[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/national-day-life-on-the-fringes-of-singapore\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/national-day-life-on-the-fringes-of-singapore\/","headline":"National Day: Life on the fringes of Singapore","name":"National Day: Life on the fringes of Singapore","description":"At first glance, Alexander Teh, Shamini Nedumaran, and Hilmi Shukur have nothing in common with one another. But they do share a common experience: Living in Singapore as a minority. It is an experience oftentimes disheartening, according to the trio, who can all recall multiple instances where they fell victim to prejudice and discrimination.\u00a0 \u201cYou […]","datePublished":"2021-08-19","dateModified":"2022-04-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/maisie_leong_ming_en_liew\/#Person","name":"Maisie Leong and Ming En Liew","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/maisie_leong_ming_en_liew\/","identifier":792,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/347eae1ecec9458949a313daadac8799b87d1625248c4523f3c055a5cec89e16?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/347eae1ecec9458949a313daadac8799b87d1625248c4523f3c055a5cec89e16?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/Curtesy-of-Oogachaga_Featured-Image.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/Curtesy-of-Oogachaga_Featured-Image.jpg","height":900,"width":1600},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/national-day-life-on-the-fringes-of-singapore\/","about":["Community","Local","Race","Singapore"],"wordCount":1790,"articleBody":"At first glance, Alexander Teh, Shamini Nedumaran, and Hilmi Shukur have nothing in common with one another. But they do share a common experience: Living in Singapore as a minority. It is an experience oftentimes disheartening, according to the trio, who can all recall multiple instances where they fell victim to prejudice and discrimination.\u00a0\u201cYou don\u2019t even look like a man, what makes you think I\u2019ll ever recognise you for who you say you are?”\u201cWhat do you mean you like men, but you want to be a man? Just stay as a woman!\u201d\u00a0As a young, gay, and transgender man, dealing with such comments were part and parcel of Mr Teh\u2019s life.\u00a0\u201cAt some point, I developed this ability to just shake it off, then throw something sassy in the other person\u2019s face,\u201d he quips. But, he adds that these comments never get easier to deal with.He says, \u201cWhen you hear [things like that] from other people, the more you start to think that it\u2019s true, so there\u2019ll be times where I get very down because\u2026 there was no point in trying to convince people otherwise.\u201d\u00a0It is a sentiment Mr Hilmi can relate to.\u00a0\u201cBack in school, I was bullied a lot\u2026 I was called out for being soft,\u201d Mr Hilmi recounts. Going to school in the early-2000s, before the LGBTQ+ movement gained momentum in Singapore, meant that he was not exposed to the \u201clabels of the gay or queer community\u201d.\u00a0\u201cIt was just me thinking there was something wrong with me,\u201d he says. \u201cThat I wasn’t man enough. I was so out of the ordinary from all the other straight guys.\u201dHe recalls a specific incident when his classmates questioned why he did not just wear a skirt, since he preferred to hang out with the girls in his class.\u00a0\u201cBecause of me recalling these stories, they [were] etched into my brain. It was quite a challenging year, [I was] bullied for being soft, not being straight enough, or not being \u2018man\u2019 or \u2018boy enough\u2019 to hang out with the guys.\u201d\u00a0As an Indian woman in Singapore, Ms Shamini has likewise faced her share of discrimination: \u201cThere\u2019s one particular experience that I remember, where I was sitting at the MRT, and this young kid\u2026pointed [at me] and she said, \u2018Ah Pu Neh Neh (a racial slur for Indians)\u2019.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt happened more than a few years ago, but it stung at that time, because it\u2019s not something you would expect,\u201d she relates.\u00a0Her professional life is not spared from the burden of being a minority. Ms Shamini shares that in her job hunting experiences, many companies indicate a preference for candidates who can speak in Mandarin. She recounts instances where potential employers have expressed that while she was suitable for the role, they were unable to hire her as she did not speak Mandarin.\u00a0\u201cIt is very disappointing to know that we have to speak a certain language in order to fit into society,\u201d she states. \u201cWe have progressed so far as a nation and are considered a first-world country, and yet certain experiences make us realise that we are actually quite backwards.\u201dEven so, there is one day of the year when the three individuals feel they can fly their country\u2019s flag high and proud, and feel belonging to the nation they call home \u2013 National Day.Regardless of race, language, or religion\u00a0Says Mr Teh, \u201c[National Day is] about celebrating how far we’ve come\u2026 As a small nation, we’ve been through so much. Being independent and thriving in spite of that is grounds to celebrate, and to look back on everything that the country has been built on. It’s also a chance for us to remember that we are different, but also the same. We all live here, we’ve had shared experiences.\u201d\u00a0Alexander Teh, Youth Worker at Oogachaga, views National Day as a celebration of how far Singapore has come. (Photo courtesy of Oogachaga)\u201cWe can look back on things like primary school, public transport, general elections and have, for lack of better word, a good bitch about it,\u201d he elaborates. \u201cEvery year, even though there’s a whole expenditure [for the National Day Parade], I also remember that I’m very glad to have these pleasant memories, and this is all because of what our foreparents did for us in the past.