Seen this article going around today [link] and the reactions of Singaporeans were hilarious to read. Some surprised comments even sound genuine to me. You mean you didn't know something like that happening in our backyards for more than a decade? Or perhaps you thought they were rumors until someone posted a payslip or employment contract on a blog. Why bother quoting comments of a Minister about how happy he thought foreign workers are in Singapore. If the article actually caught his attention, he would have told you foreign workers used to be paid $2.00 an hour just 2 few years ago when I was signing off the time sheets of workers.
"That is a 12.5% increment! I don't even get a 5% increment!" a Minister would laugh if someone were to bring this up in a public forum. His laughs would be politely chorused by an appreciative audience. That would appear in the papers the next day, beautifully choreographed to bring you the lighthearted side of things, of course. Then the circulation photographs of toilet bowls brimming with feces. Chipped paint walls that resembled a nuclear bomb aftermath. Slum-like claustrophobic dire living conditions of foreign workers. "Oh my god, that's really bad, this is inhuman, this..... oh gtg my pizza is here." *Clicks the forget button and carry on with life*
So I thought, until I read about a student(wtf?!) spotted to distribute flyers in Little India to tell them how much we love them.
So I thought, until I read about a student(wtf?!) spotted to distribute flyers in Little India to tell them how much we love them.
I wonder how reporters and camera crew came to the scene so quickly to interview this man to spin their usual nauseating brand, whereas they missed out little small acts by Singaporeans such as this that actually show foreign workers passing by the site that there is still a little compassion left in society. Actions speak louder than words, if you ask me.
Post by Nicole Ling.
A week had past since. Our good Minister Lui Tuck Yew had finalised his future plans for Little India. As a member of the good ol' army, can we not expect a cheesy slogan or acronym for his campaign? Tuck Yew didn't disappoint, announcing that his preventive framework was represented by the acronym PLACE, which stands for Police, Less Alcohol & Congestion & Enforcement. Sounds like another wave of wasting taxpayers' money is on the way.
Previously, I posted why restricting alcohol is futile and I would not repeat my points today. What caught my attention yesterday was the Minister's intention to reduce congestion in Little India. How is he planning to do that? Don't tell me Tuck Yew read my blog and decided to barricade the whole Little India and build gantry for entries. That was mentioned in jest, Minister, if you are reading this. Please think physics - The throngs that you will be pushing out from your constituency will simply MOVE to another neighborhood, without the ingenious alcohol restrictions only available in your special PLACE. I urge the Minister to spend more time to study into a solution that works better than pushing the *problem elsewhere.
Hopefully the good Minister will think, much harder, so as to save his place in Parliament after the next election. Meanwhile, Please Limit Acronyms & Cease Embarrassment.
*To my friends, don't ask me to provide solutions on FB again, I have already explained why.
"What caught my attention yesterday was the Minister's intention to reduce congestion in Little India. How is he planning to do that?"
ReplyDeleteOffshore islands. For foreign workers and the elderly.
Offshore islands are no different from the current settings. i.e. housing them near army exercise area (Yishun Ave 7) and Lim Chu Kang Cemetery (Mandai Dorm). Workers can still visit places like Little India in their spare time, unless the authorities purposely limit ferry rides, for eg, last ferry end 6pm, forcing workers to go back to the dorm on time or risk sleeping on the streets. The former will 'upgrade' them from exploited workers to exploited slaves, the latter will potentially cause greater social problems.
DeleteThis is the Singapore government. Have you ever known them to give a fuck about social problems?
DeletePrecisely why, they might as well not do anything and leave it status quo.
DeleteParadoxically they need to be seen as doing something so they will move the status quo.
DeleteGuy A wearing smelly underwear? Make Guy B wear the smelly undies. Presto, Guy A is clean and fresh again! But the smelly undies remain smelly, on another person.
Good idea - offshore island for foreign workers. How about Sentosa?
ReplyDeleteThat guy looks too old to be a student. Must be an actor student from mediacorp
ReplyDeleteIf he is a student actor then he must be groomed to act as a character from the "bad" guys ('fan' pai as oppose to 'zheng' pai: righteous group)
Delete