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THE BUZZ
Not all S'poreans treat foreign workers badly
By Genevieve Jiang
February 23, 2009
TNP FILE PICTURE
SINGAPOREANS have been getting some bad press for their treatment of foreign workers.
Maid-beaters and unscrupulous bosses have made the headlines quite often.
One of the latest cases is that of a pub owner, who, earlier this week, was accused of verbally abusing, and then beating and threatening to burn his Filipino employee when she refused to cower before him.
Last November, a week after zoo worker Nordin Montong was killed at the white tiger enclosure, a whistle-blower came forward with a video showing a foreign worker from Sun City Maintenance - the company Mr Nordin worked for - being verbally abused and beaten up by his supervisor.
That same month, a cleaning firm was fined $20,000 for housing five foreign workers in a disused rubbish bin centre for at least six months.
Considering that Singapore was built by immigrants from various countries, it is ironic we cannot seem to treat today's foreign workers with respect and dignity.
But for every horror story that makes the news, could there be a dozen other inspiring ones that don't?
Community workers familiar with foreign worker issues here say the bad apples are a minority.
Mr John Gee, president of foreign worker advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), said Singaporeans are increasingly 'more aware, more critical, and less tolerant' of foreign workers being abused.
The mindset that foreign workers are 'not to be treated on par with other people', may still be there.
But of the 266 calls for help received by TWC2 last year, only seven involved physical abuse and 20 verbal abuse - down from 28 and 35 respectively the year before.
At the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), the majority of calls for help were also not abuse-related, but due to the recession, resulting in loss of jobs and housing.
I am surrounded by friends and neighbours who have maids, and more often than not, the stories I hear are heartwarming, not heartrending. I know of at least three families who make it a point to celebrate their maids' birthdays every year with good meals and gifts.
Another couple often allows their maid extra rest by telling her not to cook. They bring food home for her.
Maid had cancer
There are cases of employers who go the extra distance, such as Mr Jonathan Khoo, who cared for his Filipino maid when she was diagnosed with cancer last year.
The project manager, 33, took time off work to take her to hospital every week, spent close to $4,000 on medical bills, and tried to raise more funds for her.
The authorities' stand on errant employers here is clear. Employers who fail to pay workers can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to six months, or both.
Those who fail to upkeep and maintain their foreign labour can be fined up to $5,000 per worker.
But the Manpower Ministry needs to get tougher with stiffer penalties for those who exploit workers - like barring them from hiring foreign labour.
There may be only a few rotten apples. But considering the role of foreigners in Singapore's ambitions to be an international education, sports and business hub, even a handful may be enough to spoil the barrel.
THE BUZZ
Not all S'poreans treat foreign workers badly
By Genevieve Jiang
February 23, 2009
TNP FILE PICTURE
SINGAPOREANS have been getting some bad press for their treatment of foreign workers.
Maid-beaters and unscrupulous bosses have made the headlines quite often.
One of the latest cases is that of a pub owner, who, earlier this week, was accused of verbally abusing, and then beating and threatening to burn his Filipino employee when she refused to cower before him.
Last November, a week after zoo worker Nordin Montong was killed at the white tiger enclosure, a whistle-blower came forward with a video showing a foreign worker from Sun City Maintenance - the company Mr Nordin worked for - being verbally abused and beaten up by his supervisor.
That same month, a cleaning firm was fined $20,000 for housing five foreign workers in a disused rubbish bin centre for at least six months.
Considering that Singapore was built by immigrants from various countries, it is ironic we cannot seem to treat today's foreign workers with respect and dignity.
But for every horror story that makes the news, could there be a dozen other inspiring ones that don't?
Community workers familiar with foreign worker issues here say the bad apples are a minority.
Mr John Gee, president of foreign worker advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), said Singaporeans are increasingly 'more aware, more critical, and less tolerant' of foreign workers being abused.
The mindset that foreign workers are 'not to be treated on par with other people', may still be there.
But of the 266 calls for help received by TWC2 last year, only seven involved physical abuse and 20 verbal abuse - down from 28 and 35 respectively the year before.
At the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), the majority of calls for help were also not abuse-related, but due to the recession, resulting in loss of jobs and housing.
I am surrounded by friends and neighbours who have maids, and more often than not, the stories I hear are heartwarming, not heartrending. I know of at least three families who make it a point to celebrate their maids' birthdays every year with good meals and gifts.
Another couple often allows their maid extra rest by telling her not to cook. They bring food home for her.
Maid had cancer
There are cases of employers who go the extra distance, such as Mr Jonathan Khoo, who cared for his Filipino maid when she was diagnosed with cancer last year.
The project manager, 33, took time off work to take her to hospital every week, spent close to $4,000 on medical bills, and tried to raise more funds for her.
The authorities' stand on errant employers here is clear. Employers who fail to pay workers can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to six months, or both.
Those who fail to upkeep and maintain their foreign labour can be fined up to $5,000 per worker.
But the Manpower Ministry needs to get tougher with stiffer penalties for those who exploit workers - like barring them from hiring foreign labour.
There may be only a few rotten apples. But considering the role of foreigners in Singapore's ambitions to be an international education, sports and business hub, even a handful may be enough to spoil the barrel.
