Foreigners speak out!
I was listening to 93.8FM this morning. The topic for talk back was "how do you feel about the redevelopment plans for seletar airbase?"
Just some background for those of you who have never been to seletar airbase. It used to be the seletar airbase run by the SAF. There are also numerous single storey houses which are occupied by foreigners. A very nice tranquil estate to live in if you like nature and all. But I would say 90% of the residents in that area are foreigners. Driving around the estate, the homes have their own swimming pools, have big dogs which are of rare breeds etc....
Well anyway during this talk back session on the radio, for the first time since I started listening to the programme, the majority of callers were foreigners! Expats with thick non-Singaporean accents.
Well they were are pretty unhappy with how the government had decided to go ahead and redevelop the rustic natural surroundings where they live for the purpose of attracting aerospace companies, building retail outlets etc. Basically turning it into more or less of a "concrete garden" at best. At worst a "concrete jungle"!
One caller commented that there is a long waiting list to "get into seletar airbase". I take it she meant her fellow expats who are on the waiting list.
I must say the callers were very eloquent. They said their piece and also suggested ideas on how the government should consult the residents in the area before making such plans. One pilot also said that seletar airbase should be preserved as part of Singapore's heritage given that it is over 100 years old. All points were nicely put across by the very outspoken and well spoken expats.
The last caller in the programme, however was a local and he said that looking at more bread and butter issues, this re-development was for improving Singapore's economy, and creating more jobs for Singaporeans. He also ended his call by stating that the majority of the callers today were foreigners.
I do know seletar airbase. From my days in serving my NS as well as frequent trips around the area for leisure as well as work when I start my medical evacuation sorties from Seletar Airport.
To be frank I like the place and wished I could live there. Unfortunately the truth is that the place is mainly for foreign expats. There is a long waiting list if you want to rent a place there. For Singaporeans, it is virtually an impossibility to live there. I can understand why the expats like the place. In a concrete jungle like Singapore, Seletar Airbase is the closest you can get to living in suburbs in places like Australia for instance. And the best thing is that this "natural reserve" is but a 10 minutes drive away from the bustle and hustle of the city! So you get really the best of both worlds.
I wonder how many residents live there? What are the numbers? And what is the percentage of foreigners among these numbers?
Here are a few comments I have personally :
1) Seletar Airbase is more of a colonial vestige for foreigners living the "special" life in Singapore. It serves its purpose for Singapore as part of the package we sell to the foreign talent we so covet. Most Singaporeans don't live there. Most Singaporeans don't even go there.
2) Should the residents there have been consulted before the re-development projects had been decided? Yes of course they should have. But since when has the Singapore government consulted Singaporean residents on anything before deciding what they want to do? And for the matter even if they do "consult" it is merely at face value as the plans continue anyway, but they get to explain away the objections. So to the expats in Singapore, welcome to "Uniquely Singapore". Learn to live with it. You cannot have your cake and eat it.
3) Expats may say that their arguments are helpful to Singapore. Shouldn't Singaporeans support them in seeing this last vestige of rural peaceful living preserved? Well thank you very much. But somehow I don't buy that. I don't hear expats calling the talk back programme when we are talking about other Singapore issues. Where are they? Usually people who are unhappy tend to be the ones who call in to express their disappointment and lodge their complaints. And it was no different today. Interestingly you can look back and realise that expats probably have it real good in Singapore. They have little to be unhappy about and little to complain about. If they did, you can bet they would make their views known, just as we saw today. It's no open secret that Singapore is designed to please the foreigners more than the locals.
4) I am all for re-developing the seletar airbase area. Singapore is a land scarce small country. We cannot afford such "vestiges" for small residential purposes. It's just the realities that we Singaporeans have to face up to. Why should it be any different for foreigners? If you do not like living in a busy hectic concrete jungle like Singapore, then think twice before you come. It is the same for locals. Some Singaporeans do not like living in Singapore and prefer the lush greens and open spaces in other countries. For that, some would migrate to those countries. It would be ironic that they could actually have lived in similar surroundings in their very own country in Singapore only to have those homes taken up by foreigners from countries with large amounts of open spaces.
