Sarong Party Girl

Sarong Party Girl (also known as SPG) is a derogatory term used in Singapore and (to a lesser extent) in Peninsular Malaysia.

It describes a local, solely Asian woman (e.g., a Chinese or Malay girl) who usually dresses and behaves in a provocative manner, and who exclusively dates and prefers white men. This can be considered a variant of the Pinkerton Syndrome. The Sarong Party Girl stereotype was popularised by a series of humorous books by Jim Aitchison in the 1990s, offering a satirical portrayal of the SPG and related aspects of Singaporean culture.

The term has its fairly innocuous roots in the late 1940s-early 1950s when Singapore was still ruled by the British. As a general practice, the British forces personnel socialised very much among themselves, according to their military ranks and status (i.e. officers as opposed to enlisted men). However, there were some instances when specific local "guests" were invited to social functions hosted by the British. The term 'Sarong Party' came into use to describe social functions which included local invited 'ladies'. The sarong is a wrap-around skirt that is part of Malay formal dress, popular among local men and women of the time. It is still worn today. Over time, the term has taken on a somewhat more derogatory meaning.