Riots in Little India

[opmi]

Instead of being the switzerland of the east by 2020, we are becoming the UAE by 2020.

Actually, the UAE citizen is quite well taken care of. Although UAE has a higher proportion of expatriates compared to Singapore, the government makes very deliberate efforts to ensure that citizens are the priority. Their national identity is their race, religion and ancestry. They do not believe in getting expatriates to root themselves in the UAE. Expatriates are hired to get the work done and get out once they cannot contribute to the economy. Expatriates also recognised that they are guests and perhaps are less demanding on what they expect the government should do for them.

On the other hand, the lack of permanent residency and low proportion of citizens in the UAE is sometimes blamed for the quick collapse of the economy during the 08-09 crisis. Though unlikely to be avoided, the downturn may be muted if more expatriates were rooted to the UAE instead of taking the first flight out.

Different strokes for different folks. Who knows which labour strategy is better for the long term?

After Aljunied, PAP Govt are reminded the people are not worker bees. And civil servants are there for public service and not little LKYs.

I am for SG citizens First policy.

Limited period PR status. No free-rider or 2 timing PR. "Ai Lai Mai Sua" (Take it or Leave it in Hokkien)

[opmi]

I don't understand why this thread becomes anti-policy or anti-FT/FW. This is simply a case where people get too rowdy and forget that they are in Singapore.

If you still don't understand how it can happen, please visit the area at 9pm during weekend.

Because Govt policies let in too many FT/FW and change the social fabric of Singapore.

And let these FT/FW/PR forget that they are 'guests' in SG.

I confess the event is also an opportunity to 借题发挥 haha

[sgd]

if this was a drunken rampage everything will be hit.

Consider hampshire road is the big LTA office located at the old kk hospital premises which is just directly in front of the open space where the riot took place - that wasn't even hit at all, shops other vehicles other people - all weren't hit.

did the police do something to trigger this violent reaction?

The large crowd is there every single weekend without fail and all this time there's never been any incident.

I suspect overzealous police rough handling caused this riot.

[specuvestor]

seems like alcohol will make you go for police patrol cars and not private vehicles.......strange....

I spoke to a friend who were near Little India last night. It seems the mobs specifically targeted police and govt vehicles, while shops and other property are left untouched. There appears to be pent up frustration with the police or enforcement authorities.

It is not pent up frustration with the police. It is pent up frustration against any people who goes against them at that time. That is to say, if a group of shop keepers decide to take things into their own hand and gather 100 people and take baton to beat the rioters, they would also go against them. However, in any countries, the authority that can oppose them is the police.

That may be so. But we see rioting in other places tend to end up with indiscriminate destruction of public and private property. This was not the case last night. Anyway this is my friend's opinion based on his observation last night.

Frustration with the system turning into anti-establishment hence targeting govt structures and vehicles

Attacks against private properties en-masse or looting is altogether different opportunitistic social phenomenon.

[Temperament]

Police asked us not to speculate or pass rumour but some can speculate that alcohol was the cause ?

Alcohol was likely contributed to the severity of the riot, base on published info. It is not a speculation

Regards,
Moderator

You may be right in a sense to a certain extend. But how can you ask people to believe the rest of 400 to 500 there are intoxicated as well.

Anyway,
Most people also believe that some people when they are intoxicated they will have lost or not able to control their inhibitions as well as when they are sober.
In other words , they manifest all their grievances and frustrations at one go when there is a slightest opportunity or provocation. As i have said and believe happy people even when they are intoxicated will still be "happy" and make merry.

[specuvestor]

Instead of being the switzerland of the east by 2020, we are becoming the UAE by 2020.

Actually, the UAE citizen is quite well taken care of. Although UAE has a higher proportion of expatriates compared to Singapore, the government makes very deliberate efforts to ensure that citizens are the priority. Their national identity is their race, religion and ancestry. They do not believe in getting expatriates to root themselves in the UAE. Expatriates are hired to get the work done and get out once they cannot contribute to the economy. Expatriates also recognised that they are guests and perhaps are less demanding on what they expect the government should do for them.

On the other hand, the lack of permanent residency and low proportion of citizens in the UAE is sometimes blamed for the quick collapse of the economy during the 08-09 crisis. Though unlikely to be avoided, the downturn may be muted if more expatriates were rooted to the UAE instead of taking the first flight out.

Different strokes for different folks. Who knows which labour strategy is better for the long term?

After Aljunied, PAP Govt are reminded the people are not worker bees. And civil servants are there for public service and not little LKYs.

I am for SG citizens First policy.

Limited period PR status. No free-rider or 2 timing PR. "Ai Lai Mai Sua" (Take it or Leave it in Hokkien)

UAE was the other extreme that it is too nationalistic to the point of being obnoxious. I doubt this is a good policy as well. I was actually referring to the social discontentment when the foreigners overwhelms the locals.

