PRs, New Year

The headline of this Straits Times article is actually, "Singaporeans, PRs to party together" but I find that quite misleading because if you actually read the article you would realise that only foreigners were invited. I have no explanation for why the Straits Times could possibly make such a mistake, perhaps their level of editing has really gone down or maybe the correspondent thought it was necessary to continue the Straits Times' rich tradition of poor news reporting.

Regardless, it is disturbing that this party, jointly organised by the Radin Mas Citizens Consultative Committee and new Chinese immigrants group Hua Yuan Association, and co-organised by Lianhe Wanbao and supported by the National Integration Council, should claim to be for Singaporean and foreigner alike when in reality the invitations were only given to PR.

According to the Straits Times, organisers have made a special effort to publicise the party to new citizens and PRs by contacting formal and informal immigrant organisations in the Cambodian, Filipino, Vietnamese and Indian communities, among other, and about 1,000 invitations to new citizens and new PRs in the Tanjong Pagar area have gone out.

This prompts me to ask, weren't any invitations given out to Singaporeans? Much as I congratulate new citizens on finally being able to enjoy the same benefits that we do, and for making the right practical decision, I wonder if only inviting them, and not the "old" citizens truly makes sense if the intention is for Singaporeans and PRs to party together. No other mention has been made in this article of any effort to invite other Singaporeans and since I have not received one, I can only assume that they have not been invited.

So what does this mean? This means that the Straits Times is guilty, once again, of misleading their readers. There is going to be a party, but only PRs and ex-PRs-turned-citizen-because-we-have-good-education-system will be present and there will be a cross-cultural celebration between the foreigners while Singaporeans who don't shamelessly turn up for events uninvited will not be present to waste their time together in this pointless cultural exchange.

And as much as Mr Sam Tan, adviser to the Radin Mas division under Tanjong Pagar GRC, stresses that "the party is for everyone living in Singapore," I am not convinced. After all, the guest of honour is going to be Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew. Since when did Singaporeans enjoy spending their holidays honouring a PAP MP?

At the end of it all, I think both you and I know what this party is really for. It is meant to make these foreigners feel welcome to Singapore. This I have no problem with, they are after all, guests, and in the same way one should do his best to make any guest to his home feel as comfortable as possible, so should we welcome these foreigners with open arms and great festivities, but surely the host cannot be absent or what a poor welcome it would be!

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Here's the full report from the Straits Times.

Singaporeans, PRs to party together

COME Dec 31, new citizens such as Mr Ram Chakrapani will join the New Year's revelry alongside other Singaporeans at a party in Labrador Park.

Jointly organised by the Radin Mas Citizens Consultative Committee and new Chinese immigrants group Hua Yuan Association, the overnight party at the park in Pasir Panjang will last more than eight hours, and aims to get up to 10,000 Singaporeans, new citizens and permanent residents (PRs) to see in the New Year together.

The party is co-organised by Lianhe Wanbao and supported by the National Integration Council.

Organisers have made a special effort to publicise the party to new citizens and PRs by contacting formal and informal immigrant organisations in the Cambodian, Filipino, Vietnamese and Indian communities, among others.

About 1,000 invitations to new citizens and new PRs in the Tanjong Pagar area have gone out.

But Mr Sam Tan, adviser to the Radin Mas division under Tanjong Pagar GRC, stressed that the party is for everyone living in Singapore.

Mr Chakrapani, 44, a director with a networking company who came here from India more than 10 years ago, became a citizen in February, and has already made a date for the countdown.

'As a new citizen, I am excited about it, and I want to take my whole family,' he said, adding it was a good way to get to know new cultures and meet people.

Singaporean student Muhammad Nur Afiq, 16, who will be one of the performers in a modern Malay dance being staged at the party, said: 'It is also a benefit to us because we get to let people know about modern Malay culture.'

The night's programmes include other cultural performances such as the long-nozzle teapot dance from Chongqing, China, and Middle Eastern belly dancing and drumming.

Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew will be the guest of honour.

Shuttle buses will run at 15-minute intervals from 10pm on New Year's Eve to 6am the next day to and from four pick-up points and Labrador Park. Each one-way ride costs $1. The pick-up points are:

ANG YIYING