Getting Along -Singapore Style?

Once again I’ve been confined to barracks – the truth is, I am here to work, and the fact that the UK wakes up just as the working day here finishes means that I still need to get things done for clients in the GMT zone.  It’s not that big a sacrifice to be fair – hotel living means that there is – literally – nothing to do “around the house” and while I know I am meant to miss my children, the truth is, it’s a welcome break not to have to revert to being “mum” as soon as the working day is over.  Given that, a few extra hours pounding the keys whilst being served jasmine tea, cold drinks and, once cocktail hour starts, a Singapore Sling, is not exactly a hardship.  Having taken up my regular table – after three days it’s a case of “your usual, Miss Tracey?” – with an amazing view over Marina Bay, I diligently worked at all the projects I’m currently working on, even getting ahead for a change.  Once caught up, I’ve had time to reflect on the reason I’m here, the relationships I’ve built with clients and delegates, and how, somehow, that is easier here in Singapore than it might be at home.

My client this week is from the Middle East, and we are meeting in perhaps one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, in spite of it’s geography as part of Malaysia, Singapore has a population made up of only 15% Malay/Indonesian.  I’ve yet to do the research behind that, but it is interesting that such a small percentage is essentially indigenous. The rest is mainly Chinese (75%), Indian (7%) and the rest a mix. We are taught, in the West, by the Daily Mail at least, that we have much to fear from Arabs/Chinese/anyone that looks or acts differently to us.  Yet Singapore is probably the most peaceful country I have visited (with Malaysia a close second).  My clients – all Muslims – are some of the nicest, kindest, warmest people I have ever worked with, and to my mind, represent Islam – and the Middle East – in a way that we should consider as normal.  My personal stance is that Daesh represents Islam about as much as the Ku Klux Khan represents Christianity, and we should be mindful of that.

Being here in Singapore demonstrates that it is possible, apparently, to live, work, and socialise with people from many different races, religions and countries.  They manage to do it with ease – since I’ve been here (bearing in mind I’ve hardly left the hotel) I’ve seen a mosque, an Armenian church, a free church and a Hindu temple, and there is, evidently, a desire to “make it work”.  As a result this country feels safe – there is a distinct lack of suspicion attached to both my colleagues and the staff here, I felt safe when I venture out alone, and, sadly,  the sense of respect that people have for one another makes me despair for what I will be returning to.  This is also reflected, by the way, in how clean this city is.  Even when visiting Little India, which was in every other way reminiscent of Delhi, the glaring difference was the lack of litter and rubbish everywhere. There is a responsibility on every citizen and visitor to keep the city clean – how I yearn to see that in our own cities!

It is undeniable that there are elements of every society that tar us all with the same brush.  We are made to feel desperately afraid of Muslims – but what is the impression that we give our friends (for a while at least) in Europe?  It’s only very recently that Brits were the people to avoid at European football matches – “hooligans” being (I hope) another minority section of our society – and indeed our reputation for drinking and (to use a very old-fashioned word) debauching whilst on holiday in Spain should, at the very least, make us uncomfortable.   I regret to say that the only rudeness I have (over)heard here has been from a British man to one of the staff, who managed – better than I would have done – to respond entirely politely and respectfully.

What I have met here in Singapore are Chinese, Arabs, Indians, Malays and many others who are polite, respectful and genuinely pleased to welcome people from all over the world.  I mentioned yesterday that I felt that British hospitality was underwhelming – today I would go further, and say that we should be deeply ashamed of the way in which we return their hospitality, demonstrate our lack of welcome and we should be humiliated by the suspicion in which we hold anyone who is different.  It may be simply a lack of good manners, or it may be a sense of protectionism (demonstrated by Brexit) that is actually quite frightening.

For me, I’ve learned a lot being here.  I like to think that I am all-embracing, open-minded and genuinely interested in everyone I meet.  Does the fact that I felt the need to write this mean that I’m not, or at least that I question whether I am?