A Facebook user recently posted online to state on how he felt intimidated as many NUS students are currently seen with gang related tattoos. He also proposed on how NUS should evaluate its tattoo policy and work with the Singapore Police Force to root out potential gang members
Here is the full story.
I am writing regarding what I saw in NUS students with tattoos. I realize quite a lot of NUS students now have tattoos. I myself is an NUS student and whenever I see my peers with tattoos I feel intimidated as I am not sure if they’re in some gang or criminal enterprise. Don’t get me wrong, I am not refering to girls with those “eat pray love” with cutesy motifs kinds of tattoo or guys with some Latin quote tattoo on their biceps; those hipster cafe barista wannabe kids are probably not intimidating to anyone at all. What I meant is people with Chinese icon tattoos that are associated with gangs and the Triad. I’ve been seeing guys with dragon or phoenix or koi tattoos. The worst I’ve seen is one guy with the Guan Gong tattoo which is associated with gangs and also another guy with a tattoo of a dagger on his legs! These people act like they are some Chan Ho Nam with those tattoo and I wonder if NUS our national university have become a breeding ground for gangs.
As such, in the spirit of just not whining and offering constructive feedback, I suggest NUS review it’s tattoo policy, rejecting applicants with Chinese or Gang related tattoos. One possible way to do this is tattoo declaration on the application form, asking people to declare where and what type of tattoos they have, if they have. I just want to emphasize, I’m ok with those artsy hipster “vini Vedi vici” types of tattoo, what I’m not ok with is gang-related tattoos like dragons or weapons. As much as I believe in freedom of expression, I don’t want to be intimidated by Chan Ho Nam wannabes when I’m in school and it reflect badly when foreign dignitaries come and visit. I really hope NUS can evaluate its tattoo policy and maybe work with SPF to root out all these gangster wannabes.