Minister’s Facebook post comes under fire

Photo: Khaw Boon Wan Facebook page

Controversial posting by Minister Khaw Boon Wan on joint-exercise
A Facebook posting by the Minister of National Development, Khaw Boon Wan, has come under fire from members of the public for being insensitive.


On Tuesday, Mr Khaw made a posting titled, “Joint exercise with Police, SCDF & foreign worker ambassadors”.
The post was accompanied by eight photographs of the joint exercise which apparently showed security personnel and “foreign worker ambassadors” simulating a situation of unrest.


Mr Khaw wrote in the post:
<figure id="attachment_65283" style="width: 650px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Photo: Khaw Boon Wan Facebook page</figcaption></figure> The posting immediately drew concerns and criticisms from the public for being insensitive, and some also criticised the joint exercise itself as being racist.


Ms Feng Yi Hi was one of the first to react to Mr Khaw’s post.


“Sir, I understand the purpose of such an exercise, but I cannot help but feel disturbed by the racial undertones,” she said. “Riots can be started by anyone regardless of their ethnicity. Positing Indian foreign workers as the next group of rioters or troublemakers does not paint racial minority groups in a positive light but only perpetuates existing stereotypes which are inimical to the development of a harmonious society. My suggestion is that ‘rioters’ in future such exercises (if any) must also consist of people of other ethnic groups. I hope the organizers can take this into consideration. Thank you.”


Mr Yee Kai also raised his concerns about the racial overtones of the post.


“Minister, the worst riots in the history of our nation were due to racial issues,” Mr Yee said. “Do we to this date still stimulate exercises based on racial conflicts putting two major racial groups fighting against each other with the civil defense and the police coming in to contain the situation under the purview of ‘prevention is better than cure’ ? Absolutely not. I fail to see how stimulating based on a particular racial group is relevant. There are so many other resources under the different ministries to try and understand their issues and to give them avenues to air their grievances – why not employ these resources?”
Ms Reena Melanie Mohan agreed that the joint exercise “seems very racist.”


“I can’t believe such an exercise can be done at this time and age. What was the reason for a particular racial group to be signalled out? And putting up pictures isn’t helping. What were you trying to educate the public?”


Mr Balaji Narasimhan said, “You gotta be kidding me… Why on earth would you want to put pictures of this?”
Other criticisms on Mr Khaw’s page include:


Mr Jolovan Wham, who is also the executive director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), an NGO which provides aid to foreign workers, disagreed with the use of foreign workers in the exercise.


“Not only are we content to push them to the margins with our policies, we are also happy to stereotype them,” he said on Mr Khaw’s page. “We don’t offer them adequate social support and services, and yet we are quick to point our fingers at them when things go wrong. Foreign workers are the builders of our nation. They don’t have any citizen benefits. The least we should do is accord them some basic dignity and respect.”
<figure id="attachment_65284" style="width: 650px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Photo: Khaw Boon Wan Facebook page</figcaption></figure> Mr Michael Cyssel Wee said that while few people would doubt the usefulness of conducting riot simulation exercises from time to time, the use of real foreign workers “as props” in the exercise “is dehumanising.”


This is even more so “combined with the minister’s preface, ‘We have a few foreign workers’ dormitories, What if some quarrels erupt, leading to fights or worse?’, he said.


“[It] leads to an unhelpful stereotyping of a largely unintegrated group in society. It also betrays a highly reductive view, one that risks making a mockery of the issues surrounding it.”


Mr Wee said “foreign workers have helped to physically build so much of our nation.”


“Do we really treat them as builders, with the full dignity of human persons, or do we merely see them as building tools — tools that can injure us if we do not wield them properly, or if we do not keep a tight grip on them?


“Mr Khaw Boon Wan, will you apologise in Parliament for this disappointing gaffe? Will the Ministry of Home Affairs care to explain how the conduct of this exercise got approved?”


http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2014/11/ministers-facebook-post-comes-under-fire/

Told you that PAP is out of touch...they treat social media like the one sided main stream media that they are so used to.

Goondus....real CMI...

Always love to Self Pwned themselves and become laffing stock...

what about having "mock riot'' at MBFC with Ang Mohs?

Seriously. They actually did this crazy stunt. In poor taste. Very poor taste. Worse still the minister does not see that.

