SINGAPORE: A man took to social media to share that he feels totally out of place in Singapore these days because there seem to be more foreigners than locals just about everywhere he looks.
Posting anonymously on r/SingaporeRaw, a Reddit forum, he explained that nearly every time he steps out, he encounters people from various countries, including China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Laos.
“They are everywhere and in both labour positions and high paying positions,” he said. “No more Singaporeans in Singapore. No more hope for youngsters.”
In his view, “true blue” Singaporeans have become rare, with most locals either relaxing at kopitiams with a Tiger Beer or working in the same banking roles they’ve held for decades.
“Singapore birth rate is really bad and the future generations need to compete with these imported foreigners,” he went on.
“Really, if you don’t force them to pay tuition and participate in the CCA leadership role from young and eventually get a scholarship, really no hope for future youngsters.”
“You will find that you are a tourist in your own country.”
In the comments section, many shared that they, too, feel somewhat alienated in their own country. One individual remarked, “Even schools are filled with foreigners these days.”
Another added, “Try going to the Changi business hub. Go shopping centre on Sunday. You will find that you are a tourist in your own country.”
However, amid the concerns, a few voices reminded others of the benefits of bringing in foreign workers.
One individual argued, “Most FnB outlets are already running skeleton crews; cleaning ah gong and ah ma aren’t going to be here forever; BTOs aren’t being constructed fast enough as is to meet demand from sinkies; 20% of companies are foreign owned and employ 60% of sinkies in them. These are just a few examples of course.
In most cases, sinkies aren’t willing to fill menial jobs or those that involve hard labor. Put simply, if even half the foreigners/PRs/new citizens were to suddenly disappear tomorrow, do you think that sinkies will pick up the slack?”
Singapore’s population reached 6.04 million this year, according to The Business Times, largely due to a rise in foreign and migrant domestic workers.
According to the paper, the number of non-residents increased by 5% to 1.86 million, with increases observed in the majority of pass types. Meanwhile, the number of local residents went up by 0.7% to 3.64 million, and the number of permanent residents (PR) went up by 1.2% to 544,900.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)