Yes, I think it was quite silly of McDonald’s to not release a pig figure. I doubt that would have upset the Muslim community very much. Then again, you never know. Certainly, I did not expect the backlash from the Chinese community to be so vitriolic. Just look at the comments on Mr Wang’s blog and in the ST.
It appears that the Chinese community feels threatened by this concession made by McDonald’s. Some have “predicted” that we are on a slippery slope in which one day we will wake up and Singaporeans will be
ban[sic] from celebrating Chinese New Year in the Year of the Pig, ban[sic] from eating Char Siew Bao anywhere in Singapore (it did happened some time back, where some schools ban char siew bao), ban[sic] from putting up pig characters at shopping centres’ cny decoration
From a comment on Mr Wang’s blog
This whole nonsensical debacle justs shows how racism is still an issue in Singapore and no number of racial harmony days will change this because no one will actually talk about it. When concessions are made for the minority races, the majority race goes up in arms about how unfair or racist this is. Yet the majority race never questions or criticizes the benefits they get simply by being born in that racial grouping. It’s ok for them to reap the benefits of belonging to the majority race but when it comes to mitigating their privilege through concessions for other races, suddenly the world / the government / MacDonald’s is racist / allowing another race too much influence and so on.
What annoys me the most is how unaware many people are in Singapore about race issues and how we take this general ignorance as being a sign of racial harmony in Singapore. Not talking about something doesn’t make it disappear.
So that’s my little race rant for the day.
6 comments
DC says:
January 20, 2010 at 9:34 am (UTC 8)
Are there no Malays born in the year of the pig?
The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 22 Jan 2010 says:
January 22, 2010 at 11:37 am (UTC 8)
[...] Singapore Coloring – Barnyard Chorus: The fallacy of scoffing at first steps – Flying Low: Of Pigs, McDonald’s and Privilege in Singapore [...]
hello says:
January 22, 2010 at 1:06 pm (UTC 8)
No. Year of whatever-animal does not exist in their culture.
culture?? says:
January 22, 2010 at 9:45 pm (UTC 8)
Culture? Puhlease!
The Chinese themselves think CNY is some opportunity to go on holiday instead of spending time with family and loved ones.
Where’s the culture??
During CNY every year we can already see Chinese people not celebrating their holiday by being at Orchard Road shopping, some place of interest looking at the exhibits or animals etc etc etc.
Where’s the culture??
Do Chinese people even bother wearing traditional for CNY or other Chinese holidays?
Where’s the culture then??
soojenn says:
January 23, 2010 at 10:05 am (UTC 8)
One shouldn’t generalize… some Chinese people do celebrate CNY, same as in all races, where some do some don’t.
This is a non issues.. see the blog from the Grand Moofti.. If MacDonald wants to eliminate the pig from it menu so be it. If the majority are not happy with it, then boycott it.
Rachel says:
January 27, 2010 at 2:17 pm (UTC 8)
I hope they are finally getting it into their thick skulls that tolerance does not equate acceptance.