A video of a Singaporean man scolding a Chinese worker at a food court for not being able to speak English has resurfaced and has been making its rounds on social media.
The video, originally uploaded to YouTube in 2014, was posted on Facebook group Singapore Peasant less than a week ago and has gone viral since. It has received 122,000 views and about 1400 shares on Facebook.
In the video, a Singaporean man can be heard telling a Chinese worker at a drinks stall, “You have to speak English okay, you don’t ask me to speak Mandarin”.
He said to her, “You come to Singapore to work, this is my country. I’m Singaporean. You must learn how to speak a bit of English”.
The man continued, “Here we have another problem with the government’s policies, bringing in foreign workers. In this case, this lady is from China and she cannot understand English. I’m just trying to get her to separate [my order]”.
He then added in a mix of broken-Mandarin and English, “You cannot speak English, you go back to your country. Okay? This is my country. I’m a Singaporean.”
At the end of the video, the man said, “This is another case of the government’s law, bringing in foreigners and giving us Singaporeans trouble.”
Netizens were divided into two camps, those who agreed with the man and felt that foreigners should learn English, and those who felt that the man was a bully.
One netizen, Daren Lionel Oliveiro said, “I always order in Mandarin when I see a Chinese face. It’s my 2nd language although I’m not 100% Chinese.
If I see a Malay aunty I would order in Malay too. Only thing I can’t is Tamil. But i do the head shake thing. Not in a mocking way but as a way of connecting with other ppl. Common we are multiracial Singapore right?
ITS all about speaking people’s language. Not about people having to speak your language.
Some people in SG grumble about them Chinese coming to work here. They also don’t have it easy working here with some nasty
Sgporean thinking they above these people.
Come on! I’m Singaporean. Respect them as a basic human being. This is your country then be a good example.
Whatever language you speak it’s about respect and tolerance. Not about which language is better or more worthy or “Atas”.
No point speak proper 100% language and people cannot understand.
Language is a tool. A form of communication to bring people closer. There’s always people who are narrow minded like this that tarnish the grander beauty of things”.
obbana@theindependent.sg