▁financial ▁in cent ives ▁and ▁a ▁liberal ▁vis a ▁policy ▁to ▁attract ▁an ▁infl ux ▁of ▁migr ants . ▁Chinese ▁imm igr ants ▁to ▁the ▁nation ▁grew ▁from ▁ 1 5 0 , 4 4 7 ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁to ▁ 4 4 8 , 5 6 6 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁to ▁make ▁up ▁ 1 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁foreign - born ▁population , ▁next ▁to ▁Malays ian ▁imm igr ants ▁at ▁ 4 4 %. ▁The ▁x en oph ob ia ▁towards ▁main land ▁Chinese ▁is ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁particularly ▁severe ▁compared ▁to ▁other ▁foreign ▁residents , ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁generally ▁looked ▁down ▁on ▁as ▁country ▁b ump kins ▁and ▁bl amed ▁for ▁ste aling ▁des irable ▁jobs ▁and ▁driving ▁up ▁housing ▁prices . ▁There ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁reports ▁of ▁housing ▁disc rim ination ▁against ▁main land ▁Chinese ▁ten ants , ▁and ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁You G ov ▁poll ▁has ▁suggested ▁Singapore ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁highest ▁percentage ▁of ▁loc als ▁pre jud iced ▁against ▁Chinese ▁trav ellers ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁countries ▁survey ed . ▁ ▁Malays ia ▁Due ▁to ▁race - based ▁politics ▁and ▁B umi put era ▁policy , ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁several ▁inc idents ▁of ▁ra cial ▁conflict ▁between ▁the ▁Malays ▁and ▁Chinese ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁ri ots . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁Pen ang , ▁host ility ▁between ▁the ▁races ▁turned ▁into ▁violence ▁during ▁the ▁cent en ary ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁George ▁Town