Singaporeans slammed for being rude

• Clivebenss

  10 Jun 10, 19:28

  Jun 10, 2010 - Straits Times
  

  S'poreans slammed for being rude

  By Shivali Nayak, Multimedia Journalist

  RUDE, 'rigorously controlled at the expense of humanitarian values' and 'state-waged campaigns' to regulate behaviour.

  These are some of the criticisms levelled on Singaporeans by an Australian journalist, Tamara Thiessen, in an article 'Singaporeans asked to chew on their manners' for The Sydney Morning Herald.

  Understandably, this put many Singaporeans on the defensive. Citizen journalists rallied on online portal STOMP, verifying Singaporeans as gracious and more than willing to extend help to their neighbours.

  STOMPer aidiero1 had an interesting spin: 'Singaporeans are not rude, they're simply 'bochup', and just don't care enough what other people think. In other words, they do it unconsciously.'

  STOMP Star Blogger Ju-Len also pointed out that a recent Reader's Digest survey ranked Singapore higher than a number of cosmopolitan cities for courtesy. These countries included Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Bucharest and Mumbai.

• hasene

  10 Jun 10, 19:31

  Biggest culprit of practising of rudeness is none other than old man lee.     His rudeness spreads outside Singapore.    Rude of him to call the people whom he depends on to earn quick big bucks as champions grumbler.     By saying this, he himself is the champion grumbler.

• TTFU

  10 Jun 10, 19:34

  

• hasene

  10 Jun 10, 19:36

  Originally posted by TTFU:

  

  I am disappoint?    Missing of "ed"

• Clivebenss

  11 Jun 10, 01:38

  

• Clivebenss

  11 Jun 10, 23:38

  Jun 11, 2010 - Straits Times

  Are Singaporeans rude?

  IT WAS an article that sparked a war of words online and on the streets. Since appearing on the Internet on May 31, Australian journalist Tamara Thiessen's article, 'Singaporeans asked to chew on their manners' for the Sydney Morning Herald has started a wave of controversy in Singapore.

  With criticisms like 'no good manners', lack of initiative to care', 'no civic awareness' and 'behaviour-regulating campaigns', many netizens have lashed out with angry comments, saying that the 'reporter was too harsh 'and that it was a 'hypocritical piece' with 'sweeping statements'. Is there any truth to her remarks? -- RACHEL SCULLY & AMANDA WONG