It wouldn't take me a minute ranting down all my emo words on this issue, judging from how I feel now.
At the very place where I was born, where I grew up, where I have always been proud to call it 'home', and I have been trying to shun myself off such statements. But as I grow up and learn about more of this world, I find it difficult not to face the reality anymore.
When we are supposed to be the first class and equally treated citizens, our status are sometimes not even at par with a first generation Indonesian-who-have-just-converted-their-citizenship-to-become-a-Malaysian-citizen.
Don't always think the grass is greener on the other side of the Straits (of Johor). A lot of Malaysians back home thought I have been saying 风凉话 just because I have been given the chance to live in Singapore. The fact is, staying as a foreigner and as a student is not as fantastic as you think.
While the salaries could be (much) higher, foreigners are practically third-class citizens here. If you are a student AND a foreigner, i'm sorry but you are a fourth-class citizen. Just let me make one example: In order to apply for Permanent Residency, you have to produce your employment letter. i.e. you have to have already found a job. However, many of the companies always stated in their policies "Only SCs or SPRs need apply". And When you explain to them about the policy from the Ministry of Manpower, they dont seem to understand or just refuse to take the necessary trouble to help you. They simply shun you off.
Even better, when you are still a student. Who ask you dont have a degree yet? People just simply don't respect students just because we have yet to receive any official recognition on our educational status. When they need something from us, they rush us like crazy. After they get what they want, wait one month until they respond. When they raise their voice on you, you are not doing a good job. When you raise your voice on them, you are not respecting them. They just think we can all be exploited without giving us back what we deserve. Even when they discussed issues with students, its all about three issues:
MONEY
MONEY
And I think you and guess the third one
MORE MONEY
And they remained arrogant in all the correspondences, as if we owe them a million dollars in our past life. If being busy is all the excuses you have, just be a final year student for one month.
Is this a way of showing us how cruel the real world is? If so, thank you very much. You have 100% succeeded. Should someone award you an Oscar? |
