The real issue in the Ramesh Erramalli incident is not Ramesh Erramalli
Although some online reactions hinted at racism – Ramesh is Indian (foreign one) and the security officers involved are non-Indian and therefore were at the receiving end of an a***shole Indian, never mind the nationality – any kind of bullying by any foreigner, of any race or nationality, of locals of any race MUST NOT be tolerated. Any elected Singapore politician who has been elected by us to represent our interests must make this abundantly and unambiguously clear. If he or she acts otherwise, the politician does not deserve our support or respect.
But first, let us look at the whole thing objectively. I have watched the video. Yes, the security officers were professional, never losing their cool, even as the JP Morgan employee was losing his cool over the after-11 parking fee of $10 for visitors to the condo. And, yes, Ramesh was using expletives but they were not directed at the officers, more at the parking fee and the management. He offered his name and contact number. I think it was partly a case of his losing face since the car was apparently driven by his guest or guests’. And latest report said he has apologised to the security staff for his behaviour. Good for him. Nevertheless, any kind of boorish behaviour by anyone of any race or nationality should be condemned.
If Ramesh is the foreign equivalent of the ugly Singaporean, the ugly Singaporean is himself the product of a self-entitled leadership and establishment. That is why politicians like Chiam See Tong, Low Thia Khiang and Tan Cheng Bock – who are natural mixers and do not need to prop themselves up with a coterie of equally self-entitled sycophants – have an honourable place in local folklore. Don’t look to the current group of leaders if you are hoping not to get another Ramesh Erramalli. They are the very reason for his existence in Singapore.
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Tharman: Condo resident’s behaviour is example of ‘sense of entitlement’
Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has commented on the incident in a Whampoa area condominium where a resident was caught on camera hurling vulgarities at a security officer working there, saying that it was an example of “a sense of entitlement”.
In a viral video, the resident quarrels with security officers after they tell him that his guests, who arrive in a car at Eight Riversuites condominium, have to pay a parking fee. The incident took place on Saturday (26 October), a day before the Deepavali holiday.
“I buy the f**king property for $1.5 million, you know...Tell the management f**k off...We are not staying in an HDB,” the resident shouted at a security officer, telling him that his guests were visiting him for Deepavali. Two security officers can be heard trying to calm down the resident and telling him that they are enforcing the rules.
related: Internet mob 'justice' is no justice at all
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An example of “modern-day bigotry” says Tharman on condo resident yelling vulgarities at security officer
A “sense of entitlement” and an example of “modern-day bigotry” is what Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said about a condominium resident hurling vulgarities at a security officer working at a private residence.
“What this resident did and said was wrong — at so many levels. It is these examples of modern-day bigotry and a sense of entitlement that the light of Deepavali seeks to dispel,” Tharman commented in a Facebook post on Sunday night.
On the other hand, the minister lauded the security officer for dealing with the situation in a very dignified and professional manner.
related: The real issue in the Ramesh Erramalli incident is not Ramesh Erramalli
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Tharman: Condo resident berating security officers an example of ‘sense of entitlement’
Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has come out to publicly call out working at the private residence as an example of “a sense of entitlement”.
The incident took place on Saturday, Oct. 26, a day before the Deepavali holiday in the Whampoa area.
Tharman said in a Facebook post on Sunday night: “What this resident did and said was wrong — at so many levels. It is these examples of modern-day bigotry and a sense of entitlement that the light of Deepavali seeks to dispel.”
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Tharman: Condo resident caught yelling vulgarities at a security officer is ‘wrong on so many levels’
Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has commented on the incident where a Whampoa condominium resident was caught on camera yelling vulgarities at a security officer, saying it was an example of "a sense of entitlement".
A four-minute video uploaded to YouTube on Friday that went viral shows a man in a rant, refusing to pay a $10 fee for his guests to park in the Eight Riversuites condominium.
Visibly upset, the man tells the security officers that he had bought his apartment for $1.5 million and is heard swearing at one officer, who responds: "We are just enforcing the rules here."
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Is it because he’s a foreigner? (He’s not)
“At this juncture, it is useful to consider a contemporary incident which unfolded at the time of the (survey’s) release. The video of a condominium resident verbally abusing a security guard went viral in late October 2019, with the resulting fallout on social media spotlighting the callous classist comments made by the resident – a JP Morgan employee of presumably foreign Indian origin (Yong & Iau, 2019).
“Much of the online discourse, both measured and vitriolic, 1) called for punitive action to be taken against the resident, including arresting him, investigating his educational credentials, dismissing him from his job, and / or deporting him; 2) referenced the resident’s foreign origins and his treatment of the local Singaporean security guard in articulating a prevailing local-foreign class divide; and 3) referenced the resident’s ethnic and foreign origins as the raison d’ĂȘtre for his undignified outburst (HardwareZone Forum, 2019).
“The above incident provides a clear vignette of how immigration and class issues (and race to some extent) can intersect, as well as some expectations of government involvement to mitigate immigration and class issues.
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‘$1.5m’ condo owner hurls vulgarities at security guards over $10 parking fee
According to the security guards in the video, visitors need to pay $10 for parking
The resident in a blue singlet said to the security guards: "I buy your f****** property for $1.5 million you know."
