Seah Chiang Nee said:

AN ELECTRONICS firm that advertised last week for a “preferably non-Singaporean” engineer has added fuel to a worsening controversy in this migrant city.

It particularly stipulated that “permanent residents are welcome” to apply for this “mid-career job (salary negotiable)”.

A copy of the advertisement found its way onto the web.

Applicants should have a diploma or a relevant trade certificate, with 3-5 years’ work experience, and “preferably non-Singaporean (PR welcome),” it added. ...

The foreigners, hungrier and without family responsibility here, generally work longer hours for less pay – something that married Singaporeans with a home mortgage to pay cannot possibly match.

A small industry has risen to recruit them in large numbers – as indicated by a recruitment agency, with this advertisement: “Do you find it difficult and expensive to hire local staff? Why not consider hiring foreign talents?”

Claiming it was licensed by the Manpower Ministry, the agency said that it had recruited thousands of workers from China, India, Vietnam and Malaysia for Singapore firms in the past five years.

Recommended by at82: "Now we know where we stand. Singaporeans are now below foreigners."

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Mr Wang Says So said:

I proceeded to check out the available graduate scholarships at the NUS Law Faculty. Alas, I saw that in fact, almost all the scholarships were reserved for non-Singaporeans.

That's still the way it is today. See the current list of graduate scholarships here:

(1) Research Scholarship
(2) Graduate Scholarship for ASEAN Nationals (NUS GSA)
(3) Faculty Graduate Scholarship (FGS)
(4) Scholarship for Young Asian Academics
(5) Microsoft Scholarship

The 1st scholarship is open to both Singaporean and foreign applicants.
The 2nd scholarship is open to students from all ASEAN countries, except Singaporeans.
The 3rd scholarship is open to students from anywhere in the world, except Singaporeans.
The 4th scholarship is open to all Asian students, except Singaporeans.
The 5th scholarship is open to students from anywhere in the world, except Singaporeans.

Is it strange that so many Singaporeans feel marginalised in their own country? No, it is not strange at all. It is clear that in our country today, citizenship often turns out to be a liability.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "In Singapore, citizens are automatically disqualified from most scholarships, just because they are citizens. Amazing."

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Peijing Teh said:

When I see Singaporeans in a rules-free environment, I am often reminded of this Zen story about a horse that worked its whole life turning a grinding stone in a mill; when it was retired and allowed to graze on a large field, it went to the only tree in the field, and continued walking circles around the tree (like it did when it turned the grinding stone).

Like the horse, a lot of Singaporeans who grew up with a lot of explicit and implicit rules tend to be lost when they are thrown into an organic environment where the only limits are the ones you set for yourself. Like the horse, they then draw their own rules, and limit their own thinking to the imaginary box that they grew up with. So even if they are in a large open field, they will find their own tree and orbit around it. ...

I suspect that is why there are so many implicit social rules for Singaporeans, like "marry and have three kids", "get a stable job", etc., often without any real questioning of assumptions. Most people in Singapore complain about the pressure of social norms; they really only have themselves to blame if they unthinkingly accept those norms and apply them to their own lives.

Recommended by at82: "The question I have for you is this: what assumptions around you and inside you have you questioned today?"

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Mr Brown said:

One of my favourite numbers from the Sing, City! 2 musical composed, written and performed by the Singaporean students University of Pennsylvania.

This song is call Sekali I. Also wins points for the use of "Cockanaden" in the lyrics. Very steady bom pi pi.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Singaporean students overseas still rooted to what's Uniquely Singaporean?"

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Redsports.sg said:

National Stadium, Sunday, December 21, 2008 - Some Singaporeans showed last night what idiots they were when they criminally attacked Vietnamese supporters who were celebrating outside the stadium after the game, leaving some with bloodied faces.

Singapore lost 0-1 last night in the second leg semi-final of the ASEAN Football Championship against Vietnam and for some ‘fans’, it was apparently too much to bear.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "We may not match other footballing powerhouse nations in terms of skill nor the fanaticism of its fans...but lamentably, we seem to be gaining some ground in football hooliganism...

Singapore Ultras? hmm..."

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krisandro said:

I had a very interesting encounter at AMK Hub a few weeks ago. I was on my way to the cinema at the 4th floor of the building and I choose to go up via the lift.

At the 1st floor lift lobby, a lift door opened and I promptly entered it to only realize that the lift was occupied and it was going DOWN. Within a space of a second, my STUPENDOUS mind decided that instead of walking out of the lift to wait for the next lift to go up, why not just stay in this lift till it goes up?

Right before the lift doors closed, a lao ah-ma (old grandmother, which hereby be known as LAM) entered the lift and mumbled a sentenced in Hokkien. Although my dialect is Hokkien, I have much trouble understanding it, much less speak it. Seeing that I am a gracious and considerate Singaporean, I decide to offer help.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "A funny entry showing that we are really losing knowledge of dialects"

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YoungJedi said:

The Story of Monkey God Tree in Jurong West Street 42

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "I created this blog and feel that it is quite funny and would like to share you guys. They are mostly images. "

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Little Cart Noodles spots this dish in Hong Kong

For HK$30 (S$6) I could have found out what a stuffed countryman tastes like.

