There has been an increase of rental discrimination in Singapore as many online home rental websites include the words "No Indians, no People's Republic of China (PRC)," which is sometimes followed by the word "sorry," reports The Times of India. Another report by the Online Citizen said the issue appears more common with less expensive properties and on sites where content is posted directly by users. Rajan Zed, the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism (USH), has called on Singapore's President Tony Tan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to bring an end to the discrimination, which is becoming a rising menace.
With the government of Singapore constantly urging the Singaporeans to welcome expatriates and help them integrate into the city-state's multi-cultural society, the emergence of anti-foreigner sentiments has turned into a major cause of concern in SIngapore. A BBC report stated one Indian expatriate said his agent told him that many landlords in Singapore would refuse to rent flats to him saying that "Indians always cook smelly curries." Charlene, an estate agent, said it was common for landlords not to rent houses to tenants from India or China because such tenants "are not people who are house proud." She added many don't clean weekly, and they do heavy cooking, so dust and oil collect over the months. They may use a lot of spices that release smells people don't like. Singapore is one of the ethnically most diverse nations, consisting mainly of Chinese-origin people along with Malay, Indian and other ethnic groups.
