A Singaporean man has shared a deeply troubling experience on Reddit, revealing how a colleague told him to leave the country, despite being a full-fl
A Singaporean man has shared a deeply troubling experience on Reddit, revealing how a colleague told him to leave the country, despite being a full-fledged Singaporean. Writing on r/askSingapore on Thursday (12 December), user u/raishuu_no_hero explained that his colleague’s comment came as a result of his belonging to the “Others” category under Singapore’s CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) classification system.
Although he is a born Singaporean, having completed his K1 through O-Levels and two years of National Service, he attributes his experience to being part of the “Others” category. According to his post, the remark came out of nowhere as he was simply going about his day when a colleague approached him and began berating him in Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Bahasa Melayu and Tamil.
The Reddit user shared that he could understand some of the remarks, as he is familiar with a few words in these languages. He speculated that the colleague may have been attempting to show off their linguistic fluency, but regardless, the words were hurtful.
“I hadn’t done anything to provoke this,” he wrote. “Either way, they were hurtful.”
Responding to questions from commenters about why he didn’t confront the colleague, he explained that previous experiences have taught him that retaliation could backfire. He shared that there’s a risk of being blamed for having a “victim mindset” if he were to respond to discrimination. This fear has caused him to live with a heightened sense of insecurity about his background, despite Singapore being the only home he has ever known.
His post took on a cynical tone as he reflected on his experience: “But eh, what is society if there is at least not one person who hates you down to the core for whatever reason, I guess?”
The Reddit post received an outpouring of support, with many users expressing sympathy. Some suggested that he should report the incident to his company’s HR department. Others warned him to gather evidence first, as he may not be the first or last person subjected to workplace discrimination.
Several commenters expressed outrage at the colleague’s remarks, calling them “disgusting” and asserting that such discriminatory behaviour should never be tolerated. The Reddit discussion highlighted a shared sentiment that prejudice continues to have a place in workplaces, and that victims of discrimination must consider their next steps carefully.
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