21
May

Are Singaporean Racist?

One of my relative who stay in Canada asked me this question not long ago.

 

"Are Singaporean racist?"

 

I'm actually quite surprise by her question, why in the first place she asked about this racism thing? :p

 

My answer to her was very honest. In my own opinion and my own experience living in Singapore for 12 years, I personally felt that Singaporean generally are not racist. Whether you are Chinese, Malay, Indian or any other race, I don't personally felt there are so much differences. And that's what I like about Singapore :)

 

Maybe in the place where she stayed the difference in treatments are quite significant.

 

 

Anyway, talking about racism, I remember reading this story last year.

Very interesting!

 

 

This scene took place on a British Airways flight between Johannesburg, South Africa & London.
A white woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man.

 

Very disturbed by this, she called the air hostess. "You obviously do not see it then?" she asked. "You placed me next to a black man. I did not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat."  "Be calm please," the hostess replied. "Almost all the places on this flight are taken. I will go to see if another place is available."

 

The hostess went away & then came back a few minutes later. "Madam, just as I thought, there are no other available seats in Economy Class. I spoke to the captain & he informed me that there is also no seat in Business Class. All the same, we still have one place in First Class."

 

Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued. "It is unusual for our company to permit someone from Economy Class to sit in First Class. However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting."

 

She turned to the black guy & said, "Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in First Class."

 

At that moment, the other passengers, who'd been shocked by what they had just witnessed, stood up & applauded.

 

 

British Airways

 

Well, I'm not really sure whether this is a true story or not. But I think the message is very clear.

Say NO to racism !

 

WELL DONE, British Airways :)

 

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About Merry Riana

Merry Riana is a Millionaire Entrepreneur, Best-Selling Author and Motivational Speaker.In just a short period of 4 years after her graduation, Merry has earned more than S$1,000,000 through her business. This achievement is featured as an article titled ‘She’s made her first million at just age 26’, in The Straits Times on 26th January 2007. In October 2010, Merry was conferred the Great Women of Our Time Award. As an icon in the regional, financial, and educational communities Merry has broken down barriers to become one of the most admired and watched individuals in the media today. visit www.MerryRiana.org to read more about Merry Riana
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14 Responses to Are Singaporean Racist?

  1. Isaac says:

    Nice thought Merry!

    The story is very clever yet we do not know the real motives of the ladies who is maybe wearing white dress, it might be alot of behind of her thought why she let the guy who is wearing black coat or hat (haha) to the 1st class seat.

    The interesting parts and clever thoughts are found in these sentence:
    1. “I did not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group”
    2. “the captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting.” – this sentence can tell also perhaps the captain can be racist (who knows, agreeable?)
    3. “”Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in First Class.” – it can be sarcasm yet she asked her to go to the first class which is the most convenient seat I think!

    For me, the word racism, the meaning is “belief in or doctrine asserting racial differences in character, intelligence, etc. and the superiority of one race over another or others: racist doctrine also, typically, seeks to maintain the supposed purity of a race or the races” (source : http://www.yourdictionary.com/racism), therefore it is a believing of someone’s mind that a person who is superior in term of race.

    Maybe until certain extent racism is actually good, but so far we are only exposed racism into bad things only, agree?

    Because if people are confident with their race even though their looks are not perfect, but they are intelligent, other people can’t undermine them!

    “Everything if too much/over, or too little, is not good.” Therefore racism is depending on the how we perceive it!

    Balancing is the solution of this issue I think and I believe. Because if one could balance it, for eg; one could have a brilliant intelligent because born from certain race, yet undermining by mocking until extreme level, then this is the starting of the fire in the jungle!

    It is like the jungle experience fire, actually it might happen from a small little fire, but the result hectares of hectares were burnt over.

    It is the same with racism issues/challenges that always happen in the country that having a multiculture.

    I think for Singapore if now we are looking from the point-of-view from the Government, the Goverment is very clever and able to manage how to handle it.

    Example: We could look into this case, at the beginning and just a few months ago, and they are very good in handling this, therefore I could say that in Singapore Government is really trying their best to make the harmonize happen in the society.

