Confrontation by Mohamed Latiff Mohamed: a book review

Having lived in Singapore for almost twenty years and as a licensed Singapore Tour Guide I know Singapore well. Academically and ‘in theory’ at least.

However, since I did not grow up in Singapore I don’t have the shared experiences of many Singaporeans of my age. I did not listen to stories from my parents about the ‘Konfrontasi’ period between Malaya – of which Singapore was then a part – and Sukarno’s Indonesia. I also did not grow up in a Singapore dotted with kampongs and wooden shacks. (HDB apartments became the order of the day by the late 1970s.)

For such experiences I turn to literature. There may not be a lot of it around as most Singaporeans were busy making ends meet – not much free time and hardly any disposable income. Hence, Mohamed Latiff’s book Confrontation – originally written in Malay - helps to fill some ‘memory’ gaps for me.

The story revolves around a kampong boy and his life in a mixed Chinese – Malay kampong in the 1960s. Political consciousness, the communist movement and Malay Nationalism are some of the undercurrents which flow through the book.

Nonetheless, the book has a human face to it. There are multiple (believable) characters all of whom go through the joys and sorrows of life like the rest of us. (No superheroes in this novel.) The characters make the novel worthwhile even for those not interested in Singapore’s history and social conditions during the 1960s ‘Merdeka Period.’ For those wishing to understand Singapore’s social milieu as seen from a Malay perspective Latiff’s novel Confrontation is a must.

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Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his past career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram (@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Hat Yai: Southern Thailand's frontier market town

Hat Yai is the capital of Thailand's Songkhla province. The city is perhaps best known for being the last major Thai settlement on the route to Malaysia's Georgetown / Penang. However, Hat Yai deserves to be much more than just a dot on a map or a passing sign on an express train journey from Bangkok to Malaysia.

The Hat Yai train station which connects the city with other parts of Thailand, including Bangkok as well as the Malaysian city of Butterworth

Hat Yai is a travel destination in its own right. If the number of Malaysian voices one hears around Hat Yai is any indication, Malaysians seem to agree.

The city is a combination of street markets and many cultural attractions. The reclining Buddha, the Guan Im Temple and the Four Faced Buddha are just a few of the monuments sprinkled around the city.

A view of the 'small' reclining Buddha

The Reclining Buddha Temple, said to be the second largest in Thailand

A lazy visitor relaxes at the steps of the Guan Im Temple, dutifully guarded by a golden royal dragon

Note there are no mosques in the above list. Odd, given Hat Yai's population is approximately 40 percent Muslim (it's hard to find accurate statistics online). Nonetheless, for Pakistani (or Pakistani origin!) visitors, there is a particular place of worship in Hat Yai not to be missed: the aptly named Masjid Pakistan or Pakistani Mosque!

The notable Masjid Pakistan or Pakistani Mosque located near Hat Yai's main train station

According to a local inside the mosque, the Masjid Pakistan was originally constructed about 50 years ago by three wealthy Pakistani merchant residents of Hat Yai. The philanthropists bought the land and funded the mosque's construction. Subsequently, in the early 1990s, a major expansion of the mosque was carried out, also spearheaded by the descendants of the Pakistani families but with the larger community's involvement.

Perhaps the greatest part of Hat Yai's charm lies in its small town feel coupled with a unique demographic mix. The city's population is less than 200,000 and includes sizeable Chinese and Muslim populations. In fact, Hat Yai is unique among Thai cities in that the combined Muslim and Chinese populations outnumber the 'traditional' Thai population.

Colorful examples of Peranakan architecture on a Hat Yai street

The mixed population results in a unique cuisine blending Malay dishes with the Thai penchant for chilli. As with the rest of Thailand, the food alone is enough to entice a traveller into Hat Yai.

A wall mural of a dragon painted on the walls of a Chinese temple

Since the start of a low level Islamist insurgency in 2001, many travellers have stayed away from Thailand's southern provinces for security reasons. Certainly, there have been scattered incidents of violence in the past. But Hat Yai is much too enchanting to avoid simply because of the activities of a few misguided souls!

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Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries in his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. Imran can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Why Malaysian bus drivers should earn more than Chinese ... and get preference over other foreigners for Singapore's jobs

The recent strike by SMRT’s Chinese bus drivers has started a debate about wage levels and working conditions for foreign contract workers in Singapore. Yet a couple of questions remain untouched by the debate:

1. Should salaries vary based on a workers country of origin? Yes, absolutely, as long as the wage premium / discount is based on solid reasons.

2. Do Malaysian workers deserve a wage ‘premium’ relative to their Chinese counterparts? Yes, absolutely. Malaysia is Singapore’s neighbor and Malaysians integrate better than most into the Republic’s workforce.

Singapore's foreign labor pool encompasses the entire spectrum of jobs - from the low end street cleaner to the highly paid senior executive

Labor activists and human rights purists adhering to the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ might disagree. Certainly the principle applies to people working in their home country. However, when labor moves across national jurisdictions then different factors come into play. Amongst others, these factors include language, education levels and cultural norms. Collectively, these factors affect an individual’s ability to live and work within a foreign society.

Let’s call that concept integration.

During the last few years, Singapore has witnessed disruptive repercussions of varying degrees from foreign workers who are not easily fitting into local society. Yes, these foreign workers drive buses, clean streets or man stalls satisfactorily, in line with their employment contracts and job requirements. However, they also bring with them local customs and practices. Many of these behaviors: riding bicycles on pavements, spitting, not speaking English and sometimes indulging in (petty and serious) crimes to list a few, have created discontent within Singaporeans.

Moreover, as the numbers of a particular nationality grows to ‘critical mass’ levels, particularly within a specific occupation or organization, its citizens feel more emboldened to challenge the status quo in a manner detrimental to Singapore’s interests. That striking Chinese bus drivers’ have forced a political review of established labor management practices demonstrates the strength (and dangers) of such concentrations.

So, how does all this relate to paying Malaysian bus drivers more than their Chinese counterparts? The answer lies in Singapore’s recent history.

Malaysians have more in common with Singaporeans than the traumatic events of 1965 may suggest. Despite the obvious religious differences between certain segments of the two populations, being geographically contiguous and a part of the same ‘civilization’ for centuries has welded the two peoples into sharing many important cultural and social traits. Consider the continuing deep economic linkages between Singapore and Malaysia.

The commercial relationship is no accident. It is a byproduct of the cultural ease of carrying on business in either society as well as the geographical reality of being neighbors.

The two nations are not alien to each other. There is a natural cultural and social fit between the two nations. A large number of Malaysians already live and work in Singapore. They have done so for many years, and without the social disruptions associated with people of other nationalities. Likewise, droves of Singaporeans regularly visit, own properties, businesses and even retire in Malaysia.

It is this relatively seamless social integration of Malaysian workers into Singaporean society which justifies their wage premium. Maintaining social stability through a cohesive work force is worth that little bit extra.  

As a sovereign country, Singapore’s human resource policies must cater to the Republic’s unique characteristics. Political pressures from regional economic giants – an unintended consequence of hiring large numbers of people from one nation – can be minimized by pursuing a more balanced foreign labor policy. To this end, Singaporean businesses might benefit from additional government incentives to employ Malaysian citizens over other nationalities. Implementing policies to encourage a more balanced pool of foreign workers must be a strategic priority for public officials.

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Imran is a business and management consultant. Through his work at Deodar Advisors and the Deodar Diagnostic, Imran improves profits of businesses operating in Singapore and the region. He can be reached at imran@deodaradvisors.com.