Singapore — Netizens were up in arms after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that Chinese privilege did not exist in Singapore.
It is “entirely baseless” to claim that there is “Chinese privilege” in Singapore, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (Aug 29), noting that Singapore treats “all races equally, with no special privileges”.
But he said that racial harmony may be taken for granted following decades of peace, with some Chinese Singaporeans being unaware of how ethnic minorities feel.
In a TikTok video that has been circulating on social media and WhatsApp media, one @with_navya said: “You know, a lot of people have denied Chinese privilege in Singapore, but for our own Prime Minister to deny it is just a new low“.
“To say that the only places minorities have difficulties is in renting a home and finding a job when we have repeatedly tried to come out and tell you about where else we have difficulties“, she added.
She said that Chinese privilege has always been there, social media was just helping to shed light on it.
In his National Day Rally, PM Lee said: “The Government was impartial when drafting our laws and administrative measures, and did not favour any race. This fundamental founding policy was supported by the Chinese community and became the bedrock of our multiracial harmony”.
Referring to PM Lee’s speech, she said: “And yes, you did draft laws to cater to every single race. But just because you have laws in place, that doesn’t mean everyone follows them“.
She added that she did not understand when the government or Chinese people became defensive when people of minority races tell them that they have privilege.
“You can have privilege, or be racist, without intending“, she said. She noted that privilege was not getting any benefits, it was the absence of obstacles.