    If we look into to the Singaporean, I can’t tell very exact here, we need to do the research if you want to know exactly how many %, yet generally I can tell Singaporean don’t bother this as long as the other people don’t hurt them or disturb them. But once they disturb other people, maybe conflict happens.

    This is what I can think of now.

    Look forward what is in your mind Merry!

  2. its a really clearly article which explain a lot to us that we should not be racist.. to thumbs up

  3. ivan says:

    Very interesting indeed Merry… Nice story… I generally believe there’s some form of racism everywhere.. just that maybe Singaporean dun express them out loudly like the other pple in other countries…

  4. Isaac says:

    @Widya:
    how can you make sure that this story/article written by Merry is to not be racist?

    How can you prove it?

    Appreciate if you could provide some explanations or examples based on your opinion before you derive into your opinion that “we should not be racist”?

    Only then and there, after you try prove it – but not really need to be super-perfect, well-proven explanation(I just want to see how can you derive into that opinion), as long as logically acceptable, I am very glad.

    I am not forcing you to write the reply, yet it is your decision if you want to discuss about it.

    Thank you and Salam Kenal ya Widya!

    Merry, if you want to comment on it, I am very glad to discuss further with you about it!

    The same principle applied, “it is your decision if you want to discuss about it or not. – Isaac Sadikin”

  5. Pris says:

    Interesting post! I’m a Singaporean so obviously I don’t notice any form of racism.

    I do think though that Singaporeans are racist to a certain extent….esp. to “poorer” and more underdeveloped countries like Philippines (and China) perhaps.

    It probably has a lot to do with many families having Filipino maids / stories of China Chinese women who break up families?

    Still, the racism is pretty much below the surface, such that people will not voice out their racist comments in front of the person, but they would talk about them by themselves.

    A typical example would be a taxi driver…. I’m always “amazed” at some of the comments that taxi drivers make.

  6. Merry Riana says:

    Thank you for all your comments :)
    especially Isaac, your comments itself are actually longer than my blogpost.. hahahah :)

    Just to add on a bit on what I have in mind regarding this. To me, there’s nothing wrong of being proud about ourselves. In fact we should feel proud about our nation, our race, our family, etc. But we can’t do that at the expense of others. Meaning, it is ok feel that, as long as we don’t look down on others. That is something that we all need to remember.

    There’s an old saying: “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up”

  7. Isaac says:

    Dear Merry,
    your most welcome and appreciate what is in your mind.
    I just realise that my comments was longer than your blog in terms of space-used up only.
    =P

    Behold, its not exactly true, why?
    because you have a picture, and there’s a saying :”A Picture speaks thousands of words.” Therefore,
    YOU WIN Merry!

    =p

    I like what was in your mind and I am agree with your arguments. Especially, the most interesting thing that you gave is the quotation, “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up.”

    It’s so much in-line with your “signature” which is “Touching Heart Changing Lives.”

    Can I add your “signature” as what we can think more from your “signature” if you don’t mind?

  8. g says:

    I beg to differ. I believe that Singapore is a racist country, just that the government’s control over the media prevents the truth from reaching international airwaves, thus giving Singapore an image of a country where its people live in racial and religious harmony.
    I have been living long enough in Singapore to come up with this conclusion. I have tons of friends in school,in fact all of them are locals, and most of them are very nice people. However,there is a common trend that I have noticed, they (not all) are ignorant and insensitive when it come to racial issues. If I were to answer your friends question, I’d say:
    1) Singaporeans (especially the Chinese Sing)are racist against people from third world countries.
    2) Racism is still rampant,though less than before.
    3) Singaporeans tend to treat white/western people better than people of other nationalities, though they still generally perceive ‘ang mohs’ as arrogant.
    4) The older generation are more racist than the younger generation.( I won’t blame them, they were less exposed to anything foreign).
    5) Even if a person is from a poor country, doesn’t mean he/she will experience racism. It still depends in their ability to get along with different types of people.(I’m a living example)
    6) If you make a Singaporean angry you will receive insults like: ‘go back to your country la!’ and you will most likely find out what they really think of your nationality. ( I once had a verbal spat with my friend).

