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80 per cent say Singaporeans are becoming anti-foreigner: Y! poll

We asked last week if Singaporeans are becoming anti-foreigner in view of the taxi-Ferrari fatal crash -- and the result is a resounding yes.

Out of 19763 people who voted, 80% agreed that Singaporeans are turning xenophobic while the other 20% felt otherwise.

The much talked about taxi-Ferrari accident sparked nationwide interest in Singapore. The Ferrari driver Ma Chi was a China national from Sichuan and his high-speed collision into a taxi killed him along with cabby Cheng Teck Hock and Japanese passenger Shigemi Ito.

That gave already disgruntled Singaporeans another reason to vent their frustration at the government's pro-immigration policies which have resulted in over a million foreign workers and professionals into the crowded city-state.

Netizens swamped websites and forums, showing little sympathy to the Chinese expatriate and his family as anti-foreigner sentiment appeared to reach boiling point.

And the poll result reflects that sentiment, with many expressing their discontent and frustration with the rising number of foreigners on the island.

But some believe it is not foreigners that Singaporeans are against, but the government's immigration policies.

Yahoo! reader Alex Tan said, "Singaporeans are not against foreigners. But rather to be precise against some of the foreign labour and influx of immigrants."

Another reader Evelyn believes the government should do more to educate foreigners on the culture and lifestyle here.

She said, "It is not because we are anti-foreigner. It is because the government has allowed so many foreigners to reside in Singapore and they didn't take the trouble to educate them on our culture."