Yushui Village in Lijiang, Yunnan, with snow mountain backdrop and cascading waterfalls.
9/14/2010
Bumiputra versus Sinkiputra
In Malaysia, Bumiputra connotes privileges, special, govt protection and favours, a kind of prestigious badge to be worn for the advantages it came with.
In Singapore, Sinkiputra, the original citizens from the day it gained independence in 1965, does not seem to be a badge of honour. It is more a badge of hindrance, heavy responsibilities and disadvantages. The advantages are on the side of the PRs and foreigners residing in the island. The non citizens more or less have the cake and eat it as well.
While the Sinkiputras are burdened with 2 years of NS and another 20/25 years of reservist liabilities, the PRs and foreigners are earning their keeps happily with the knowledge that the country is safe and sound for them to live and make money.
While the Sinkiputras lost two years of income, work experience, training and expertise, the non Sinkiputras are filling up their bank accounts, gaining work experience, training and expertise and lining up for promotion ahead of the Sinkiputras.
While the Sinkiputras are saving madly to pay for a 99 year lease micky mouse flat, the non Sinkiputras are saving their money to buy their dream homes in their home countries, one that is 10 times bigger than the Sinkiputra’s and sitting on freehold land.
While many Sinkiputras are depleting their savings to buy that precious little cars for a little convenience, the non Sinkiputras are dreaming of the limousines they will get when they go home.
While the Sinkiputras have to squeeze with the non citizens in their world class public transportations, which they could travel in comfort otherwise, the non citizens are enjoying them when compared to what they had to put up with at home.
While the Sinkiputras were educated not to litter public areas, to keep the country clean, the non Sinkiputras are trying their best to do otherwise.
While most Sinkiputras are educated in world best local universities, when come to hirings, the foreigners from foreign universities, probably ranked lower and with lower grades, are preferred.
What else are the Sinkiputras disadvantaged in their homeland when they are the sons of the land? What else? Who enjoys better privileges, Bumiputras or Sinkiputras?
Oh, a few more points, Bumiputras are allowed to talk louder against non Bumiputras, even offending them at will. Sinkiputras are told to talk softer and be nicer to non Sinkiputras. Sinkiputras even funded events to make the non Sinkiputras feel at home, welcome. On the contrary, Bumiputras will tell the non bumiputras that they are orang tumpangan, and to go home if they are not happy.
If only Sinkiputras are treated betterer, a bit like Bumiputras….
Linked your article.
ReplyDeleteA very creative article. The 2 year national service for singapore males has placed them at a disadvantage in relation to first generation PR's.
ReplyDeleteSinkiputra! Not a good name. Bad image. No wonder getting from bad to worse.
ReplyDeleteThe way the Bumi's are "helped" is by handing out welfare to them.
ReplyDeleteThat's why the Bumi's are still fucked up -- as a group they can't help themselves by themselves, but are incentivised to help themsleves to the property of others -- by constitutional law.
redbean's reasoning is all wrong. Instead of implying that there should be a welfare state for Singaporeans (e.g. HDB) he should argue for the state not to "help" those newbies but get out of their way and allow them to survive or perish by their own choices.
In that way only the best foreigners stay. The lousy ones are out of the game and because there is no welfare, simply have to pack up and go elsewhere.
I think I better agree with Matilah. There are many free loaders among the Sinkis. It is better to cull all the old, feeble, poorly endowed Sinkis, including your father and mother, if they happened to be less able. Then we will have a modern city of Sparta, filled with brilliant and strong species of the human race.
ReplyDeleteWe must not tolerate the uncompetitive Sinkis. Get rid of them. Open our immigration door and bring in all the best from the world. We can have better cleaners, better bus drivers and betterer of everything.
No need welfare state and no need govt. Everyone fight for his own tuft, like the lions in the safari.
Sinkiputra is just a convenient term. But whether is sounds good or not does not matter. It is the real stuff that counts.
ReplyDelete