    Maybe I’m being too frank but I speak of the truth. I’m not saying ALL Singaporeans are like that, but I won’t hesitate to say that the majority are. I have to admit though, I can see that some are really trying and are starting to open their minds. I’m confident that a person from a third world country would understand what I wrote. Nonetheless, opinions are opinions, we all have our own (:

    - 19 yr old foreign student from the 3rd world

  9. who cares says:

    please singaporeans easily rank as top 5 racist assholes in this world. ESP in ASEAN. The Chinese Singaporeans are legendary when it comes to being closet racists, nasty, hostile and stereotype anyone who looks and is culturally different. small minded myopic sinkies who claim they are not racist when they really are. Typical

  10. v says:

    Just want to add simple thing that I believe not many people understand about this. Because race actually is not exist, only ethnicity is exist as social reality. Why? because race is socially constructed through social structure, not because of certain physical features. The only reasonable justification for me is the stereotype of certain ethnicity groups creates new social reality what we understood as racism. Finally, not forget to mention that we have to put everything on its own perspective, because there are always two sides of a story :)

    Saludos

  11. Mike says:

    Merry,

    Being a foreigner and a black man(african-american) in singapore, I do believe that singaporeans are racist. It may not be outwardly foward, but it’s still there. Most lighter skinned singaporeans will not date people of darker skin. I’m not saying everyone is like that, but it’s definitely there. My friend is currently talking to this chinese girl and he is white. When he first met her he asked if she had any friends. Of course she said yeah, and his response was “I have this friend, he’s pretty cool. We should get together and hang out.” Her response ” He’s not black is he? My friends don’t date black guys” Wow, you haven’t even met me yet, way to go. That is a small example of a racist singaporean. Besides that I have met this girl, she is pretty cool, but in the back of my mind I’m thinking “you slimmy racist bastard”.

  12. Naive? says:

    Singaporeans are very racist. Just look at the local blogs or the opposition parties and their anti-foreigner rants.

  13. sgav says:

    Judge whether racism prevails in Singapore by reading the posts made by this person:
    http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ZXHT6CNFCBL4IQEMJ5RZF6X54U

    See especially the comment: “my father adviced was when you see an indian and a snake..who do you kill first?? the Indian or the snake. of course the indian”.

    This type of comments are very common if you read local newsforums like
    http://sg.yahoo.com/

  14. arif says:

    been around (the world)… I notice that the racism actually is not there, but easily perceived as it is. The actual happening is the result of filtering activities from different stages of these qualities: wealth(mostly), appearance(how well you dress/make up), intelligence, and most importantly, but sometimes neglected , mutual interest. Wihout spoken words, the difference level of each would automatically segregate people into certain, yet unseen segregation. The facts, that segregation based on those qualities are there, obviously at: sorting process(es) of any kind of admissions: schooling, immigration visa, pricing, eligibilities and so on and so on. However, sad but true, certain countries, shown by unique race, has superior and inferior on those qualities. Of course, the superior acts like a snob ones, when he/she doesn’t know how to communicate politely. And the inferior felt being impolitely treated.

    Those snob-impolite activities what people easily called a racism, while the source of it, is actually a different stage of qualities , again: wealth and then appearance (how well you dress/make up) also intelligence, and mutual interest. Of course by narrow minded people they tend to think they own superior qualities by race, and have right to understimate people who they think has the inferior qualities justby a glance of others’ skin. This way of thinking can’t be justified in anyway but also not to be improperly exposed, but like singaporean government efforts, it’s to be managed well.

    Hence, if we think we’re in the superior category, manage it well, by communicating to other people politely and,..if we’re in the inferior please also manage it well, by replying politely and most importantly, not to get attracted to ‘join this game’ initiated by those narrow-minded souls.

    Therefore, ‘though we might come from poorer country but in practice, we manage to be more intelligent by responding polite ways though others understimates us, we automatically demonstrate we’re a far superior being than that person (that understimates) …

    Keep the faith !

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