Foreign Workers, discussed in Parliament
My views are at the end of this newspaper report...
OFFSHORE HOUSING FOR FOREIGN WORKERS?
---------------------------------------
TODAY, 22 Oct 2008
COULD foreign workers be housed in floating dormitories on nearby offshore
islands, or even across the border in Johor?
These alternatives were suggested in Parliament yesterday, as the issue of
foreign workers in Singapore continued to draw questions from Members of
Parliament.
Madam Ho Geok Choo of West Coast GRC wanted to know if the Government had
considered floating dorms, or renting space to build dorms in Johor, since
Singapore was "bursting at the seams"?
Another MP, Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah GRC), wanted to know if the workers
could be housed on Jurong Island.
Responding to Mr Zaqy's suggestion,National Development Minister Mah Bow
Tan said the dorms on Jurong Island currentlyhoused about 10,000 foreign
workers, who mainly worked at the plants there.
The Government's first choice, Mr Mah said, is to house workers as close
to their work sites as much as possible, but these options have been
"exhausted", hence the need for other forms of housing.
As for Mdm Ho's suggestions, which were addressed to Acting Manpower
Minister Gan Kim Yong when he answered questions about helping foreign
workers to integrate, Mr Gan said he would leave it to the Ministry of
National Development to consider.
But with the economy heading for a slowdown, would there still be a high
demand for workers, as well as more dorms?
Mr Mah replied that the Government would monitor the situation closely.
"But I can say that, as at this moment — in fact, for the next year —
because the demand, especially for construction workers, is still going to
be there ... I don't foresee that there will be a drastic drop in the
demand for foreign workers," he said.
Agreeing with Ms Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) who said it was expected of a
"decent" society to provide decent housing for foreign workers, Mr Mah
added that if Singaporeans did not want foreign workers' dorms built in
their residential areas, more illegal, overcrowded housing could spring
up.
This would create even greater health and safety risks for both the
workers and the surrounding community.
Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) felt that more "aggressive" short-term
measures were needed to complement the existing outreach efforts to
foreign workers.
Beyond broadcasting messages to workers and handing out booklets and
videos on proper behaviour, Ms Phua suggested having uniformed patrols in
areas with foreign workers, and making employers more accountable for
workers'conduct.
Mr Gan said her suggestions would be looked into, adding different
strategies would have to be considered for different areas.
---------------------
Dr.P. says...
What is really interesting is that I see history happening all over again.
Remember our first lecture on Singapore's colonial history?
We saw how the British colonial government brought in "foreigners" to fill specific jobs in the economy, such as coolies working at the ports (Chinese), construction workers (Indians), rubber plantation workers (Indians), policemen (Malays) etc.
Deja vu (1).
Imagine how the British viewed all these immigrant workers during colonial times. They housed them far away from their own residential estates; where the Europeans were living along Orchard Road, the immigrants were housed (a) either near their occupation (Chinatown, beside the Singapore river; Serangoon where the plantations were...) or (b) just simply far away.
Deja vu (2).
Most Singaporeans today seem to have forgotten their roots as the immigrant worker community. They have become so "middle class" that they seem only to think about themselves. To see the MPs here internalizing the irrational fears of the citizens is truly frightening...now they want to "enclave" foreign workers, house them far far away, both geographically (on Jurong Island or in Johor) or visually (house them in dorms that are more like jails...).
I would like to try to understand why Singaporeans perceive foreign workers to be like pariahs. But I can't...
Of course, not every Singaporean is like this...but so many are like this. And this combination of "fear and loathing" of foreign workers has transmitted up to their MPs, and is at the feet of the government.
Why? Why is it so hard to see them as human beings who are here to try to make a decent living?
Still hopping mad...so added this next bit...
I think if we want Singaporeans to stop hating the foreign worker and treating them like murderers and prostitutes, there is one simple solution:
They all go on strike for one year. Let's see how long Singaporeans can survive without construction workers, garbage collectors, waiters, cleaners, maids, etc.
I guarantee you that after a year, we will welcome them with open arms.
Unfortunately, this won't happen, because they need the money, and are willing to take all the abuse we throw at them.
So how?
OFFSHORE HOUSING FOR FOREIGN WORKERS?
---------------------------------------
TODAY, 22 Oct 2008
COULD foreign workers be housed in floating dormitories on nearby offshore
islands, or even across the border in Johor?
These alternatives were suggested in Parliament yesterday, as the issue of
foreign workers in Singapore continued to draw questions from Members of
Parliament.
Madam Ho Geok Choo of West Coast GRC wanted to know if the Government had
considered floating dorms, or renting space to build dorms in Johor, since
Singapore was "bursting at the seams"?
Another MP, Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah GRC), wanted to know if the workers
could be housed on Jurong Island.
Responding to Mr Zaqy's suggestion,National Development Minister Mah Bow
Tan said the dorms on Jurong Island currentlyhoused about 10,000 foreign
workers, who mainly worked at the plants there.
The Government's first choice, Mr Mah said, is to house workers as close
to their work sites as much as possible, but these options have been
"exhausted", hence the need for other forms of housing.
As for Mdm Ho's suggestions, which were addressed to Acting Manpower
Minister Gan Kim Yong when he answered questions about helping foreign
workers to integrate, Mr Gan said he would leave it to the Ministry of
National Development to consider.
But with the economy heading for a slowdown, would there still be a high
demand for workers, as well as more dorms?
Mr Mah replied that the Government would monitor the situation closely.
"But I can say that, as at this moment — in fact, for the next year —
because the demand, especially for construction workers, is still going to
be there ... I don't foresee that there will be a drastic drop in the
demand for foreign workers," he said.
