Venture Shaven.April 27, 2009 AFP article
Workers protest against unpaid wages in Singapore
SINGAPORE - More than 100 construction workers from China gathered outside Singapore's manpower ministry Monday to complain about unpaid wages and cancellation of their work permits, witnesses said.
The workers sat for about two hours at the steps of the ministry, at a busy intersection near the Chinatown district, and shouted at ministry officials and police officers to air their grievances.
There was no violence, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
At one point, police warned the workers to disperse within five minutes or face arrest. They left but regrouped across a road from the ministry, and voluntarily dispersed about an hour later.
Workers interviewed by AFP said they had not been paid their wages after their Chinese 'boss' absconded with the money. They also complained that their work permits had been cancelled without warning.
Comment from the manpower ministry on the workers' complaints was not immediately available.
Some of the workers told officials that they had not committed any crime and could not be arrested, but police told them they were illegally trespassing on government property.
'The government should punish the company, not punish us by cancelling our permits. We just want our compensation so we can go back to China,' construction worker Zhou Qing Ren, 40, told AFP.
'We have got no money to eat now and no proper place to stay,' another worker shouted.
Singapore is tightening its rules on outdoor protests as it prepares to host its largest international summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' forum, in November.
Analysts said the laws against outdoor protests can also be applied to deal with any outbreaks of public frustration amid the city-state's worst recession in more than 40 years.
An estimated one million foreigners live in Singapore, representing more than 20 percent of the total population, which is predominantly ethnic Chinese.
This is a very important article. I believe the ruling party has managed to unearth a double edged sword.
Current foreign policy pursues a no-holds barred "Economic Growth at all costs"
A policy of: More inputs = more outputs = more GDP".
More inputs = More foreign talent willing to work at 1/2 the pay of a Singaporean.
Understandably so, hungry migrant workers can earn quadruple in Singapore what their home-bound brethren earn is a win-win solution for owners of these firms and their fledging immigrants.
But, it looks like the ruling party has failed to take into account the tenacity and devil-may-care attitude of these workers. And if these workers continue to run numbers into the 1 million (according to the AFP article), even 10% of the 1 million, conducting a protest of POOR LABOUR LAWS/TREATMENT during the APEC summit is going to be a PR disaster of massive proportions.
These migrant workers have little to lose, considering that they have lost it all already. They just want their money and they want to go home. When asked by the police to vacate the premises, they just regrouped opposite the Manpower Ministry.
What's the ruling party to do?
My reply to Shireen's nick:
Yes. I understand that the product is- VIDAYLIN. But other than getting high, I've no idea what else it's supposed to do for my child.
And making my kid look CREEPY AND FREAKY in a teddy bear suit.
Since I live in Singapore, I fully support the state and consider the definition of a marriage to be between men and women as well, since physically, we have matching "parts" much like jigsaw pieces.
To my madly in love gay friends, if you want to get "married", I'd endorse a new legislation of "long term partnerships" to symbolize your union. And to be really frank, when it comes to institutional marriage, it's not exactly as sacred or life-affirming as it used to be (my parents fought. A lot. Physically. Like fists and flying pots.).
Sensibility is KNOWING change is coming. Sensibility is KNOWING that not only is change inevitable but that eventually, you'd need to find equitable foundations (legally & socially) for that change.
It happened during President Lincoln's Emancipation proclamation. It happened after Universal Suffrage (Go women power!). It happened after Martin Luther King. It happened after Rosa Parks rode in the front of the bus.
But today, after her press conference. I realise that MORON has a new name. It's Thio Su Mien.
Dr. Thio, like others of her ilk, Maureen Ong and other self proclaimed feminists are an embarrassment to their professions and to the concept of suffrage.
Men of the era believed that women were too emotional and prone to irrational decision making to be entitled a vote- It's true. Go look it up. That was discriminatory. Fact is before the rise of the feminist movement, suffrage was all about abolishing slavery, it was after the 1st World War (lots of men died) where the equal importance of women started to become more evident. Many men and people in power at the time felt that the family unit was all about DAD wearing the pants, making the decisions and bringing home the bacon. Women had their role in society as a supporting element of care-giver to the little ones. It was a patriarchal structure and those in power were SURE that the foundations of society would crumble should women ever achieve equality.
Boy were they wrong.
Just as they were wrong on the slavery bit, just as they were wrong when they thought equality to the blacks would lead to disaster.
The issue here is not that the new Exco engineered a coup de tat of AWARE. It's that the new Exco, in their crusade to protect the family unit should have started their own grassroots organization rather than hi-jack another.
I repeat- the big deal isn't the coup de tat. But that while proclaiming to "feminists" (equal rights!), they've not only disrespected the views of another group but practicised in-equality.
And nothing could be more ridiculous then what I heard at the press conference when the new honorary secretary Ms Maureen Ong spoke.
Yes. DANGER! WARNING! Because I’m sure I’ll be tempted to turn gay after too many episodes of Queer Eye for a Straight Guy.
Here are the facts: When I watch my gay friends or shows involving gays. One thought DOES CROSS MY MIND.
“Wow that’s stylish.” or “Yes, that’s a more refined way to do something.”
IT IN NO WAY MAKES ME WONDER- if it’ll be cool or nice to experiment with a penis in my anal cavity.
Nor does it make me, in anyway, wish to touch or fondle a male reproductive appendage other than my own.
You don’t experiment with homosexuality, you are inclined or you’re not. Period.
Dr. Thio and Ms. Ong’s cognitive abilities and brain function are malfunctioning in such a way that renders me speechless on how someone that mentally challenged can ever be elected to power.
No wait.. 66.6 but that’s another story..
Oops.. lost my train of thought- Bottom line- Watching gay themed shows makes me want to be more stylish or buy better fitting clothes.
It in no way makes me want to be more gay.
To be honest, I want that level of stylishness to “advertise” myself to Krista Allens, Elizabeth Hurleys and Sienna Millers of the world.
Other men need not apply. Thanks very much.
Final note: Truthfully, I'm slightly homophobic.. I'd give a brotherly hug to a straight guy friend but I feel uncomfortable if my gay pals try to reciprocate. But that's my irrational fear due to societal conditioning. I love my gay pals, they're funny, they're bitchy and they have the best taste in clothes.