Social media and curry: protesting Singaporean style.

Actions have consequences.  Its a rule of public relations, crisis communications and of life.

I had the rule reconfirmed to me last night talking to a businessman in a bar in Singapore. As soon as I said I was from London he brought up the recent riots. It was all calm now I said.  He had arranged a trip to London next month to see some shows and enjoy the capital. 'I've cancelled it", he said, "we don't like to travel anywhere that's not safe".

His cancellation means another empty hotel room, theatre tickets not bought, restaurants not visited.  In other words, jobs and foreign exchange. I wondered how many people round the world had done the same. The recent riots in London are having economic consequences.

Singaporeans value their safety.It's probably the safest country in the world. Singaporeans themselves are peaceable in the way they conduct themselves. Their courtesy and respect for others and their welcome to visitors is hard to match.

They are showing that in the way they plan to demonstrate over a local controversy that's arisen about immigration.  Curry in its many forms is the national dish (a visit to Singapore is a must for the food alone).  An immigrant family from China complained about the smell of curry from a Singaporean Indian family's home.  The local mediation service got involved and suggested the Singaporean family only cooked curry when their neighbours were out.

When local people got to hear of it, it raised feelings about immigration in this cramped island.  There are some locally who feel immigrants are taking jobs and housing, a familiar argument across the world.  

How do Singaporeans demonstrate? Although many are angry, with courtesy of course. A Facebook page was launched to highlight the issue and last Sunday 50,000 Singaporeans cooked or ate curry to show solidarity with the local Indian family. By showing their solidarity in this way they hoped, in the words of the local woman who suggested it to "cook and share a pot curry and get to embrace and appreciate our culture".

The police did not need to be called, except where too much curry was cooked and more mouths were required to eat it.

The timing of the protest is interesting.  Immigration was a key issue in the recent Singapore General Election, the first in which social media played a significant role.

Today Singaporeans cast their votes in the Presidential election.  It's a non-partisan campaign. Although the President's role is largely ceremonial, the election is being seen as a referendum on the government.

(Posted from Chinatown, Singapore)