Door shuts on flat applicant of ‘Other’ race
Author: John Mc, Henderson Lackey Bangalore, India
I FORMALLY made Singapore my adopted home and took up citizenship in 2006. I believe that my family and I will make many contributions. We are currently posted overseas and look forward to returning home in March.
Like all Singaporeans, we spent a considerable amount of time and money looking for the ideal place to call home, and found such a place in Pasir Ris. When we executed the purchase agreement late last month, there were no restrictions for the ‘Other’ racial group. However, to our dismay, when we went to register the sale with HDB early this month, we were rejected as applications under the ‘Other’ category had closed.
I broadly understand the aim of the national housing policy and the desire to ensure a good racial mix in an estate. However, one needs to look no farther than my family for an example of racial/ethnic diversity. I am a Caucasian who has lived in Asia for the past 12 years. My wife is Malaysian of Indian descent and we have a two-year-old daughter who was born in Hong Kong. I have two older children whose mother is Chinese.
We don’t fit a cookie-cutter definition of race and to simply categorise us as ‘Other’ overlooks our unique blend of race and culture.
I am proud to call Singapore my home but feel it is time for Singapore to recognise that in today’s world the traditional definitions of race/ethnicity no longer exist.
Source : Straits Times - 31 Jan 2008
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