A blue car can be seen stopped near the entrance of the condominium's car park. The resident says in the video: "You're putting my visitors in such a position. "You're telling me for Diwali they can't visit after 11 o'clock? I leave the car here, you do whatever you want to do.
"Call the police, do whatever you want to do. F*** off!"
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Police investigating condo resident Ramesh Erramalli for harassing security guard: MHA
Their dispute was over a rule by the condominium’s management, which imposed a S$10 fee for visitors who park their cars there after 11pm. The condominium is located in the Whampoa area close to Boon Keng MRT Station.
The resident’s guest had gone over at about 10.30pm for Deepavali festivities. The video shows the security officer asking what time the visitor would leave, followed by the resident questioning if guests could not visit him after 11pm on Deepavali.
“I bought your f***ing property for S$1.5 million, you know? This is S$1.5 million, okay?” the resident says. After the security officer tells him he would let the management know of the situation, the resident replies: “Tell the management to f*** off.”
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'I bought this property for $1.5 million': Condo resident yells profanities at security guards over visitor parking
A video of a man yelling at his condominium security guards and hurling vulgarities at them has attracted much attention online since it was posted on Friday (Oct 25).
The man, dressed in a blue sleeveless shirt and shorts, who identified himself as Ramesh in the video, was outraged by a parking fee he was told he needed to pay for his guests to park inside the condominium.
Two security agency associations have released separate statements on Saturday (Oct 26) regarding the incident, defending the security officer in the video.
related:
Condo resident who verbally abused security officer apologises in private meeting
Man abusing security officer at condo files police report alleging he was doxxed
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JP Morgan tells staff to respect others as its FB page flooded with calls for Whampoa condo man’s sacking
The financial institution confirmed it was aware of the video and was looking into the matter
After a video of an employee verbally abusing a security officer went viral over the weekend, JP Morgan has taken to reminding its staff in Singapore to maintain a “culture of respect” in their daily conduct.
According to The Straits Times, an internal e-mail memo was sent on Oct. 29, with the senior country officer of JP Morgan’s Singapore offices Edmund Lee galvanising staff to shoulder the responsibility for “preserving and building” the “strong reputation” of the financial institution.
It was a reputation built on “our people, services and commitment to integrity,” said Lee. The Straits Times quoted the email as saying all staff were expected to demonstrate “respect and dignity for others … inside and outside of the workplace”.
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Online users slam JP Morgan following one of its employee caught on video berating security officers; angry comments hidden on Facebook post
The footage of the incident – which reportedly took place at Eight Riversuites condominium in Bendemeer – was first posted on YouTube, and has been circulating across social media, making headlines.
In the video, a man dressed in a sleeveless shirt and shorts can be seen expressing his displeasure virulently towards the security guards. The man, a resident at that place, told the security officers that he had bought his condominium unit for S$1.5 million, and subsequently started uttering profanities.
related:
Petition for firing of Ramesh from JP Morgan gathers more than 26,000 signatures
Security association condemns calls for AGC to press for deterrent sentence
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Why S'poreans Are Angry At Foreign Talents Who Thinks They Are Better Than Us
The weekend spat between a foreign national and a security guard, where the foreign national got incensed as he his condo guest had to pay a parking fee for visiting him late at night, has again brought the spotlight upon the supposed class divide between the foreign talents who are brought here on monstrous salaries, while average Singaporeans struggle to find jobs.
While the security guard was rightly just dispensing his duty, that particular quarrel is for the army of netizens to comment on, while J P Morgan, the employer of the said foreign national, will have a PR nightmare to contend with once the Deepavali holiday season has worn off. But what has riled Singaporeans is the fact that this person, like many before him, and many more after him, seem to get all the cushy and high paying job, and see no wrong to look down of Singaporeans who have university qualifications in Singapore's world class universities, but can only dream of getting such high paying jobs in their own country.
Singaporeans are told by our own government, foreign nationals and even fellow citizens who are sympathizers or just IBs not to 'overgeneralize' whenever instances of bad behavior exhibited by foreigners make headlines. And yet, time and again, incidents like these keep happening, where we see yet another foreign talent looking down on a fellow Singaporeans. We already have to deal with the bad behavior of some of our fellow citizens, so why is there a need for an influx of foreigners to add to the stress?
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Gathering at Hong Lim Park to voice out against CECA, Ramesh, & 6.9 mil population
Gilbert Goh, founder of Transitioning.org and organiser of protests against the Population White Paper (PWP) and various other events such as Commemoration of May Day, is organising a gathering at Hong Lim Park this Sunday (3 Nov) from 4pm to 7pm.
The gathering will act as a platform for Singaporeans to pen their thoughts on any burning issues, especially on Singapore’s Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and 6.9 million population plan, in light of the recent incident of Ramesh Erramalli – a foreign talent employee at J.P. Morgan who was caught on video berating security officers.
Announcing this news on his Facebook page on Thursday (30 Oct), Mr Goh called for concerned Singaporeans to “flood the park with our united unhappiness at CECA, Ramesh and 6.9 mil population plan”.
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