Coming from a regular neighbourhood secondary school, I have no idea what goes on in SAP schools like Hwa Chong. However, racist and probable madwoman Beow Tan Hiong constantly spouting that she’s from Hwa Chong has certainly raised the concern (again) that SAP schools are a festering den of racism.
Interestingly, this time around, the first to speak up about it is from a former Hwa Chong alumni in a Facebook post on NUSWhispers.
While this certainly could be somebody with a grudge (who might not even be from the school) out to smear the institute’s name, the fact of the matter is that the concern that SAP schools may encourage racism is nothing new.
What’s interesting is how the alleged alumni views that Hwa Chong doesn’t really outright discourage racism, especially from the parents. The poster claims that the Chinese parents (who are usually from the upper-middle and high class) are obsessed with the preservation of what they view as Chinese culture.
While many might disagree with their statement ‘Cultural preservation may sound harmless, but if any privileged ethnic group believe in the preservation of their culture, it is normally considered racist and far-right’, you also have to concede that they do have a point.
Take a look at the Nazi Regime. Or better yet, China’s inhumane treatment of the Uighurs.
I’m not saying Hwa Chong or other SAP schools are similar, but one privileged ethnic group lording it over others will never end well.
Beow Tan Hiong is a good example of that. She definitely wasn’t born racist, but her racist antics against Malays and Indians might in fact have roots in her being educated in a SAP school.
Perhaps, in the light of Beow Tan Hiong, it’s time to abolish the SAP programme once and for all.