By Terry Xu
Just a while earlier, someone forwarded TOC a police report that he made about a foreigner who had made harsh remarks on Singaporeans on a Channel News Asia (CNA)’s facebook post. Apart from insulting locals, he was also afraid that the comment which the foreigner posted might send out the wrong message and not to mention his accusations on the employers who said to be scamming.
Together with the police report, he sent me the link of the post made by the foreigner which was supported by other foreigners which was what he was filing the police report on.
I suppose CNA was concerned about the hostile comments that the post was carrying and decided to delete the post due to complaints filed.
And before you think this is a foreigner bashing post, read on to know more.
So wanting to write something on this police report, I wrote to this person via facebook and try to ask about his view on the police report. He then replied with screenshots of his conversation with these group of people who had insulted him. (Those which are not blurred off are using pseudo facebook accounts)
This would probably explain the defensive position this person has chosen to adopt in his replies. And after digging more into his story, he explains with attached documents that he was conned by a family friend into transferring of money, life savings of his dad so that he could come over to Singapore in promise of a paid job.
“I have feedback for the police report – ” Only Cowards do such acts”. Same concern can do something for uniting us to live in peace and harmony. And you know Sir, I have cheated worth $7000 SGD by an Singaporean in a job scam in xxx hotel , Singapore and he cheated my father hard earned money in a very kind way who served in Indian Army for last 30 years in all seasons of India…Its very hard to believe the SPF were not supportive. I do have many Singaporean friends and relatives who loves me like their family members. And I do frame a network for developing Singapore as a ” Social Capital of Asia” with my friends. But as I see there is rising hate for us, i don’t think we can do it, but its possible.”
(checking with the story as I await the emails to prove that the bank transfers were for the purpose of securing a job for him)
And it did not help that he had a pretty bad experience from the local police in response towards the filing of the scam, as they could not help him since it was said that he was a foreigner having issues with employment.
This foreigner reacted totally differently towards me as I was being civil in my writings to him, he replied on his case saying,
“Sir I think police didnt respond via email, i requested a Tamil Officer to call me back regarding the same..and they did..and told me that We have forwarded your case to Airport Police…and after that no response sir….I am still tracing back the email that I have report….”
Does this sound like the same guy who made the comments in the conversation in the screenshots earlier?
So instead of trying to understand and communicate with the foreigner nicely about why was he so pissed off (stirred) over the remarks by the Singaporeans (or might even not be Singaporeans) who are hiding behind fake accounts, the locals on that particular facebook post got so worked up and started a personal assault on this person and so it began for a tit for tat online facebook verbal fight out which spanned over 400 comments.
To sum up, just like Newton’s Third Law of Motion, For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction . If we are going to piss off every foreigners with stupid remarks like “Stupid foreigners, go back to your own country!”, the likelihood they curse something back in response is pretty high. People might not have experienced this themselves overseas to realize how undesirable this is to any sentient being. Remember they have a family just like anyone of us here have and it is understandable that people will flock to good countries for a better life. Its just a vicious cycle how Singaporeans/PRs and Foreigners demean one another because lack of understanding and mutual respect.
If anyone has an axe to grind over issues that they face in life such as unemployment due to competition from foreigners, they should direct that to the roots of the problem which for an example is policies for foreign employment which are meant to be gatekeepers and not at those who pass through the gates.