Letters | Singapore feels for Hong Kong protesters, but won’t support violence: harmony and stability are core values

The extradition bill has unleashed the unhappiness over issues such as housing and jobs that date back to the colonial era – domestic matters that Singaporeans respect as Hong Kong’s own business

Singapore

Letters

Published: 8:00am, 14 Jul 2019

Why you can trust SCMP

I refer to “Singaporeans support Hong Kong protests against extradition bill” (July 9). I want to put the facts in the right perspective and emphasise that the survey cited does not represent the majority of Singapore. It is just a random survey of a minority who may not be fully aware of the facts and different historical backgrounds of Hong Kong and Singapore, although both are former British colonies.

Yes, Singaporeans do sympathise with the Hong Kong protesters for their beliefs, but definitely do not support their senseless and lawless violent actions.

To put it simply: what is there to be afraid of, if the Hong Kong people live within the rule of law (freedom of speech and movement) and do not commit crimes? One can see that the protesters’ demand for the withdrawal of the extradition bill is only an excuse to vent their unhappiness over the problems of housing, jobs, and other social needs. These problems are pressing issues deeply rooted in history since China ceded Hong Kong to Britain.

Can the protesters and the rest of Hong Kong honestly ask themselves what their former colonial rulers had done for them during the 150 years before handing the city back to China in 1997?

Other than tall buildings, luxurious flats, well-developed financial services, and so on, did the British solve the problems and social needs of Hong Kong residents? The first time I visited Hong Kong was before the handover, and I saw people living in tiny sheds or wooden huts. There were also instances of social unrest then.

In pictures: when Hong Kong’s housing problem was squatter huts

Why did the protesters and other residents not fight the British and demand their rights and social needs then? Although the present Hong Kong government is partly to blame for the protests and unrest, the protesters, their parents, and ancestors should first take the blame and responsibility for their predicament. Blame the British colonial rulers for their selfish rule of law for their benefit, and former governor Chris Patten and his deputy Anson Chan Fang On-sang, for the mess they left behind.

The rule of law in Hong Kong only works for the select few

Singapore is different from Hong Kong, even though it was also a British colony. Singapore had its fair share of social unrest, such as riots and strikes, under British rule. But one striking difference is Singapore’s direct meeting and negotiation/confrontation with Britain which eventually led to Singapore’s independence. Before that, our team of Singapore leaders, such as Lee Kuan Yew and Devan Nair paid a heavy price – Nair was jailed for anti-colonial activities. When Singapore became independent, the British colonial ruler did not leave behind anything worth mentioning (other than the British system).

We Singaporeans value our hard-earned independence, peace and prosperity, racial, religious and cultural harmony, and tolerance.

Terence Tseng, Singapore

Singapore respects protests as Hong Kong’s own business

I took the report, “Majority of Singaporeans support the protests in Hong Kong, according to survey”, with a pinch of salt.

Most Singaporeans view the ongoing protests against the controversial extradition bill as Hong Kong’s domestic issue. Singaporeans have always respected the sovereignty of other countries, and we desire the same treatment. Older Singaporeans experienced much inconvenience and hardship in the 1950s and ’60s when public demonstrations and protests resulted in the loss of life and public property.

Freedoms or liveability? Singapore has one, Hong Kong neither

Hence, we attach greater importance to the rule of law, instead of staging protests whenever there is disenchantment with social and political issues.

Also, there is no assurance that a protest that is supposed to be peaceful and orderly will be so, as such cases of untoward incidents have occurred in many countries.

Singaporeans have enjoyed social and political stability all these years, and it is important that the fabric of our society remains intact.

Jeffrey Law, Singapore

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