed to us. Let not anyone be ungrateful to the children of the poor labourers who laid the foundation of this country, with their blood, sweat and tears. They did not have a good time. They did not complained, for they were striving for a better tomorrow for their children.
Today we have a country. We called ourselves citizens. We pledged to defend it by doing 2 to 2 ½ years of National Service.
The descendants of these children deserve to inherit this country and all it can provide. We can welcome new migrants to share our wealth. But we must always think of ourselves first. The best must be given to our own children. It is ungrateful to shower Ginny comes lately with all the goodies and tell the descendants of the nation builders to step aside if they are not good enough.
Don’t be ungrateful, don’t forget your roots and the works of your forebears. I am very sure they did not slog so that new migrants will come first and their descendants come second. If we proceed along this thinking that new and old citizens, and worst, PRs, deserve equal rights and equal chances, and better chances, soon the new citizens will tell the old citizens to get lost if they can’t make it here.
If we forget the distinction between ourselves and others, we will soon lose our place in the sun, in the island our forefathers built for us. And no citizens will take their citizenships and responsibilities seriously anymore.
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11 comments:
What the past built, the present can destroy in a twinkle.
It is not too late to apply the brakes, take a step backwards and look at the shit that this lax immigration policy has caused.
I do not mind us giving citizenships to well heeled individuals of whatever nationality because it brings in much need foreign exchange. But I am aghast to find that every other person I meet nowadays is either a PR or a "newly minted" citizen. The rot is not only omnipresent, it is now almost cancerous.
Me am beginning to suspect that foreigners are brought in not to help the local(born) citizens.
BUT
are brought in to increase consumptions and most importantly to keep the Incumbent Leaders in power. The foreigners turned citizens will surely give their votes to the Present Leaders as a show of thanks giving in the coming elections.
Singaporeans must be prescient like Wally Buffet that the importation of foreigners is gangrenous and cancerous. A slow and suffering death awaits Singaporeans if we do not search for antidotes.
patriot
A prodigal son will squander his inheritance from the grandfather and father to anyone he fancies. He may shower goodies to his godsons, stepsons, adopted sons, but not to his own sons, believeing that his own sons are less deserving.
Only in Singapore do they say that importing foreigners is to help the locals. Anywhere else in the world they will tell you it is to help employers fill vacancies because they are short of locals.
I also agree that newly-minted citizens will surely give their vote to the ruling party, like it or not.
It may be too late to reverse the situation, because the laws have been changed to protect the status-quo of the ruling party.
The only antidote is that vote that we hold, but two thirds of Singaporeans are just too gullible to want a change.
No one deserves anything just by virtue of being a citizen. You deserve only that which you fight for.
> The migrants were left to fend for themselves, find their own ways, and build this rock into a country.
That was excellent: no body to bother them, regulate them or tax them excessively.
Back in the 1950's the Chinese towkays used to tell my dad "We don't care about the politics of the young Lee fella -- we just want to be left in peace to do business and make money"
Now, you don't get any more "old fashioned" and great "conservative" values than that.
That work ethic and conservative values was what made Singapore (and the Straits Settlements, as well as Hong Kong and Macau) RICH. The Brits essentially left the colonies alone to prosper -- why worry? Before WW II Britania ruled the waves anyway --- the sun never st on the British Empire because Britain owned/controlled so much of the planet that it was ALWAYS DAY-TIME at some place in the world that belonged to Great Britain.
> If we forget the distinction between ourselves and others, we will soon lose our place in the sun, in the island our forefathers built for u
Motherfucking horseshit lah. If ==>>YOU<<== (please don't speak for anyone else but yourself) can muster up the brains and the balls to "we forget the distinction between ourselves and others", guess what will happen redbean (purportedly the great enlightened one)... do you know what happens when you let go/forget/ignore the differences and distinctions between yourself and "others"....HEY FUCKING PRESTO... you get rid of your RACISM, BIGOTRY and JUDGEMENTAL "us vs them" jingoistic xenophobia.
Hey try it, you might like it. It seem that these "foreigners" are scaring the shit out of you... as if some "alien race" is invading your motherfucking precious cuntry.
Farrrk!
Hi anonymous 12:22. Right, Singaporeans must fight for what is theirs. If they don't do anything and let things be, one day they will wake up living on the roadside without knowing why.
And Matilah, get the difference between race and nationals right, ok. I am not talking about race but Singaporeans versus others.
If Singaporeans listen to your advice, soon we will sell everything to the highest bidder and live in Batam or Bintan, provided they want us.
And I am not afraid of foreigners. I am more afraid of Singaporeans selling out Singaporeans, all for the good of Singaporeans.
By the way Matilah, I will go along with your idealistic farting if you can convince the Americans, the Australians to just call themselves people of the world and open their doors to welcome everyone, no more Australians or Americans.
I must agree with you Redbean.
Foreigners cannot do any harm to Sinkies unless Sinkies allow them to. What's happening is like welcome wolves into a hen house.
redbean, I do not support ANY closed border policy -- no matter what country.
I won't speak for the yanks -- you can have exclusive right to whack them. I know you enjoy that.
The asshole Aust govts (past and present... and probably future) have had many failed policies regarding immigration. They have this category called "illegal" immigration... as if humans can be "legal" or "illegal" simply for being a human being.
Of course the Oz Gov is supported wholeheartedly by the socialist left -- unions hell bent on "protecting" workers, and the extreme right -- those cunts who are hell bent on keeping Australia "pure"... in the Christian Ku Klux Klan White Supremicist folks.
You may think I'm farting idealistically, but that's your choice.
Since you are so smart.. tell me, if you can or dare how can some humans be "legal" (i.e. the locals) and others "illegal" or "unwelcome" just because they come from somewhere else? We're talking about biologically same entities here: human beings.
Do you think just because you have a few arbitrary lines drawn on a map that that constitutes some sort of "objective proof" to exclude certain humans -- the decision made by humans on the inside of those said lines?
IF anything, I will write here to expose your stunning bigotry and xenophobia. If you were alive during the time your ancestors were when they came to S'pore you might be having a different attitude right now.
Matilah, as long as the human race are identified by race and religion, the division will stay forever. The racial and religious bigots will not rest in peace and the thought of a common race and a common religion or no religion is as good as an impossibility.
How could that be when the racist and religious bigots are made up of men and women with very low intellect but could rule supreme over men and women of lower intellect as well as high intellect by stirring their primordial instincts. It would not got away.
Then we have politicisation and the creation of national boundaries. Can they go away as well?
In the earlier days of our parents, race and religion were not in the equation. They lived quiet harmoniously with each other and go about making a living.
The issue of nationals was still there but not in their formula. They did not care whether they were the subjects of an empire or nationals of their motherland.
Things will no longer be like it was before once the people are politicised and divided along race, religion and national.
Of the three, the easiest to remove is national. It is artificial like you said, and less emotional. Can race and religion be removed?
If they can't be removed, we got to live with them in the best way we can. Living as if they are non existence while others are practising them to the hilt will only bring doom to the former.
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