Like that consider xenophobic or not?

Well done, Mr 'Good Buddhist'.

Fuck this $8 bypass short fart

This eight dollar Penang Laksa man trying to show us what is MAXIMUM RESTRAIN?

this shows at the end of the day,sinkies is a shit for brains country and their leaders and superiors are equally shit for brains and cut from the same cloth lol.

wheres TONYCHAT to tell us to stay away from retarded sinkies and this retarded country?

This is almost the height of insensitivity and reflects just how high up the ivory tower our supposed "leaders" are.
This is but just yet another Freudian slip of how low are the standards of our "senior" ministers.
The Indian High Commission should send a diplomatic note.

Cow has spoken. Rioters are only Indians and foreign worker only.

this is proof why sinkieland will always be a 3rd world country no matter how much money it has.

this is the level that sinkies operate on,they can only operate think on one level,usually the lowest level,they can only focus on the task in front them,but they dunno how to consider the higher implications and deeper consequences......simple abc thinkers,thats why all of PAP's policies are perfect for them,CPF to healthcare to education,Singapore will never be socialist/communist country.

Khaw Boon Wan Facebook page

Minister for National Development, Khaw Boon Wan, has responded to criticisms regarding a Facebook post he made yesterday.

The post was accompanied by eight photographs of the joint exercise which apparently showed security personnel and “foreign worker ambassadors” simulating a situation of unrest.

“To test our response capability, the Police, the SCDF, the dorms operators and our grassroots organisations organised a simulation exercise recently,” he said. “It was a useful way to network up the various agencies, and spread preventive messages. Prevention is always better than cure.”

The posting immediately drew concerns and criticisms from the public for being insensitive, and some also criticised the joint exercise itself as being racist.

See TOC’s earlier report here: “Minister’s Facebook post comes under fire”.

On Wednesday evening, Mr Khaw posted a comment on the discussion thread in response to the uproar on his Facebook page.

“The exercise was conducted two weeks ago in a dormitory located within Sembawang,” he said. “I was then in Suzhou for the Suzhou Industrial Park celebration. My grassroots leaders who helped organise the exercise reported to me yesterday that the exercise went well and was well received by the various stakeholders: grassroots, SPF, SCDF and foreign workers ambassadors who worked hand in hand on the exercise. They found it to be a meaningful collaboration which bonded the residents and foreign workers.”

“In fact, a buffet lunch was also organised for all who participated to celebrate the successful conclusion of the exercise.”

“This is one of the many engagement and education sessions conducted by our grassroots and government agencies with foreign workers, regardless of nationality or race. Past efforts cover areas such as first aid, dengue prevention and local culture. Our intent is to promote mutual understanding with the local community.”

Mr Khaw’s explanation, however, drew further rebuttal from at least one commenter after Mr Khaw posted it.

Mr Michael Cyssel Wee said Mr Khaw did not address the anger and the questions raised by those who were upset by his original post and the exercise itself.

Mr Wee said, “Many people have found it racially insensitive and in poor taste. It is obvious from the comments that this exercise has not been well received by many, yet you do not directly respond to the legitimate concerns that many have had. Now, I’m sure we all agree that simulation exercises are useful and that engaging the foreign worker community with workshops like first aid, dengue prevention and local culture are good things. But there remain many questions about this exercise and the way you have publicised it, and they deserve to be answered.”

He added, “And giving them a buffet lunch doesn’t retrospectively justify things, either.”

khaw is saying anything can be justified in sinkieland as long as we give u free buffet or free gst vouchers....dogs have no dignity anyway how can they say no to a free bone?

typical mentality of sinkies,u can see from parents and government and authority,they treat the children and citizens badly,neglect them abuse them,afterwards they think all i have to do is give them some money,or buy them a present or bring them out to mcdonalds for some meal and all will be forgiven.

his brain was also removed as added bonus for his rather expensive $8 operation.

Did the ah nehs got paid more than $7/hr for their acting participation, more than KBW's $8 bypass surgery? If yes, then CASE CLOSED GO SLEEP!!

On Tuesday, Mr Khaw made a posting titled, “Joint exercise with Police, SCDF & foreign worker ambassadors”.

Click to expand...

Penang Ah Khaw should come to Sammyboy more often.. In SBF we call the Indian workers as Ah Nehs..