Jaslyn Go’s Blog

HAPPY: Mr Anthony Fulwood (left), an English teacher from the UK, is an active participant in grassroots work. TNP FILE PICTURE

This unlikely knight in shining armour is Singapore permanent resident Anthony Fulwood, 30.

Mr Fulwood, who lives in an executive HDB flat in Bukit Panjang, is so proud of Singapore, he even dubbed himself an ‘ambassador’ to promote ‘life in Singapore’.

That is why when he heard that a group had formed on the social networking site to criticise his adopted homeland on things like the lack of freedom and the ungraciousness of its people, he felt that he should speak up.

‘It hurts me when I hear people attacking my home like that. When your home is being attacked, the first thing you do is to stand up and defend your home,’ said Mr Fulwood, who is active in grassroots work in Bukit Panjang.

‘I don’t want a gold star, and no one’s going to give me a gold star either, but I just want people to know the truth about life here,’ he said.

Mr Fulwood, who has lived in India, Africa and the Middle East, added: ‘People always say that the grass is greener overseas. My challenge to them is: Go overseas and see what it’s like in another country.

‘I am sure that 100 per cent will come back and say that Singapore’s better.’

Mr Fulwood listed government policies such as the baby bonus scheme, his HDB home, the community spirit and safety as some of the reasons why he loves Singapore.

The New Paper, 23 Apr.

He also felt that there was enough political freedom here as people have the right to choose in elections and they have the Speakers’ Corner to voice their opinions.

‘Yet, people don’t want to go to the park. They want to complain in pubs and Facebook groups. These teenagers that complain about things they know nothing about are immature,’ said Mr Fulwood.

‘They should approach their Member of Parliament, and try to solve the problem. But these people want an audience. That’s why they go to Facebook to complain,’ he added.

American expatriate Bill Hedman, 52, the managing director of an investment firm said: ‘Singapore’s great. I have had no problem in the last seven years my wife and I have been here.

Everything works

‘Everything is clean, there are good restaurants and everything works. The business climate here is also very good. The Government is very pro-business.’

Addressing one of the main grouses of the Facebook group, the lack of freedom here, Mr Hedman felt that ‘Singapore is still a young country, but political and artistic freedom will eventually come’.

The only downside to living here, he said, is the ‘hot and humid weather’, but that did not bother him much either as he is from Florida, he added, chuckling.

Agreeing, Mr Lin Menuhin, 45, a British expatriate who has been working here for the past three years, said: ‘Singapore is a regional hub that’s efficient and comfortable, and provides a safe environment to work in.

‘As someone who is here for work, to be honest, there is nothing negative I can find about the system.’

Singaporeans have also rallied online to rebuke the comments made by foreigners.

Some observers have noted the irony that Singaporean netizens are defending their country against accusations that they themselves have often made online.

Explaining why Singaporeans are reacting so defensively even though they may agree with the foreign critics, Dr Tan Ern Ser, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology in the National University of Singapore, said it was because Singaporeans wanted to ‘reserve the right to criticise ourselves’.

And even though the Facebook group has garnered at least 400 supporters, Dr Sulfikar Amir, from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Nanyang Technological University, said: ‘They may not necessarily represent the opinion of the majority of people here, which is why so many others have hit back at the people who have set up and joined this Singapore Sucks group.’

When The New Paper asked the creator of the Facebook group, who gave his name as Mr Wils Cheng, why he created the group, he said in an e-mail reply: ‘I did expect some negative reaction but I never thought that the group would be covered by sites like Stomp, Asiaone, The New Paper and Singapore Enquirer.’

It is not known if he is a Singaporean.

Adding that he was ’surprised’ to see how his group could have ’stirred up such a big fuss’, Mr Cheng said: ‘I don’t see Japan Times covering the group ‘Japan Sucks’ or the French AFP writing about the group ‘France Sucks’.’