Xenophobia a badge of honour?

When one scans the social media today, there is an unmistaken trend developing, a trend that no one could foresee will ever happen in this migrant society, open and international. We are a very open society and people, very cosmopolitan and liberal, some even called themselves international citizens. How could there be a rise of xenophobia or racism? Some angry Singaporeans are claiming that it is a right to be xenophobic, to be racist in a way, against the intrusion of so many foreigners in their midst. On the other hand, the Govt is planning to have more foreigners to reduce the citizen core to 40% in order to strengthen the core. Believe it? I cannot understand the logic when the people are showing their objection openly. So I must be daft.

Singaporeans are familiar with the annotation of CMIO or Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others as the official racial groups of the island. Everyone is one of these four different racial groupings. How then can Singaporeans be racist when they have embraced different races as one of them and living in harmony for years, the envy of many countries? Racial conflicts or riots are things of the past.

Is it racism or xenophobia, is it nationalism or patriotism, or is it simply about the rights and privileges of being citizens, being owners of this island? The rising anger and trend got to do with a little of each and a combination of all. What is the root cause of this ugly development? Many books can be written by the sociologists or political scientists but I will try to put them simply in one sentence and leaving all the big theoretical jargons to the academics. The problem of xenophobia is due to the Govt’s thoughtless policy of flooding the island with foreigners to compete with the citizens for good jobs, housing, cars, schools, facilities, space and a seat in the train.

There are just too many foreigners around and competing with the citizens in many unfair ways with citizens being displaced from top and middle management jobs, being priced out of good housing, being deprived of car ownership, compromising the good life they used to have. The latest revelation that foreigners are ganging up to discriminate and victimise citizens in employment and work place is just about the last thing that the citizens can stomach. There is anger and more anger against foreigners. And the foreigners did not help but add to the burning fire with callous behaviour and talking down on the locals.

In the face of such gross infringement of foreigners everywhere, with the local citizens calling themselves true blue and bred Singaporeans feeling the pressure, the Govt’s White Paper of increasing the population further by bringing in more foreigners was just the breaking point. The rage is unrestrained among the more vocal citizens. The Govt is seen as uncaring and aloof, totally disconnected from the feelings of the common Singaporeans. It is like two persons in the same bed but having different dreams, going separate ways.

How is the Govt going to contain this anger of the people? Or is the Govt going to do something positive to appease the unhappiness of the people? If the Govt fails to rein in the growing anti foreigner tension, the social fabric is up for a bitter test in tolerance. The main media, like the Govt, is telling the angry citizens to be more tolerant of foreigners. Would the affected Singaporeans listen and be swayed? T shirts are being printed to ‘down with the 6.9m population’ and a May Day protest is on the way. Would Singaporeans end up wearing the racist badge as an honour to defend their basic interests as citizens of this island? A point to note is that much of the anger is actually directed at the Govt for its pro foreigner policies and not directly at foreigners per se.