Red Data: Lights, Camera, Wayang!

Lights, Camera, Wayang!
24.6.08 . 14:00

Enlistment's coming up in about a month.

Pretty good time to start honing my acting skills that will come in handy from day one of my two-year term in the army.

What better skill to possess in an environment that seems to be almost like a total deranged masquerade?

I would call conscription a treachery of male existence, but whatever I call it wouldn't change the fact that I have to sacrifice two years of my life for a country I can hardly recognise anymore.

At every turn of the head, in restaurants, shops, buses, trains, I see mainland Chinese, and then I would pause to wonder if I have been miraculously brought back to China.

Suddenly I feel like a minority in my own country, a second-class citizen, with a pink IC no less, required to serve time in the army while his foreign counterparts and their relatives are taking up places in local universities and places in the workforce.

Chinese workers are just one constituency in Singapore's fast-growing foreign population, but they are the largest component of an expatriate contingent that crossed the 1 million mark in October, helping boost the overall population to 4.68 million in an otherwise chronically aging society. Foreigners make up about one-third of the national workforce. The country set a goal to raise its population total to 6.5 million within two decades, rejuvenating itself mainly through immigration from India and China.

Forbes.com (8 May 2008)

I believe the Forbes article says it all. Foreign talents, mostly Chinese nationals, made up more than 20% of our population last October. That's 1 in 5. Who knows, one day that figure may just tip the scale and then maybe China would want Singapore to 'return' to the "motherland" as my ex-colleague in China had once boldly suggested to my dismay.

I don't care if our forefathers were from China; they came and made Singapore their home, whether or not it was planned, but it would be reasonable to say that most of today's mainland Chinese see Singapore simply as a stepping stone to their ultimate aims, whatever they are.

In addition, most of them can't speak more than fragmented English phrases. I wonder if they avoid our Malay and Indian Singaporeans or insistently speak to them in Mandarin when they have to serve them.

What's happening to national identity? Is there any meaning to the annual National Day Parade anymore?

Add on living costs that are increasing exponentially, I'm quite done with Singapore.

Unless life changes for the better by the time I have enough funding for emigration, I'm probably gonna be out of here. Better to be treated as a second class citizen somewhere else than your own country.

Labels: conscription, life

3 Comments :

HOHO,,Jason,ú are so pessimistic about SG's future haha. Living costs are increasing exponentially in all cities around the world. After living in SG for over a decade, I still feel uncomfortable when others discriminate PRC immigrants even though I know the reason behind it. For God's sake, I rather be discriminated by the Whites and Hispanics in US than fellow Chinese in SG. Surprising, I feel more accepted in NY's Chinese community than SG. Sad, éven after living in SG for such a long time..

By Anonymous , At 1.11.08
haha zx but you are not as 'china' as the more recent immigrants.

By Js , At 2.11.08
I know, the point is..many people will group us together, u see. Maybe I was too sensitive..hahha..bleah. I miss u guys ya...I will come back to visit u all after I have more money. Hehe.

Do u know that I bought stock? I am a small small shareholder of GE now. Cant believe I did it..it was like ages ago when that "Chicken Little" talked about stock stuff. What's his name? Hmm..Ben Tan? I thought of 笨蛋before i can remember his english name。haha.

By Anonymous , At 9.11.08