Forever Singlish

We don’t care: we like to speak it leh;
When we end with lor, hor, lah,
People say our English kana-sai
Why do they care? Hard core kaypoh-
Bo dai chi cho.

It got rhythm- like when you say
Who pass urine in the lift? Chau si!
Aiyah; Chau Ah Lian; Chau Ah Beng; Chau Buaya;
Chau Ah Kua; Chau Mamak; Chau kayu; Chau Goondu-
Who else?

It got reason- like when the secretary say
You hold on arh, he’s on another line;
So you wait for him to finish- wah piang, talk
So long, boey tahan, some more I kena
Scolding from boss for wasting time.

We say sorrysorrysorry to make sure we are:
So pai say, we have to repeat two, three times;
Then say excuse! When we overtake or cut in-
Only once. Short cuts must be short and sweet,
If sometimes we cannot cheat, so chia lat

No lubang; so teruk. Kiasu cannot lose,
Kiasi cannot die; machiam machiam words
We also try. Proper English? So lecheh,
So correct, so actsy for what? Wah lau,
Already got your meaning before you finish!

Vegetable Aimal, Mineral, Abstract:
It makes all this rojak, chickenfeed.
Hands all over the place; poke here, touch there,
Growing only like a samseng kia.
People cannot control, also cannot compare.

No class Singlish here to stay,
No big shot can have his way
With how people talk, what people say.
Rules are rules: our bo chap mouth refuse
To listen, follow or to choose.

By Leong Liew Geok

Women Without Men

Times Books International (2000)