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Unfair to focus only on S’poreans’ bad behaviour

I refer to this week’s Talking Point, “How to lose the ‘ugly’ Singaporean”. Such discussions are common. “Do you think Singaporeans are less gracious?” was asked last year on government feedback portal REACH.

Unless a survey of only Singaporeans is done, the country should be judged fairly as a whole, Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans alike. Today File Photo

Unless a survey of only Singaporeans is done, the country should be judged fairly as a whole, Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans alike. Today File Photo

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I refer to this week’s Talking Point, “How to lose the ‘ugly’ Singaporean”. Such discussions are common. “Do you think Singaporeans are less gracious?” was asked last year on government feedback portal REACH.

These and videos on Stomp, et cetera, of people not giving up their seats have made me wonder why only Singaporeans are targeted in most instances despite our population statistics.

As we try to build a better society and identity, indices of how Singaporeans are faring along the way would inevitably be presented in the media.

There should not be generalisations about any particular group, though, especially when we are a multinational country; close to 30 per cent here are non-residents. For example, an AsiaOne headline last year stated: “Singaporeans waste more than 703,000 tonnes of food.”

Such emphasis on Singaporeans is unfair. For every action by two or three Singaporeans, be it wasting food or littering, there may be one non-Singaporean who does it too.

Unless a survey of only Singaporeans is done, the country should be judged fairly as a whole, Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans alike. Otherwise, a finger-pointing society would continue to prevail.

Like any Singaporean who does not waste food and water and is a good resident, I feel we are being represented negatively. We should share a common understanding and platform, not a narrow one, in a small country such as Singapore.

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