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Seen these comments in another forum and they strike my heart. Everything the writer said I have similar experience. I really do miss the Singapore in the 90s.:(
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"Yes, I agree with this FT issue despite being a foreigner. Too many unacceptable foreigners are ruining Singapore for locals and foreigners of high quality alike. I feel so sorry to see how the Singapore of 2003 has ended up into a chaotic city of 2010. I visited Singapore last September for days. I was surprised to see a few things.
1. MRTs were so crowded and for the first time, I saw people not being in queue and it was like a fight to enter. I never saw this from 2003 to 2008. Dont even talk about Little India. There is no place to stand there.
2. Everywhere I went, cinema counter, hotdog shop, asia travel tourist bus — it’s all foreigners. And, the bus driver knew not a word of English.
3. In the hotel where I stayed, most of the receptionists were foreigners. And yet the porters who carried 20 kgs of luggage were 70 year old locals. I was so embarrassed when the uncle insisted to carry my bag that I had to tip him 10$. But that won’t change anything. A policy change is needed. It was inhumane to treat elderly people like this. I saw a 80 year old man cleaning plates at clementi food court. And no one cares. People are used to it. But as asians, my wife and I felt very embarrassed.
4. Beneath all the gloss of Universal Studios and malls, there is something terribly wrong with Singapore. There is total apathy for the less privileged in the minds of the government and the well-off people, both locals and foreigners. Singaporeans don’t have much empathy for the less privileged too.
Being a foreigner, I do feel foreigners should get opportunities, but I agree that the limit has been crossed. They are converting Singapore into a third world city.
I don’t know whether it is tough competition for flats, cars, foreign education or what; but the human qualities are decreasing in Singapore day by day. Compassion and empathy for the poor simply does not exist anymore. It seems that people are so unsecured that they spend their whole lives earning money by whatever means they can. It’s no more a place of the middle to lower-middle class people.
I seriously hope that the government will reduce the number of foreigners in Singapore and build policies to boost population and happiness of locals and foreigners alike.
At the same time, I hope that Singaporeans learn from this experience of what it means to struggle and treat the poorer foreigners like maids and blue collar workers with more compassion and not exploit them.
Live and let live…
DumDum
* This posting appeared in the thread, “Civil servant bought Jurong resale flat at nearly $500,000 out of fear of rising prices”.
Maybe u guys can check the validity of this quoted post,
thou most importantly, the points made rather valid. "
MY PRC ex colleague also complained to me that Spore was so nice in 1990s."
****
"Yes, I agree with this FT issue despite being a foreigner. Too many unacceptable foreigners are ruining Singapore for locals and foreigners of high quality alike. I feel so sorry to see how the Singapore of 2003 has ended up into a chaotic city of 2010. I visited Singapore last September for days. I was surprised to see a few things.
1. MRTs were so crowded and for the first time, I saw people not being in queue and it was like a fight to enter. I never saw this from 2003 to 2008. Dont even talk about Little India. There is no place to stand there.
2. Everywhere I went, cinema counter, hotdog shop, asia travel tourist bus — it’s all foreigners. And, the bus driver knew not a word of English.
3. In the hotel where I stayed, most of the receptionists were foreigners. And yet the porters who carried 20 kgs of luggage were 70 year old locals. I was so embarrassed when the uncle insisted to carry my bag that I had to tip him 10$. But that won’t change anything. A policy change is needed. It was inhumane to treat elderly people like this. I saw a 80 year old man cleaning plates at clementi food court. And no one cares. People are used to it. But as asians, my wife and I felt very embarrassed.
4. Beneath all the gloss of Universal Studios and malls, there is something terribly wrong with Singapore. There is total apathy for the less privileged in the minds of the government and the well-off people, both locals and foreigners. Singaporeans don’t have much empathy for the less privileged too.
Being a foreigner, I do feel foreigners should get opportunities, but I agree that the limit has been crossed. They are converting Singapore into a third world city.
I don’t know whether it is tough competition for flats, cars, foreign education or what; but the human qualities are decreasing in Singapore day by day. Compassion and empathy for the poor simply does not exist anymore. It seems that people are so unsecured that they spend their whole lives earning money by whatever means they can. It’s no more a place of the middle to lower-middle class people.
I seriously hope that the government will reduce the number of foreigners in Singapore and build policies to boost population and happiness of locals and foreigners alike.
At the same time, I hope that Singaporeans learn from this experience of what it means to struggle and treat the poorer foreigners like maids and blue collar workers with more compassion and not exploit them.
Live and let live…
DumDum
* This posting appeared in the thread, “Civil servant bought Jurong resale flat at nearly $500,000 out of fear of rising prices”.
Maybe u guys can check the validity of this quoted post,
thou most importantly, the points made rather valid. "
MY PRC ex colleague also complained to me that Spore was so nice in 1990s."
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May be need English language teacher to confirm this. Singapore of the 90s don't seem quite right too 
