[tengkahwee]

I think eru meant that a majority of Singaporeans are feeling the pinch and sentiments towards foreigners are at an all time low. Mainly due to loss to jobs and housing opportunities to foreigners. Our government however maintained that foreigners are essential to growth and had there been a voting process in this decision there will be ugly results.

However I will not go as to say Singapore is less democratic due to this point.

[eru]

Yes. And I am with the government on this. I am a foreigner myself here, but where I grew up---in eastern Germany---the attitude towards foreigners is way worse. And the region has not benefitted in the least from that attitude.

(As an aside, it is crazy how many Americans seem to have crazy xenophobic attitudes, too. On their `left' and `right' of the political spectrum.)