Agreeing with Ms Irene Ng (Tampines GRC) who said it was expected of a
"decent" society to provide decent housing for foreign workers, Mr Mah
added that if Singaporeans did not want foreign workers' dorms built in
their residential areas, more illegal, overcrowded housing could spring
up.
This would create even greater health and safety risks for both the
workers and the surrounding community.
Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) felt that more "aggressive" short-term
measures were needed to complement the existing outreach efforts to
foreign workers.
Beyond broadcasting messages to workers and handing out booklets and
videos on proper behaviour, Ms Phua suggested having uniformed patrols in
areas with foreign workers, and making employers more accountable for
workers'conduct.
Mr Gan said her suggestions would be looked into, adding different
strategies would have to be considered for different areas.
---------------------
Dr.P. says...
What is really interesting is that I see history happening all over again.
Remember our first lecture on Singapore's colonial history?
We saw how the British colonial government brought in "foreigners" to fill specific jobs in the economy, such as coolies working at the ports (Chinese), construction workers (Indians), rubber plantation workers (Indians), policemen (Malays) etc.
Deja vu (1).
Imagine how the British viewed all these immigrant workers during colonial times. They housed them far away from their own residential estates; where the Europeans were living along Orchard Road, the immigrants were housed (a) either near their occupation (Chinatown, beside the Singapore river; Serangoon where the plantations were...) or (b) just simply far away.
Deja vu (2).
Most Singaporeans today seem to have forgotten their roots as the immigrant worker community. They have become so "middle class" that they seem only to think about themselves. To see the MPs here internalizing the irrational fears of the citizens is truly frightening...now they want to "enclave" foreign workers, house them far far away, both geographically (on Jurong Island or in Johor) or visually (house them in dorms that are more like jails...).
I would like to try to understand why Singaporeans perceive foreign workers to be like pariahs. But I can't...
Of course, not every Singaporean is like this...but so many are like this. And this combination of "fear and loathing" of foreign workers has transmitted up to their MPs, and is at the feet of the government.
Why? Why is it so hard to see them as human beings who are here to try to make a decent living?
Still hopping mad...so added this next bit...
I think if we want Singaporeans to stop hating the foreign worker and treating them like murderers and prostitutes, there is one simple solution:
They all go on strike for one year. Let's see how long Singaporeans can survive without construction workers, garbage collectors, waiters, cleaners, maids, etc.
I guarantee you that after a year, we will welcome them with open arms.
Unfortunately, this won't happen, because they need the money, and are willing to take all the abuse we throw at them.
So how?
Comments
they (the foreign workers) are here to do the "dirty work" because we (singaporeans) don't want to do it. Hence, we should be grateful that they are here. Also, we have seem to forgotten their contributions to our society; how many of our housing estates and commercial buildings are built by their hands? Sure, we can argue that they are paid but how many of us will do what they do even if we are paid?
I suppose the main foreign workers they were referring to were those with dark skin from the East Asia. I think if they hate the foreign workers so much that it will actually make them distriminate more on Singapore Indian and Malay.
Such characteristic and moral value of human being are to be lamented, perhaps we can say most human being are born in this way, not only Singaporean. They are all selfish, individualistic, materialistic and think about well-being of thier own life and aiming for money all the time. Except if they learn the teaching of buddhism, but politician today don't have time to bother with this. If they go western country the "Ang Mo" will treat them this way back too. Will they really think they're part of them just because they can speak good accent of English?
That's why the Alien from the Mars do not even dare to show up on earth, because they know the people on Earth will do nothing but torture them. Even they are here to make friend with us, the human being will still take them as a threat, especially those political elites.
In Malaysia they have more Indonesian male workers than Singapore. Some people argued that's what makes that country's crime rates high. The Indonesian male worker who get involved criminal are notorious for thier extreme cruel. At least Singapore let the East Asian, especially the Bangladesh is considered a wise approach to me, are they better behaved? Yes they are, yet why we still treat them like that?
There's a good reason why the straits times has been painting foreign workers in a good light of late: The gov knows that its necessary to educate us about good-will towards those who are the backbone of this society.
Not that singaporeans aren't the backbone, of course..teeheehee.
Therefore, this lead to stereotyping. We aren't sure of the culture of the "strangers". Because we are ill-informed of their "society", when a member of theirs crosses our line of tolerance, we tend to assume that that this is the general behavior of the rest of them.
Unlike our own people, whenever a member of a particular race did something atrocious, we do not stereotype.
Moreover, the competitive nature the government set for us has created an individualistic and uncaring society; We do not welcome people whose economical contribution is minimal. We want expatriates. "They, the low value foreigners" only serve to do lowly jobs. Therefore, they are "low class".
This mindset is perverse but entrenched in us. I would say is seriously a case of mis-understanding by the public and require urgent attention.
Aren't we trying to be an egalitarian society? I cannot accept this treatment towards the foreign workers.
So what can be the motivation for the media to portray the other side of the coin? Foreign workers have no channel to voice out their good will. Can the media give them a chance to voice out? Foreign workers besides work have their personal, creative & spiritual life too. I'm not sure if people who discriminate against foreign workers can have as good values as foreign workers do.
I wish foreign workers can improve their English so that they can dialogue with others.
I'm not racist, nor am I looking down on them, that I am very clear about. I guess it's just a serious case of us being naturally territorialistic.
When you start to see people who are clearly not Singaporeans every corner you turn, sharing our living spaces, it's inevitable that resentment arises.
Personally, there's this uneasiness within me, that maybe these foreign workers might be here for good, and that their culture will gradually be one with the Singaporean culture, and our current culture will slowly cease to exist.
As mentioned, when living spaces are shared, it's harder for people to ignore their presence and be forced to recognise that they're not just mere workers, but also people who're living on the very land we are too.
To me, its an issue of US against THEM, and very much a large-scale display of territoriality.