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S’poreans should say no to bigotry, says Tan Chuan-Jin

SINGAPORE — Singaporeans should make a stand and say no to bigotry, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said yesterday, referring to a recent article about harassment directed at organisers of a Philippine event here.

SINGAPORE — Singaporeans should make a stand and say no to bigotry, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said yesterday, referring to a recent article about harassment directed at organisers of a Philippine event here.

The organisers reportedly received phone calls filled with expletives after they posted on Facebook over the weekend about holding a carnival on June 8 at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza in celebration of the Philippines’ Independence Day. The Facebook post also drew a barrage of anti-foreigner comments, forcing the organisers to take the post down.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Tan said: “These actions by those who peddle hate are not acceptable, repulsive even.”

“We should make a stand to say no to such bigotry. They do not reflect who we are as a people and as a nation,” he added.

Mr Tan also noted that there have been Singaporeans who celebrate the Republic’s National Day in other countries, and that he could not imagine what it would be like if attacked in this way.

The organisers have said they would go ahead with holding the event.

Meanwhile, Mr Tan said he was startled by a report, published in The Straits Times on Wednesday, about 26,000 “likes” for the “page that ‘is against the celebration of the Philippine Independence Day here’”.

“That there are xenophobes wasn’t the surprising part since there are these sad elements in any society. It was the reported 26,000 ‘likes’ for the page ... that raised my brows,” he wrote. “As it turned out, the reporting was inaccurate.”

The post had, in fact, garnered only several hundred “likes”; it was the page hosting that post that had 26,000 “likes”.

Mr Tan also said he was heartened that many “decent Singaporeans” have spoken out to condemn the actions of those who opposed the event.

The minister said he had recently met the Philippine Ambassador during her farewell call, where they talked about the experiences of Filipinos who live and work here.

He wrote: “Notwithstanding the occasional negative issues, she was thankful for the kindness and hospitality that Singaporeans extended to her compatriots. Singapore was a safe place because of how Singaporeans treated others.”

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