Double Standards

The case of caregivers at Nightingale Nursing Home at Braddell abusing a stroke patient is a stark reminder of the kind of society that our government has created.

Again, the perpetrators are not punished by law and the nurse/s in question continues to work at the home. As always, the relevant Ministry will only do so much as to conduct "reviews".

In a separate incident, a deliveryman caused an uproar in cyberspace when he posted in a forum that he was proud to have beaten a Singaporean Malay in a traffic scuffle with remarks laced with racist undertones. To date, despite numerous police reports filed against him, we haven't had any official word of any police action.

These two events, while totally unrelated, his one commonality. The offenders are foreigners.

In January last year, a PRC family "hijacked" an SBS bus for over fiver hours when they refused to disembark because they weren't allowed to bring a wheelchair on board. The police just stood and watched and SBS eventually chartered a cab to drive them home.

In 2009, hundreds of Bangladeshi and Chinese workers protested outside the Ministry of Manpower Building on different occasions and none were arrested. In a country where the right to peaceful protest is outlawed, the police inaction is perplexing.

Contrast these to the incidents involving Singaporeans.

In March 2008, a small group of protesters and their families (including children), were hounded (some arrested) for planning to protest against the unbearable cost of living on World Consumer Rights Day.

In May 2008, a Singaporean was promptly arrested after a couple of people lodged police reports against his alleged racist blog posting.

In January 2009, two Singaporeans were charged with criminal trespass for protesting outside MOM. Remember they didn't lay a finger on the hundred foreign workers who did the same.

We appreciate that every country has its own legal systems and practices.  I fully applaud the PAP for trying hard to stamp out racism. I fully understand that public demonstrations can cause problems to society if unchecked.

What I cannot fathom is the apparent double standards when it comes to foreigners.
Drawing parallels, what I cannot accept is legislation that is applied at the whim of the ruling party.
The SDA team contesting Tanjong Pagar GRC was unequivocally disqualified for submitting their forms 30 seconds late.
Yet Tin Pei Ling, then candidate for Marine Parade GRC, appears to have escaped unscathed for breaking the law when she posted a sarcastic remark on political rival Nicole Seah on "cooling off day".

There is an aged old proverb that goes "All are equal in the eyes of the law"

Have they forgotten?