\u201d\u00a0\u201cDespite our varied experiences living in Singapore, I think National Day brings us together and solidifies the uniqueness that all of us share. We become one big collective as Singaporeans,\u201d opines Ms Shamini.This, she believes, is the one day where the people of Singapore truly transcend racial lines: \u201cIt enhances the fact that we are all Singaporeans. We sit together wherever it is, at Padang or the floating platform, to say the pledge, and sing the national anthem. It serves as a kind of a reminder, and I hope it bleeds into other days as well.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s similar to Valentine\u2019s Day,\u201d she adds. \u201cThey say don’t just take this day to thank your partner, your family members and your loved ones; every day should be celebrated as a Valentine’s Day.\u201dMr Hilmi chimes in, spotlighting the line in Singapore\u2019s National Pledge which says \u2018Regardless of race, language, or religion\u2019. He says, \u201cLike what [Ms] Shamini said, it’s not just one day that we have to be better. It has to apply every day, because you’re a Singaporean.\u201d\u00a0Oogachaga Counsellor Shamini Nedumaran believes that National Day unifies people in Singapore from all walks of life, and serves as a reminder of their shared identity as Singaporeans. (Photo courtesy of Oogachaga)Building a society based on equality\u00a0Beyond 9 August, Ms Shamini also recognises the progress Singapore has made over the years when it comes to inclusivity. In particular, she points out how more programmes and organisations have popped up in these recent couple of decades that cater to minority populations like the LGBTQ+ community.\u00a0\u201cIt may be really small steps, but small or big steps, we still walk forward,\u201d she says.\u00a0Meanwhile, Mr Teh and Mr Hilmi believe that the nation is on the cusp of change. Mr Teh is heartened by how outspoken the youths from Generation Z are (those born in the mid- to late-1990s to early-2010s) as compared to the older generations: \u201cThey\u2019re so outspoken, and they take action. They\u2019re not as tired and jaded like us [millennials]. It\u2019s good to have that influx of fresh energy coming in. As we, in time, hand over leadership and advocacy roles to them, they\u2019re going to change the game a lot.\u201dLikewise, Mr Hilmi says, \u201cPeople are starting to take action, and the change is so fast, especially when you\u2019re living in social media times.\u201d\u00a0Muses Mr Teh, \u201cI remain disgustingly optimistic of what life can be in Singapore\u2026 I do believe that its people can open their minds and hearts to learning and embracing everyone, regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity.\u201d\u00a0Ms Shamini agrees readily: \u201cWe can’t say all the apples in the basket are bad because of a few rotten apples\u2026 I am very grateful to identify as a Singaporean, I’m also very grateful to identify as a Singaporean Indian, and [to be] living in Singapore.\u201dBut, she clarifies that this does not mean discounting her brushes with prejudice and discrimination in this country: \u201cI’m not going to minimize the experiences. I’m going to own and acknowledge that it has happened, and that it will happen as long as we have that kind of systemic racism happening in Singapore.\u201dAlex concurs: \u201cWhile Singapore is not the best we can be, we’re still better off [than several other countries]. We are safe. The government, even though it f**** up now and then, are still looking out for the citizens for the most part, and they’re doing their best in these horrid times.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt’s a true testament of how put together we are as a country,\u201d he acknowledges.\u00a0\u201cOne thing I am super grateful for is that our country is not just specific to one race, but to all. It’s like our Asian kind of America \u2013 the land of opportunities where people come from all countries [to get] work,\u201d says Mr Hilmi.\u201cAt least we get to see how people celebrate their Hari Raya, Thaipusam, Chinese New Year, and Christmas,\u201d he says.\u00a0Nevertheless, Mr Teh raises concerns about the different treatments experienced by the minorities of this nation, specifically regarding the lack of recognition and affirmation of LGBTQ+ individuals.\u00a0\u201cIt’s a bit of a contradictory feeling, partly because I’m grateful, but I also want things to be better. And I know we can do better for sure,\u201d he asserts.\u00a0Achieving progress for our nation\u201cThere\u2019s always room for change,\u201d says Mr Teh. \u201cI want to see everyone listen to and work with each other, and not assume what they perceive minority issues to be\u2026 There needs to be less speaking for the person, more listening to them, more amplifying.\u201d\u00a0Ms Shamini echoes these sentiments: \u201cWhat we need is more conversations, more safe space for racial minorities and the LGBTQ community.\u201dMeanwhile, Mr Hilmi calls for policy changes across the board, including the repeal of Penal Code 377A, and a reformation in Singapore\u2019s education system to address issues relating to LGBTQ+ issues.\u00a0\u201c[There is a need to] eliminate these stereotypes that are shown on mainstream media that give a bad light about us [the LGBTQ community]. That shouldn’t be the way to have this conversation,\u201d he opines.\u00a0He adds, \u201cIt’s also not just about the LGBTQ community, it’s also about erasing racial stereotypes like [Shamini\u2019s experience on the MRT], or of Malays being lazy and not studying hard. All these need to be erased, and it always starts from the younger minds, [and] from the parents.Hilmi Shukur, Centre Manager at Oogachaga, calls for the elimination of stereotypes in media portrayals of the queer community. (Photo courtesy of Oogachaga)\u201cI have nephews, and I don’t want [them] to be living in a world where they think having LGBTQ+ friends or [relatives] is a bad thing,\u201d he says.\u00a0Ms Shamini concludes, \u201cI think my ideal Singapore would be a place where everyone can call Singapore home, regardless of how you identify. A place where people can feel safe, and people can say that Singapore is my home.\u201dJoin the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram. "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"National Day: Life on the fringes of Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/national-day-life-on-the-fringes-of-singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]