Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Fight For Independence

This could be a clear, cut and dried case of harassment. Organisers of the Pilipino Independence Day Council Singapore (PIDCS) allege they are being harassed by anonymous callers demanding the cancellation of the June 8 takeover of the Ngee Ann City's Civic Plaza. The Protection from Harassment Act 2014 was tabled, and passed, in Parliament on 3 March this year. A fine of up to $5,000, a jail term not exceeding 12 months or both awaits those who engage in stalking, defined as activities which an offender should reasonably know would result in harassment, alarm or distress.

The aggrieved PIDCS say they do not plan to make a police report because doing so may escalate tempers into an event of seismic proportion. Think Little India instead of Tahrir Square. The cops may demand immediate reinforcement of 1,000 more men, and the only way to meet this supply at short notice is to fly in the expensive but reliable Ghurkhas. And then there is the potential disaster of epic ramification, the banning of alcohol along Orchard Road. All we need is  some minister to make a site visit and sniff the air.

Sensitive nostrils aside, there is this provocative use of the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Singapore Flyer silhouettes to promote the carnival. Both symbols were also showcased prominently in the "cringe worthy" video sponsored, and quickly taken down, by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). This has to be another clear cut case, of copyright infringement. Unless MBS has given their full hearted endorsement, in view of the large number or foreigners employed at their establishment.

The use of the "interdependence" word may be key to the heightened emotive reactions.  An independent Singapore should be able to stand on its own feet, without the crutches of alien elements. But that's not what Baey Yam Keng implied, "The Filipino community has been contributing to Singapore in the workplace and helping to take care of Singaporean families". Grossly out of touch, Baey is blissfully unawares that Burmese and Indonesian domestics are now preferred as they are less likely to demand their day off and complain about having to wash the family car. And contribution to the work place sure sounds better than taking away Singaporean jobs.

Independence warriors don't give up easy - children of the EDSA Revolution are involved here - and the June 8 gathering will be happening, come rain, sun or haze. Forget about Geylang, Ngee Ann City's Civic Plaza is the hottest place to be.

22 comments:

  1. Why not shift to Lucky plaza where the irritating pinoys can celebrate inconspicously at their jolliebee? So many dirty hands trying to grab our jobs and make us dependent on them. Everything they touch become.corrupt.

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    1. Your comment does not reflect well on Singapore. If you have an issue with immigration policy, argue with the PAP or campaign against the policy. The foreigners are here to work, not unlike Singaporeans working overseas. No one wants to be treated like a third class citizen in a host country.

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    2. Yes, our job pool is desecrated, defiled and poisoned. This is reflected very well by the third world pay that these jobs are being treated and shunned. The pinoys should go back to their own country.

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    3. Some of our xenophobia is bordering on the ridiculous. I agreed that some Filipinos,like some locals, here are a real turnoff, but we can't paint all in the same brush like we do not with locals. .
      I say lets be gracious and let them have their day of celebrations, After all, we just had a $4mil party in London recently

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    4. So true, the gahmen trying hard to demonize us Singaporeans with xenophobic label while allowing these trash to have their field day dirtying our city.

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    5. By all means, let the Pinoys have their private party. Who cares if they are celebrating Imelda Marcos' birthday or commemorating Ninoy Acquino's assassination? But Orchard Road is a public thoroughfare. Tourists might get the wrong impression that Singapore has been invaded, and the daft citizens still carry on working like nothing happened. Why can't their embassy grounds be used for their national events, like the Thai Embassy often hosts their own nationals at their gated compound.

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    6. They should host this event at the Istana. Our 33% president would welcome them with steady hands.

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    7. Agree very much with above comment since this fre for all foreigner intake is what ruling party wants. Let all nationalities have their celebrations at the Istana.

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  2. With so many different nationalities in large proportion in Singapore, S'pore is going to sink soon, down down down it goes. The foreigners bring in their bad habits, bad culture, strike , riot, littering , drunk drinking, fighting and tarnish the S'pore that we have built for the past 49 years. Pinky and his gang must pay for their blunders. VTO.

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  3. What is there to grouse? We are a global city, is it not? We could be celebrating Burmese or Myanmarese, Indian, Bangladeshi, etc Independence Day soon. Good for tourism and GDP. Time to revise their salaries and bonuses upwards.

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    1. And celebrate more when they import TB and MERS into our.country. More good years to those taking MRT.

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  4. after this "event" on 8 June, pity all those cleaners who will have to clean up all the rubbish and sh** which are left behind by the tens of thousands of filipinos at Ngee Ann City's Civic Plaza.

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    1. The NEA should send a team there to catch litter bugs. Income opportunity not to be missed.

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  5. That is why I have been complaining that all was taught to our students had gone down the drain. What courtesy, no spitting, throw rubbish in trash bins, no smoking etc had gone to waste.

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  6. I share my story:
    Earlier this year a group of young volunteers at the spastic association brought a group of eager but incapable children to Bishan park. They brought some colourful parrots from Jurong Bird Park and held an outdoor show for the children, including having some birds fly around. Just when the public was gathering to watch, 2 police cars stopped by and 5 or 6 men and women in blue came, demanded the youth to show their permit to organize a gathering. That obviously was overlooked, and the volunteers were asked to pack up and leave immediately. There were at least 2 sergeants on walkie talkie taking instructions.

    Now the question: will that freaking scarecrow FT-defending horse stand up to say a word for the youth in the name of generosity and social work? I guess only those with nothing between their ears qualify to be an MP nowadays, that is old fart's vision to be an elite.

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    1. What do you expect a Baey dog to say? He even admitted he is one when a PRC scholar label us so.

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  7. Hope Orchard Road don't become the next venue for lawlessness after Little India and Geylang.

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  8. Why are pinoys allowed to set up such a organisation? Singaporeans cant even form an independent labour union let alone some pig council? Are we becoming pignapore?

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  9. I was told MBS provide more management & supervisory posts to Filipinos than Singaporeans or SPRs. Looks like the gambling dens prefer outsourcing than providing jobs to locals, just wondering whether MOM prefers to close one ?eye ?

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    1. Even the TLCs like Keppel were caught hiring "phantom workers" (aka faked locals and mostly PRs who are paid only CPF to increase their FT quota), why not MBS leh! Afterall, do you know why Merc and BMWs are bestselling cars? because every towkay who struggled for profits before 2007 have now fired all their locals and hired an FT using phantom worker. Each local fired and an FT hired to replace the local means at least $500 savings pr month, multiply by 20 and you have enuf "profit" to buy S350, pay for a landed property mortgage and 2 china mistresses. All thanks to the Papigs' FT "quota schemes"! The manpower rules are designed with loopholes, even when caught, the employers just get a warning, that's it!

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  10. GE 2016.
    Make it Singaporeans' real day of independence.

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  11. It's Ok for the Pinnoys to hold a celebration on their Independence Day but Civic Plaza is too congested as a venue and poses a security risk. Let their embassy here open its grounds for this purpose or go to Hong Lim Park where many Singaporean events have been held. I also sense arrogance and an insinuation in the use of the "Interdependence" slogan which suggests that Singapore is dependent on the Pinnoys for running our economy. On the balance the reality is that we are doing them a favour by providing them with jobs that they can't get back home.

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