Complaining about not being able to complain

"It was a strong provocation for us to hear that the authorities wanted the Non-Singaporean choir members to be excluded from the choir performances. This would have spoilt the project's intention to create a strong sense of community, a community that is based on shared complaints about life in Singapore here and now. We are disappointed that our prejudices against Singapore have been affirmed. We find it irritating that foreigners - people that built this city, nurse Singaporean kids and bring in their knowledge - are not allowed to complain." – Tellervo + Oliver Kalleinen



Quote taken from http://www.complaintschoir.org/, official website of the Complaints Choir Project.

What a pity they didn't go through with it. I think it would have been so fresh and historic. It's an even greater pity that they couldn't understand why the government had to do that. But it's only natural of course.

I think many Singaporeans, especially the older ones, would agree with the move to stop foreigners from complaining about our culture.

I'm surprised that although the Kalleinens were able to point out that most Singaporeans' roots come from overseas, they couldn't see why it was reasonable to ban foreigners from singing their criticisms. Maybe that's because they don't know our history.

In recent years, foreigners have been actively wooed to S'pore with jobs and beautiful pictures of life here. Simultaneously, ill feelings for foreigners have increased too. I don't know if government agencies will be able to provide any official figures, but personally, I feel that the Singaporeans I know have at least some sort of grudge against foreigners, be it conscious or unconscious. They're taking away our jobs, they're taking away our awards in school, our places, they're rude, loud, inconsiderate (aren't we S'poreans like this too? Just that we may look more civilized next to some of them) etcetera etcetera. It may seem trivial, but in our multicultural, multiracial nation, I think it's important not to forget the balancing act that our society practices every day these different races live harmoniously together.

This may seem too "Social Studies"-like, but remember the Maria Hertogh riots? And the Malay-Chinese racial clashes? And the race-politics practiced during the merger with Malaysia... We're pretty settled now, race-wise, but that doesn't mean tension couldn't break out again.

I value my peace and security more than I value artistic freedom.

I have friends of different races and different nationalities. I had classmates from China in Sec 3 and 4, and though I sometimes felt jealous of how they easily they outshone the rest of us and swept all the Science and Math awards away from the rest of us, I remembered too that I had and still have a lot more advantages than them. But it would be too optimistic to think every Singaporean could push aside such feelings; a minor issue could easily turn into a large one.

Singapore turns 43 in August. Finland turns 91 in December. It might seem over-protective of the government to take such measures, but maybe that's because we're still young and haven't really forgotten the hardships of the past. Maybe one day when we turn 90 we'll have minds and hearts as broad and open.

It would be interesting if they came back next year or something. After all, we do like complaining. Just don't overdo it.