5) I wonder what happened to our racial quotas to maintain a nice spread of races living in harmony? There is clearly a strong concentration of expats in this nice place to live called Seletar Hills. Isn't that a time bomb waiting to explode also? Oh sorry I forgot, it's not a HDB estate. Expats don't deserve to live in HDB flats, only Singaporeans deserve that fate.
6) Lastly, I would not be surprised however if the Singapore government backs down and decides to leave Seletar Airbase as it is. I can almost picture some CEO of some big MNC calling our PM and say that if his Regional Manager is unhappy because his home is now next to a warehouse, he will pull his multi-billion dollar business out of Singapore and go to cheaper Malaysia! I wonder if Singapore would stand firm to such threats?
posted by Dr Oz bloke @ 6:17 PM
21 Comments:
Thank you for highlighting this matter. I missed the programme because I don't listen to radio much, what with the internet, my grandchildren, my other "activities" etc.
I do however concur with your comments. These friggin' expats are already too pampered. They have to understand that Singapore is just a tiny red dot. We spend billions to reclaim just to add a few square kilometres to our land mass. So preserving Seletar as an urban area for these gwailos and their spoilt brats make no economic sense and if I may push the envelope further, no nationalistic sense. Fug them!
If the Singapore Government backs down and cave in to their demands, my respect for them will definitely wane. Singapore is what it is today because it will not give in to sectional interests over national interests. If we behave like some third world banana republic, then we deserve to be "spit" at, when we present our red Singapore passport when crossing international borders.
I really doubt whether the whims and fancies of some gwailou executives will sway their company's investment decisions. With globalization and outsourcing, these fugging gwailous better toe the line or be given marching orders.
Frankly, I think our Health Minister should send a memo to our Trade and Industry Minister to suggest that these gwailous live in Batam or Tg. Pinang which is just a short boatride away. Don't worry about security. We will have a small seletar clone complete with all the security apparatus to deter any criminal or terrorist activities.
It will also be fenced like guantanamo. The gwailous and the spoilt brats can live in an atmosphere like suburbia USA, Australia or the UK. Fug 'em!
Talking about the antics of foreigners. Did you read the piece about an Ah Neh who conned the ICA for six years with a fake IC? (Page 2 in Home section of the Straight Times). To add insult to injury, he was only given a jail term of one year and one month and given three strokes of the rotan. I have no quarrels with the rotan. One is more than enough to remind him of what the consequences are of making a fool out of us. But a jail term of one year and one month??? With good behaviour, he could be back in his friggin' country in 9 months boasting about the pile he made in six years masquerading as a citizen of this first world country. What an ass of a sentence! Fug 'em. Fug all of 'em!
A more appropriate sentence would be six years in the slammer. One year for each year of making us look like a donkey. And no parole.
This episode shows you how efficient our much lauded public services are. I daresay that we may have been "invaded" already by countless aliens masquerading as us complete with the "lah", "liao", "walio", "meh"!
Hee Hee.
But then, from what I remember....you idolize the Men In White what!
You mean you didn't know about the "foreign talent" policy all this while? It's your beloved MIW who came up with all these ideas. Foreigners are well taken care of in Singapore. In fact better taken care of than Singaporeans in my opinion.
How you think Seletar Airbase came to be this great haven for expats and occupied by majority expats? What happened to the Racial Quota the government says cannot be removed otherwise it will be a time bomb? Double standards? Here we have a concentration of expats in Seletar Airbase. Not scared got riots against them there har?
Just wait and see, I think the government will compromise regarding Seletar Airbase.
