An anonymous blog post entitled “Filipino infestation in Singapore — 5 point guide to showing displeasure without breaking the law” has surfaced on the net, and Singapore police said on Thursday that they are in the process of investigating its source.
The discriminatory post, which appeared in late May on a blog with the name “Blood Stained Singapore, ” lashed out against Singapore’s Filipino population; the latest in a string of racial disturbances in the city.
“Police confirm that reports were lodged and investigations are ongoing,” a police spokesman said.
Aside from reports filed by complainants, the Philippine embassy in Singapore likewise voiced its concern to authorities, saying that it had requested officials to “carry out the necessary action in accordance with the laws of Singapore to make the author of this blog answerable”.
The blog has since been taken down by the Singapore government.
The author of the post listed ways that Singaporeans could purposely upset Filipino workers and give them a difficult time. One such example was refusing to be waited on by Filipino servers in restaurants.
The investigation into the matter follows shortly after a Philippine Independence Day celebration in Singapore was canceled due to online abuse and threats made against the event’s organizers.
There are currently more than 170,000 Filipinos in Singapore.
Despite having one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world, some sectors of Singaporean society are becoming resentful towards foreign migrant workers, accusing them of competing with them for jobs, housing, medical care a and even space on public transport.
Some of the countries militant activists groups have, in fact, warned of a rise in “widespread use of racist, aggressive and militarised rhetoric” targeted at foreigners on avenues such as social networks.
Racial slurs and other such abusive comments are now more frequently posted on anonymously-managed Singaporean websites, as well as Facebook pages.