There has been plenty of noise and rubbish posted online about the Filipinos’ plan to celebrate the 115th Philippine Independence Day at Hong Lim Park. There are those calling it illegal, cursing the Pinoys, and accusing the police of not doing anything to prevent it. Some of the rants veer toward xenophobia or sedition. All because TRE asked legitimate questions about whether the event was legal.
Why the rants only now when this event has been held for at least two years , if not longer, at Hong Lim*? Just google for that fact. So our police allow an illegal event? This is S’pore, not the Philippines, Thailand, M’sia or Indonesia where can suka suka party or riot anywhere, anytime. This is S’pore where Harry’s Law** is enforced.
I asked a police contact whether a permit was needed to stage it, and was told that a permit was needed. Another contact told me that every yr since it began, the Filipino embassy had applied, and been given permission, for the event to be held.
It is not like the Merlion riots demonstrations where garang, qua-lan, and lazy and cowardly (don’t want to go to JB) M’sian FTs working here, unhappy that Anwar lost the M’sian elections, broke the admittedly, very draconian and KS law on the staging of public events without a police permit.
The Filipinos played it by the book, so let them enjoy themselves***, just like other govts allow S’poreans to enjoy themselves on our National Day in their countries’ public spaces.
We may not like the PAP govt’s perceived pro-FT policy, that Pinoy HR managers in MNCs prefer to employ Pinoys, and that Pinoy (and Indian and M’sian and PRC) FT PMETs are taking away jobs or keeping salaries low here: but let’s not be like our constructive, nation-building media (example from Alex Au) or the Todds, who have lost all credibility because they talk rubbish.
Netizens should have a lot more sense than our local media or the Todds. Otherwise, netizens deserve our local media, and the PAP govt.
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*When I pointed out to TRE that this event had been an on-going event and gave them the above link, so that TRE could give its readers the facts, the editor asked me to write about it. I don’t blame TRE for not googling before writing its piece because it is a two-person outfit. One man focuses on IT and the other on content. Both have full time jobs, and families. Worse, they have to spend their own money keeping TRE alive: tee-shirts and donations don’t cover the IT costs. And if TRE closes down because of a lack of funds, it’s netizens fault! Open yr wallets. Don’t juz post that you will donate or have donated, then do nothing.
**Everything is prohibited, unless allowed.
***Our NSmen need their Filipino (and SRi Lankan, Burmese and Indon) maids to carry their gear when our NSmen go on route marches.
Thoughts of a Cynical Investor 
You’re right, the resentment here has gotten out of hand, people are now simply whacking here, there and everywhere, instead of AIMing at the real culprits — the govt and its crazy policies and illogical actions. Racism is back to the old levels — that is, before the flood of foreigners — except its directed at foreigners… and worse than before.
There was a period in betw, when we Sporeans all stood tog, and whacked only when the foreigners criticised our lifestyle, like that foreign family against curry. It seemed then that the foreign influx had one Huge upside, the four main races here ignored their differences, and at last stood together and stood up for each other. That period was too short….
Anyway, things should get worse as the economy stumbles along. Dunno if anyone has noticed, but in the last few weeks, prices of everything have been going up.
Meanwhile, we should be partying with the Pinoys, the Malaysians, the Banglas, the Chinese, the Myanmarese. It could open doors to business in their country!! The way things are going here, we may well need this seeing as how some of these economies are doing better than ours and there are more money-making opportunities there.
And, let’s face it, the foreigners are jabbing this govt in ways we Sporeans dare not do. See how the Chinese bus drivers strike pushed SMRT to apparently relook at foreign workers pay and living conditions. Look at the cool of the Malaysians protesting against their govt again, despite being warned the first time….
That’s because they have nothing to lose, except the chance to ever work here again, which, isn’t much to shout about anyway. We cancel their work permit, kick them back to their country, and they still have a house and maybe a job to go back to. Here, you make one mistake, and you are screwed for life!*
*Have you noticed in every job application form, there will always be a question “Have you ever been convicted by a court of law in Singapore?” Would any employer have the gumption to hire someone who ticked “yes”?
Starting to see TRE and its supporters for what they really are?
Nope. Like PAP, WP, etc etc, there is a lunatic fringe among TRE readers. I mean Richard Wan is a scholar. Not only that but he is an IT scholar from among the first few batches of IT scholars: super cream. Yet the loonies bitch abt the scholars when one of the two guys keeping TRE alive is a super scholar.
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