They could always go down the road of saying "Oh it's a nature reserve, we must still preserve some green, thanks to the vibrant expat community for reminind us that Singapore is a "Green City", blah blah blah blah blah...."
Wait and see....
You seem to equate respect for good governance with no dissent whatsoever.
Well, I don't know much about you being a good doctor, but believe me, you definitely ain't very lucid in your analytical abilities or views. We in the stock industry makes a killing out of people like you, always following the herd instinct thoughtlessly without proper and calm analysis.
I like our present government. That does not mean I agree with all the policies that are being put in place or will be implemented.
Foreigners are generally not given any preference over locals as you so vehemently argued. Walk the talk. Give us some instances where they are being favoured over locals. Don't just ape some clowns and start hollering about how we locals are being marginalised.
Seletar was never, I repeat, never exclusively earmarked as a haven for expatriates. The reason why expatriates are located there is because the place was a former british airbase and hence there are clusters of bungalow like abodes spread over the precinct. Expatriates as you know like open spaces and houses on solid ground. Unlike fellas like you who can only afford public housing. Rentals here are very cheap compared to similar bungalows in areas like Holland Road or Bukit Timah and over time, there is a concentration of them. Singaporeans generally don't like to stay in houses with grounds because it is difficult to upkeep.
Racial quotas. You are still sucking your milk bottle and not know the days when racial enclaves existed in Singapore. Then, people like you venturing into these ghettoes of a certain race would be attacked and beaten up because these people treat their ghettoes like a country within a country. Ask your old man. He survived because he like me, never ever would go deep into the hellhole. With the present system, you can walk through your estate without fear and your children can roam the parks in peace. Thank this government for giving you this, not curse them.
Like everything that you write on or comment, your reasoning is flawed because you are living in ignorance and lack exposure and experience outside your dinghy little cubicle of a clinic. How can articulate, educated and executive class expats resort to riots and violence to make a point?
To focus on the issue at hand, I do not agree with pandering to the whims of these expatriates. And I don't echo your views that the government will backtrack and give in. You know that before anything is being announced, they would have considered every viewpoint, rightly or not, and once a decision is made, expats or no, it's going to be the day of the bulldozers.
"Like everything that you write on or comment, your reasoning is flawed because you are living in ignorance and lack exposure and experience outside your dinghy little cubicle of a clinic."
True. But at least I'm trying. I have tried to go overseas. But I failed. Singapore is fortunately the safe place you praise it to be, the down side is that people like me continue to suckle the milk bottle.
However, people like you, can't be bothered to write their own blogs (and you'll say you don't have time for it)but take pleasure in going to other people's blogs and insult them, ridicule them, belittle them, and condemn them (this you got time to do).
Put it to you this way, I am sure very few people reading my blog think very highly of you. Of course you will beg to differ. LOL!
In the end money (and age) does not make a man.
Have a good day uglybaldie.
Hee Hee,
Oinkle, I agree that I am not very well liked just based on my comments. But then, I am not standing for elections and seriously, have you ever heard of the chinese saying, "xiao mian hu" or "smiling tiger" in ang moh speak? Well, you are IT! I don't even trust you with my grandmother!LMAO!
My english also not as good as yours so cannot write any blogs lah.
And I don't give a rat's ass what others think of me. I just want to speak my piece and counter the faeces that you write, day in day out. Consider me a blogosphere bounty hunter! Hunting for one sided, skewed, partisan and hypocritical views that is. Besides, I need some diverting fun and entertainment whilst monitoring my fx spot trades. Just like you need some turn on when there is no patient to see. And the last one has been despatched off to get his standard antihistamine, cough mixture and paracetamol.
Cheers! And here's to more exchange of views.
Hee Hee Haa Haa.
By the way, I think you should be a sporting sparring partner not someone who takes comments personally and gets emotional or belittled easily.
Running to mama is easy. Face "Dance like a butterfly, sting like a bee" uglybaldie with courage in the ring.
Now my pet pomy Downer is even laughing!
