MR ANAND A. VATHIYAR: 'Most of the coffeeshops around my workplace are staffed by workers from China. I have seen elderly Malays and Indians struggling to order a simple drink when the Chinese helpers from China speak to them in Mandarin and Mandarin only. It gets worse when you go into cafes and even some swanky eateries where the foreign staff appear to be service-oriented (I stress 'appear') but really, create unnecessary stress among patrons and affect their dining experience. Hiring foreign workers on the cheap makes economic sense but it has to be weighed against the social costs.'