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Ice Angel said:

Most of the girls around me have losen their virginity, and some of them haven't even passed their 14 year old birthday.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Read the whole post and listen to what this blogger has to say about teenagers losing their virginity at such a young age. "

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Government said

The system is meant for foreigners who are working and staying in Singapore. If you are a foreigner overseas, you may still use the system but your assessment is only hypothetical. You may want to provide your contact details here and we will get in touch with you. You may also wish to get a preliminary assessment of the likelihood of obtaining an employment pass to work in Singapore here .

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RudeSingaporeans said:

"Was on the train home @ 18th Feb 10.30pm. Going home from dhoby ghaut when i saw this guy lying across 3 1/2 seat happily sleeping away~

The train was sought of cramp at that time as everyone was going home after last minute of shopping. The auntie that sat near his head there shifted away when he tried to move further up for more space."

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "You can see many passengers that love to sleep on the train. Not sit sleeping but lay down on the seats spreading out like a bed! "

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Ahmad in Taiwan said:

Sometimes when you've had it to here, and just can take no more, there's no choice but to make yourself heard. And that's exactly what 200,000 Taiwanese (or 90,000 depending on who's reporting) had in mind about their corrupt and unrepenting president Chen Shui Bian, when they took to a peaceful protest sit-down at the Kategelan boulevard in Taipei.

Recommended by at82: "Singaporean in the middle of the all the action in Taiwan."

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Kevin Lim said:

The one about living abroad segways neatly into my latest reality documentary entitled “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?”. This video was taken from a recent Singaporean dinner gathering which offered a chance for seniors to meet incoming students here at the University at Buffalo.

In this short piece, I chat up with Singaporean students on the premise that given a choice, would they rather stay in the U.S. or return to Singapore.

Recommended by at82: "Where are you now? And if given a choice, would you stay or would you go?"

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cowboycaleb said:

Look, this whole event is supposed to encourage kids to X!periment and learn about science. We do not ignore, mock or make fun of kids for trying. Especially young kids. Because that might totally discourage them.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "The show host at X!periment was being really mean to kids during a public quiz, and the whole point of the event was to encourage kids to learn more about science."

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Serendipity said:

my colleague's bf who went to CPF building one day with his father to retrieve a considerable sum of money. What really shocked me was when she spoke of the counter staff who, apparently, seriously lacked his sense of professionalism in dealing with his customers. When he knew that the man was about to withdraw a large sum of money, he started to be wary and started asking questions about the relationship between her bf and his father. And after being deemed to be interrogated, in a state of fury the young man loudly acclaimed that he is his father's son.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Some Singaporeans are too kaypoh for their own good. "

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Levoodoo said:

So the day started with rehearsals, a missed work session, and lots of problems overall. It ended, well on a high. Characters came through, loads of people fell in love with me!!! haha.. Oh well, I imagined the last part, but awww... I was the cockster who cared so much about my hair, who sang, and everyone laughed.

Recommended by The Screwy Skeptic: "Beauty World, a Singaporean-written and produced play, made its debut in Chicago on Saturday at the University of Chicago. One of the lead actors reflects on the experience.

I didn't think the musical was fantastic, but it's nice to see some creativity spring forth from Singapore. "

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Brown University Merlions said:

A majority of the Southeast Asian student groups at Brown University focus on promulgating the cultural aspects of Southeast Asia . However, insufficient attention has been paid to socio-political developments, especially in consideration with a US-dominated global political as well as cultural scene.

The Singaporean community at Brown University is attempting to breach this gap by organizing a Singapore Lecture Series, a forum that focuses on international relations and democratization, for prominent Singaporeans who have taken initiatives in the unfolding of their lives, to enter into discussion with Singaporean students from the Northeastern region of the US and other non-Singaporean Brown students.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "They brought in Francis Seow and Colin Goh last year. This will be a subsequent continuation of the lecture series. Singaporeans from Top Universities across America will be attending this. Brown University, will be for two days, the place in America with the highest concentration of brilliantly intellectual Singaporean Youth. The movers and shakers of Singapore Society Tomorrow."

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SheCairnBark said:

... a group of kids no bigger than 8 years old picking on a stray cat. It was meowing in distress and hiding from them. They were trying to drag it out of its hiding behind shelves and kiddy rides...Their mother was with them... She seemed to me as enjoying her children’s taunts...

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "An ugly side of Singaporeans abusing animals."

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Clubsnap member Bartman posts some photos of a shoe sale at Suntec.

Happened to walk pass Carrefour and saw this from the second level in suntec on my way to the IT Show.

The shoes must be selling at dirt cheap prices to have created such an chaotic scene... Here is something you don't see everyday...Check it out folks.

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Frederick Lin said:

This episode of the show contains christian content, and features me singing christian songs. If you do not like such material, don't listen.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "You've heard his songs, now listen to his new podcast show. The first of its kind in the SG podcast scene."

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