Have you seen a dog laugh?
It's really laughable!
LMAO.
Sorry uglybaldie, enough is enough.
This isn't the first time I've told you that this blog is meant for my family and friends, not you. I know it seems that only you posts comments, but it doesn't mean that nobody else but you is reading my blog.
Please have some respect for my family and friends.
I don't need to have a "blogosphere bounty hunter" who says "I just want to speak my piece and counter the faeces that you write, day in day out. Consider me a blogosphere bounty hunter!" at my blog. For the matter I don't see you posting at Mr Wang's blog. Why?
I am not your punching bag for "Besides, I need some diverting fun and entertainment whilst monitoring my fx spot trades."
I am also NOT writing a blog to "spar with anyone so forget about "I think you should be a sporting sparring partner not someone who takes comments personally and gets emotional or belittled easily."
Remember my blog is for my family and friends. Please respect us.
And if you truly mean the words "And I don't give a rat's ass what others think of me. ", then please do not be angry if I censor your comments.
You can argue your points, that's fine, but there is no need to make personal insults directed to me like referring to my writing as "faeces", calling doctors all kinds of names, referring to us as "spoilt brats" etc. There is no need for such things and I do not want this sort of comments here.
The bottomline is that personally I would rather lose a reader of this blog, than to have you around my blog insulting me. If you want sparring partners, go find some. I am sure there are many at various forums and blogs who will be more than willing to spar with you, and their punches are hard and furious too! I am sure you will enjoy that better, unless you actually prefer punching bags rather than sparring partners.
I will take action (editing comments or deleting comments) if I get more of the same from you again.
Please have some respect. Thank you. Have a good day uglybaldie.
Mr. Wang also kenna me lah. Although posting under another nick. I am also quite active in another blog presided over by an exile in OZ. Ask him for some emigration advice. I don't understand why you find it so hard to go to the country of your dream. Ah Ter, my regular sanitation "engineer" got his PR last month!
Mr.W. is a bit like you, nothing much good to say about the country that gave him and you, the good life, peace and wherewithal to post such ahem, "refined" nuggets of "wisdom".
Okay lah, don't get angry. I confess I am wrong. I confess I have not been a good old boy. Don't hit me. Please don't shut the door in my face. Please...............?
Let's shake and make up ok?
I promise to be a good reader of your esteemed writings and also be a good patient at your clinic?
Oinkle, oops, sorry, Uncle OZ,
I've been thinking. If you really like privacy, why don't you email your writings to your family and friends instead and also, you can always enable comments only from restricted readers?
Just my two cents worth to make your day better. Cheer up lah. Hope you didn't make much loss for the last few day's bloodbath at the SGX. I told you to get out right after the elections didn't I?
"If you really like privacy, why don't you email your writings to your family and friends instead and also, you can always enable comments only from restricted readers?"
It's not a matter of privacy for me. Of course having a blog means having any Tom Dick or Harry reading it.
It's a matter of mutual respect. I don't subscribe to name calling and such. It's just me. And this is my blog. So I think it is also fair for me to have certain ideas what the tone of my blog should be. I certainly would not like my blog to be filled with vile comments that offend people. I would censor anyone who writes such terrible offensive things, not just you.
But you are a regular here, and you do not like having your comments deleted.So unfortunately I have to spell it out to you.
Yeah the stock market went bad last couple of days eh? Well my investment plans are very long term in outlook. So such corrections actually work in my favour.
My "security horizon" is not due till another 20+ years so no worries. It's all planned out. And for the matter I am not ambitious with my returns with that main plan. And at the moment not much cash also lah.
Cheers!
Hi Uncle Oz
Actually, there are lots of Singaporeans who stay in Seletar Airbase, me included. Most of us locals stay there for 2 years then move back to our own homes. It is indeed a wonderful place to stay, but given the long waiting lists etc..not an easy one to get into.
