Serangoon gardens: Drawing the line

[makapaaa]

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Sep 10, 2008
SERANGOON GARDENS: DRAWING THE LINE

</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>It's about safety and security: Not about power, pride and prejudice...
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IN THE continuing debate over the housing of foreign workers in Serangoon Gardens (SG), political editor Chua Lee Hoong insinuated on Saturday that residents of the estate were over-reacting out of prejudice and unfounded xenophobia ('Power, pride and prejudice').

She also accused the middle class residents of having led overly sheltered lives for too long. Hence they are now incapable of co-existing with foreign workers.
Let me assure Ms Chua that the fears are real - and certainly well-founded. Some years ago, unbeknownst to us, our domestic helper was impregnated by a foreign worker. That came to light only when, much to our shock, she suffered a messy miscarriage after succeeding in her attempts to self-induce a spontaneous abortion....
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This is not about power, pride or prejudice. It is about safety and security. Would Ms Chua hold the same arguments if the Government proposed to set up a dormitory of 1,500 foreign workers 10m from her home?
All it takes is one unfortunate incident, and the Government will have an even bigger problem islandwide. Is it worth the risk to push the comfort levels of the quiet residents of Serangoon Gardens towards unchartered territory?
Yeo Oon Chye
[email protected]

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[makapaaa]

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[makapaaa]

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<!-- status icon and date --><!-- status icon and date -->Today, 07:45 AM <!-- / status icon and date -->

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<!-- message -->This legion of foreign workers has lead to social issues for Singapore as well as overcrowding of our public hospitals and future crime issues. As the foreign legion grapples with issues like higher housing costs, medical costs, and gambling (hey, guess what! They don't have to pay a penalty to enter the casino) some will turn to crime to make some quick buck. Maybe Raymond Lim should do some prevention measures here as well as he is very good at preventing future traffic problems.



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[makapaaa]

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<!-- message -->The implication of the letter is clear, if you are rich, you deserve the safety and security. If you are like me living in foreign worker enclaves like Jurong West, safety is not important, you die your business.



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[email protected]

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<!-- message -->#10 - "Don't take one or 2 incidents as global."

Try telling that to the family and loved ones of Linda Chua who was brutally raped and later died from her injuries.

An 18-year old Indonesian girl was sent here to study by her father precisely for Sg's being safe and secure. Then one night while walking home from the Yishun MRT Station, she was set upon not far from a construction site, raped and killed.

Then at Kim Kea Road near a tunnel underneath the CTE, a girl was savagely attacked and her assailant grabbed from behind and dragged her into nearby bushes. But lucky for her she fought with all her might and her attacker finally gave up the attack and fled.

At Orchard Boulevard, near the Four Seasons Hotel, a 19 year old girl was seating alone at the bus stop when she surprised by an attacker. She was dragged into an un-lit empty lot. Her attacker had already ripped off her clothes and was in the process of raping her when 2 boys passing by responded to her cries for help forced the attacker the flee.
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[makapaaa]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">kojakbt22 <NOBR> </NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Sep-9 9:27 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (5 of 18) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>1253.5 in reply to 1253.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE class=tborder id=post180649 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY id=collapseobj_postbit_180649><TR><TD class=alt2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>wudang10
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<!-- message -->Same comment by fairgame44 too
#70 wudang10. I agree with you.

Even in a crowded lift, a congested bus and a packed train, we all have our own "individual" space which is socially acceptable.We're small and tiny, and we've grown to be tolerant and patient.We share tables in hawker centres and food-courts.We take our time.We queue for our food.We queue for our tickets.We queue for almost everything - with patience and with understanding.Singaporeans are not proud.Singaporeans are not intolerant.Singaporeans are not bigoted and prejudiced.Singaporeans are not taking a high moral ground.In fact, we are very tolerant,very meek and very submissive.We have a high tolerance level in almost everything - with regards to foreigners, with foreign talents and with foreign workers.

But when the only refuge we have, the only private space we cherish and the only sanctuary we call our home is threatened, its only right and proper that we Singaporeans should protest and let our feelings be heard!

It's nothing to do with class.It's nothing to do with pride, power or prejudice.It's simply an invasion of our personal privacy and security - and our little private space. The media have continued to lambast Singaporeans who wanted their feelings be heard concerining these FWs in their neighbourhoods.

Well done Singaporeans! Well done Serangoon Garden residents! Please don't take this protest lightly.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%"> </TD><TD class=msgopt noWrap width="24%"> Options</TD><TD class=msgrde noWrap align=middle width="50%"> Reply</TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right width="25%"> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgbfrbot> </TD><TD colSpan=3> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<!--PreMsgHTML--><!--/PreMsgHTML--><TABLE class=msgtablealt cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">kojakbt22 <NOBR> </NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Sep-9 9:28 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (6 of 18) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>1253.6 in reply to 1253.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE class=tborder id=post180668 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY id=collapseobj_postbit_180668><TR><TD class=alt2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap>commentator_sc
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<!-- message -->It is very easy for govt to say that Singaporeans should accept if not embrace foreign workers and talents in their midst because of the economic gains to the island's economy from this policy.

BUT, and this is a big but, from the perspective of Singaporeans, the FWs and FTs, translate to a daily competition for train seats, longer wait for buses (crowded) and taxis, worsen clinic/hospital queues, crowded foot courts and malls and supermarkets, even dirtier toilets and other goods and services. At another level, their presence has also attracted an influx of foreign prostitutes to cater to the teeming population of male FWs who need outlets for their biological urges. There is also a third category of FTs drawn in by the govt's liberal policy - that is, criminals, conmen and other fly-by-night operators, including white collar criminals.

FTs and FWs also translate to depressed wages for Singaporeans, esp. since there is no minimum wage policy here, amid spiralling prices, esp. in food and transportation.

It may well be that their presence is helping the economy as a whole, but there is otherwise little tangible benefits that the average Singaporeans, who has to contend daily with their physical presence in thier midst, can see or feel. The govt has largely down played the adverse consequences of their presence for the obvious reasons. But the degrading is quite obvious if you just pause to see. The level of policing is a good example. It came to a point the the MFA has to admit in parliament that it is sorely understaffed due to the demands placed on it. For that we must credit an Opposition member, Sylvia Lim, for highlighting it. The govt would have otherwise kept mum, said nothing, about it.
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