May Day Rally – What is it about?

Gilbert Goh was unable to attract 200 people to his regular talks at the Speaker’s Corner in Hong Lim. Things took a dramatic turn on Feb 16. Under heavy rain and a muddy field, the Singaporeans came, mothers and fathers, little children and all, they came to listen to Gilbert and his friends. Some were just there to give the moral support for a cause that vibrated in their hearts. Why did they come in the most inhospitable circumstances was intriguing.

The White Paper on a 6.9m population was the theme of Gilbert’s Rally. It was all about Singaporeans and Singapore, about Singaporeans wanting to protect their country and the lives of Singaporeans. There was fear, concern, misplaced or whatever, the Singaporeans were worried of their future, the future of their country and their children. There was nothing political about the event. It was a Rally of Singaporeans who came as one people to want a better Singapore for themselves, their children and NOT about foreigners. What is a country or govt when it neglects its very own people?

Subsequently some fuck heads sneered at the slogan ‘Singapore for Singaporeans’ as empty slogans. But no sooner, the MPs were echoing this call in Parliament, calling for more to be done for Singaporeans and protecting jobs for Singaporeans. So, are these MPs also blurting out empty slogans, falutins, like the fuck heads?

Another Rally is being organized on May Day. Gilbert is expecting a bigger turnout this time, 10,000 or 20,000. The events that followed the first rally, the disclosure of more and more foreigners flooding into the island, the high cost of living and the most disgusting issue of all, foreigners ganging up to discriminate and victimize Singaporeans for jobs and in the work place, this last bit must be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. How could these ugly foreigners come to our country to bully our people, take away our jobs and live better while our very own citizens ended up jobless or under employed, replaced by questionable foreigners?

What would be Gilbert’s main theme for the May Day Protest Rally? Is the 6.9m population a dead issue? Would more Singaporeans turn up and what would they turn up for? I saw the first Rally as a precursor that set the tone for this follow up Rally. The Singaporeans will come to reclaim their country for themselves and their children. This is our country and this is our land. There is nothing about being xenophobic but being owners of our country and our future. No one should take this country from us and give it to undeserving foreigners. Such an act is treason. Any politician that thinks it is ok to bring in the foreigners to replace the less able citizens got to think very carefully in what he says or does. The politicians must be there for the citizens, to improve the lives of the citizens, not for the good of foreigners. The Rally must be one to tell the politicians what the people want, do the people want a 6.9m population, or 5m or 4m, it is the people that should decide. Do they want more foreigners to be here to take over their jobs, to kick the citizens around? The Singaporeans must be at the Rally to make this point clear. They cannot continue to sleep around, boh chap, and let the politicians do as they like.

This Rally must be about Singaporeans and about the kind of Singapore that the Singaporeans want for themselves and their children. This must be the rallying call. It was 4,000. It could be 10,000 or 20,000. And if the Govt is not listening, the next round could be 100,000. But this can only happen if the Singaporeans feel threatened, feel as one people, with the same destiny, to make this country a better place for Singaporeans, not for foreigners. The presence of foreigners must be incidental and must complement the existence of the citizens, to make the lives of citizens better and not worst.

The Rally must make this point clear to the Govt and the foreigners, the latter are welcome, up to a point but not to take the generosity and hospitality of the Singaporeans for granted. Singapore is for Singaporeans. Foreigners can come and share our growth, not to deprive Singaporeans of a better life in Singapore. Foreigners must know their place in this country. There are also OB markers for foreigners and politicians.