When we applied for a house there, we were put on equal footing as the expats, there wasn't any discrimation etc..The only reason why more expats stay there is coz locals already own homes and it is not a widely accepted practice for Singaporean to rent. Most prefer to "lease" it from HDB. Also, there is ignorance. Many locals love the place but natually assume it is out of their league or are just not bothered to find out how to live there.
"Many locals love the place but natually assume it is out of their league"
huh? Here in Singapore in 2006?
These expats are out of our league not ours out of theirs!
Hee Hee.
"When we applied for a house there, we were put on equal footing as the expats, there wasn't any discrimation etc.."
Hear that Uncle?
"Hi Uncle Oz
Actually, there are lots of Singaporeans who stay in Seletar Airbase, me included. Most of us locals stay there for 2 years then move back to our own homes. It is indeed a wonderful place to stay, but given the long waiting lists etc..not an easy one to get into."
Dear Anon, that's an interesting comment there. From what you say," most of us locals stay there for 2 years, then move back to our own homes" I take it that while you were renting a place in Seletar Estate, you also had a home somewhere else?
So the Seletar place was sort of a "getaway home" for 2 years?
To be honest I doubt many Singaporeans can afford that luxury. The other possibility is that the "us" you spoke of were mostly young single adults who were still living with their parents and moved out for a while?
Can you share what the demographics of the locals staying in Seletar Estate is like? Young single adults? Young couples? Young families? Retirees? Middle income? Upper middle income? High income earners?
Frankly I do not know anyone who lives there nor do I know anyone who knows anyone who lives there. I guess the number is very small and for a variety of reasons.
Important question. What's the rent like there?
Hi everyone
actually rent in Seletar camp isn't that expensive, ranges from 1700-3500, depending on house types etc..
most of my local neighbours actually have a HDB flat or condo already, but rent it out to stay @ Seletar. You are right in saying that it is sort of retreat for us.
The waiting list @ the moment is ridulously long, last I heard is 100 over on wait list for the very limited number of units.
In terms of mix, there is actually a very healthy mix of young and old, indians, malays and chinese and obviously ang mos..Mostly families though. The newer residents tend to be in their 20s-30s looking for a different lifestyle.
Seletar is one of the last places in Singapore where there is space which is something I treasure so much. Sadly, looks like things are going to change..as it is , the traffic in the morning is getting more and more...sigh....
$1700-$3500 is quite expensive to me frankly. My HDB installments is only $1000+ a month and my flat didn't come cheap.
Average income of a Singaporean is about $3k? I suppose with dual income it is possible.
What kind of home do you get for $1700/mth rent? A house? 3 bedrooms?
Just curious.
I believe that Premas is the managing agent of these beautiful black & white homes for the whole of Singapore. It's a pity though that most of these homes are priced way beyond what the average Singaporean can afford. Hence you find that those located in the more central parts of Singapore are occupied mostly by foreigners who have hefty housing allowances. But, honestly, do you think that most Singaporeans, if given a chance to own or live in one of these homes, would actually do so? I think most would prefer living in something more modern looking, or tear down the house & rebuild something supposedly more "fashionable" (I'm sure you have seen some of the re-built homes....eeeww....is all I can say!)
Yo Bro.
Just got up from my afternoon nap.
I see that nothing interesting has been posted.
Can we skip the old run down houses and move on to more interesting topics. Leave the expats alone. For locals, if they have any brains, they would go to Johore instead of folking so much money to rent. After all, just drive a bit further from the TPE and you're in a place quieter and much much cheaper. Can throw rubbish any old how too!
Hey OZ, as a christian, how do you view the book and the movie on The Da Vinci Code. Damn friggin' interesting theory. It could very well be more than just fiction. Anything is possible nowadays. I've seen the movie and read the book. I'm awaiting the DVD. I already have the book in my bookshelf.
By the way, is your stand more Opus Dei or Priory of Sion?
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