We have been an immigrant society so I dont think Singapore is against immigrants. However we are against those with no vested interest and we assimilating to their culture due to huge influx, rather than the other way round.

The anecdotal evidence and the signs are here for us to judge which type of labout policy makes sense. As per my previous post, perhaps the Australian model of high wage for jobs that nobody wants to do, makes more sense. We cap cost of low end labour through immigration in order to cap CPI, yet import uber rich that jacks up asset prices. IMHO it is already execution FAIL.

[minimax]

I don't understand why this thread becomes anti-policy or anti-FT/FW. This is simply a case where people get too rowdy and forget that they are in Singapore.

If you still don't understand how it can happen, please visit the area at 9pm during weekend.

Lee Hsien Long must be the most suay prime minister in the history of Singapore.

1) During Goh Chok Tong's times, Singapore where got strike OR riot? Now, we have both strike AND riot.

2) During Goh Chok Tong's times, only roads get flooded. Now, expressways also kenna flooded.

3) During Goh Chok Tong's times, foreign talent are expensive talent that only MNCs can afford to hire. Now, foreign talent has become so cheap that any kuching kurap SMEs can afford to hire them by the boatload.

4) During Goh Chok Tong's times, 50-year floods occur once every 50 years. Now, we have 50-year floods occurring twice in the space of a month.

5) During Goh Chok Tong's times, only SMCs vote in opposition MPs. Now, GRC also vote in opposition MPs.

6) During Goh Chok Tong's times, the govt was busy setting high expectations (remember Goh Chok Tong and his vision of Swiss standard of living for Singapore?). Now, the govt is busy BERATING people for having high expectation.

[Some-one]

I don't understand why this thread becomes anti-policy or anti-FT/FW. This is simply a case where people get too rowdy and forget that they are in Singapore.

If you still don't understand how it can happen, please visit the area at 9pm during weekend.

I don't know why but I feel the net is getting worse and worse. That is the price of too much freedom. Imagine what would happen if the same freedom is given in real life? Fortunately, in the real world, there are law to control. Simple things as written by you can escalate into anti-*. Luckily you are here in VB and not some other places.

[Behappyalways]

Frontline 2013: Episode 33
http://valuebuddies.com/thread-4239.html

[CityFarmer]

I would like to share with buddies here, with a open letter.

I am proud to be part of the this forum.

A look in the mirror

We do not yet know the full reasons for Sunday night’s riot. But our early reactions have shown us something of ourselves.

During and after the riot, many voices spoke online, with many views. Some worried about friends and family in the area. Others spoke out in support of our emergency responders and law enforcement.

As a doctor, I wondered about the man who died, trapped under the bus. Was he the breadwinner working to send money back? When was the last time he spoke to his family? He did not have a chance to say goodbye.

I was also troubled by the image of a burning ambulance. Front-line staff in many areas of work face abuse from time to time, especially when people are distressed and emotions are running high. Healthcare is no exception. But this was something completely different — rescuers coming under attack and on Singapore soil.

It was worrying to read some of the comments, which bordered on being racist. Some stereotyped entire communities. A few dragged religion into the mix. These are people who would pounce on an incident to fan the flames of xenophobia and racial hatred, provoking friction and tension between fellow Singaporeans.

We need to seek the better men and women within ourselves — better natures, such as the resolve and courage which kept ambulance crews, firefighters and police officers doing their duty in the face of life-threatening danger; their restraint in avoiding an unwarranted escalation of force, despite knowing that if things went badly, they might never see their families again.

The police were able to bring the situation under control within an hour, without firing any weapons or further loss of life.

CHOICE IN WHAT WE SAY

We live in an era when every person with a smartphone can send photos from the ground, where each Facebook and Twitter account is a miniature publishing press. This confers power, choice and responsibility upon every one of us.

Do we feed knee-jerk fear with baseless accusations and stoke anger with rumours? Or do we call for calm and due process, even as we seek facts?

Do we let racist and religiously offensive comments pass? Or do we share our concerns with the person who posted or shared them? When we keep quiet, we effectively assent to what has been said.

Do we misjudge an entire community by a single incident? Or do we recognise those in the same community who put themselves at risk to stop the violence?

What we say — and do not say — online and offline about this riot reflects who we are and what kind of society we want to build. Our choices shape the kind of Singapore we and our children will grow old in. We decide whether challenges will enlighten and bring us together, or if there will be market failure in the marketplace of ideas.

Last night’s events and Singaporeans’ responses show we have some way to go. But we must never give in to hate, anger and fear.

Showing the way, many Singaporeans have spoken out against the mob mentality, online and offline.

We have pledged ourselves as one united people — and through our words and actions, we can pledge ourselves anew each day. The future of Singapore depends on each and every one of us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tan Wu Meng is a medical doctor working in a public sector hospital.

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/look-mirror