Or say, if they’re gonna built one of those luxurious condominums and house a bunch of foreign expatriates (commonly known as “ang mohs”), I’m definite nobody’d complain.

Cluster A not happy, so revised and passed to cluster B.
Cluster B also protest and threatened their MPs in the next GE.
If cluster C don’t act tough as cluster A & B, entrance will then be fixed?
Have the Serangoon Gardens residents taught us a lesson?

I have always argued that our ministers shoud lead by example. It’s so easy for Mah Bow Tan to ask us to be “more accommodative” towards foreign workers living amongst our midst. But will Mr Mah allow a big dorm to be built next to his bungalow?? Talk is cheap; Mr Mah has to walk the talk. By having a dorm a stone’s throw from his house, he can show us all how to be “more accommodative”.

Is he up to the real test?

I meant “in our midst”.

“If the first large-scale foreign workers’ dormitory in a residential estate is, say, built in Bukit Timah, where I have been told many ministers live, Serangoon Gardens residents may not be as vehement in their objections”
Bukit Timah is where a lot of rich and elite people stay. Look like some’s life are more precious than others.

“By sealing off the road access from Serangoon Gardens, and making access only from a new road from Ang Mo Kio, are we not in a sense, passing the buck to Ang Mo Kio residents?”
Wow, money opportunity for the greedy gahmen again. ERP for the new road !

Lead by example ??????

Agree with Daniel.

Since they care so much, why not house them near where they stay?

The best place to house foreign workers is in Bkt Timah.

There should not be any discrimination to foreign workers. They should be entitled to live near the rich in Bkt Timah.

The bungalows there are big and nice. Perfect for foreigners and make them feel loved and welcomed in singapore. Ministers please take note!

Another key example where I failed to see equality being exercised. I am sure policy decision makers are well aware that the pledge itself contains the emphasis on equality as well.
It’s going to be an uphill task selling this idea equality (still) exists to the younger generation, when equality (to all) is silently displaced by self-interests (of the rich).
I’ll turn the question the other way round : I am awaiting to hear a response why a Bukit Timah implementation has not been in the pipeline instead (of Serangoon) :-). I am willing to be convinced, but be sure the reason is solid.

Looks very much like a strategic manoeuvre by the government to seem not to have caved in to the pressure from the Seranoon Garden community whilst efectively deflecting the problem elswhere. Singaporeans (defined as pre-1965ers who are hopelessly dependent on the PAP) are the only ones who will not see it for what it is.

The rest of us (ie. Habitants and Second-Class Citizens who happen to have pink NRICs) will just have to live with it as usual, but it was a good opportunity to see the chinks in the armour. Needless to say, this will probably be the first and last time there will be a public referedum on the housing of foreigners in residential areas.

errata:

efectively = effectively
referedum = referendum

If the government does not go ahead with housing foreign workers in a dorm at Serangoon Gardens & chose another location, residents of the chosen location would also protest. If there are plans for the next dorm, government should factor in the location of work of these foreign workers so as to cut travel time.

It is interesting to see Lim Hwee Hua at the dialogue session with Serangoon Gardens residents, explaining the government’s decision. Will we have more of such dialogue sessions on other matters, in other constituencies, with S’pore citizens across all class/domain? Or will this be a one off with the perceived higher class residents who lives only a 5 minute walk to the nearest HDB estate?
Maybe they shd make noise abt the new supermarket caming in Serangoon Gardens, those heartlanders nearby might patronise the new store n cause distress.

3) wanted the foreign workers bussed off on weekends to Bishan or Ang Mo Kio

Perhaps we should also have special buses to take foreign workers from Bishan and AMK ( no matter where they are from, perhaps even Serangoon Road, Beach Road etc ) to the playground and parks in the private estates in Serangoon Gardens.

It’s a share-and-share-alike policy!

I empathise with the FWs as well. Putting them in fences is a strange way of saying it is ok for FWs to be sited next to the local residents.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t welcome FWs. I’m saying the siting of the dorm is a contradiction that ends up with everyone (except the MND) compromising and no one is happy. I’m also not so sure that there aren’t any alternatives. Its a very disappointing decision to say the list.

“10) loop on October 9th, 2008 10.52 am

If the government does not go ahead with housing foreign workers in a dorm at Serangoon Gardens & chose another location, residents of the chosen location would also protest.”

So now you see. Democracy at the finest where there is a lot of noise and openess.

So that you will see that almost everyone wants the same good thing for himeself / herself and there is not much difference where good things are concerned even for big shots like MPs and Ministers.

I guess they (MPs & Ministers) also do not want a domitory built next to their houses which are usually located in good location and definitely this will aid / cut down a lot of travelling time for the foreign workers.

I think residents should complain doubly loud to the extent that they will be so busy trying to ‘fix’ the problem that they better consider once, twice, thrice whenever they consider doing anything in the future and just try to push things through just like that.

Residents of SerangoonGardens seem to have been misrepresented in the media. Racist or anti-migrant folks will always exist in any given place, but you can’t use that group alone to judge the sentiments of the whole residential area. While reading the Straits Times reports over this issue, I kept wondering why they chose to publish those quotes that would definitely give the impression that this relatively middle class neighbourhood is elitist. (It definitely isn’t).

The issue here isn’t about foreign workers sitting around, or dirtying the place, or posing a danger to the neighbourhood. It’s about what the above article said: bad estate planning that could potentially lead to ghettoism. Putting the dorm, which houses workers amounting numerically to more than half of the neighbourhood’s residents would merely heighten the inequalities between the 2 classes. This doesn’t make for a healthy residential ecosystem.

But I do agree to an extent that we do need to provide proper housing for these workers. Especially with the economic crisis getting worse these days, it wouldn’t be feasible to build a new dorm from scratch, at least not within the next 2 years. Maybe it would be a better idea to house them temporarily in this site before a proper one is built in a better location?

Also, while residents in gardens now seem to be known for ‘making noise’, it still is nothing but sporadic noise since there isn’t much intra-neighbourhood communication. Would be nice if the author of this article can regularly print and stick his posts, maybe on the notice board outside cold storage. With this big new change coming along, I think the more sensible moderate people within the community need to speak up, or otherwise be drowned out by the prejudiced.

It’s not just sporadic noise. I understand petition of over 1,000 signatures was collected. Also, Ms Lim (HH) also wrote to MnD. The decision I think was made by Mr Mah Bow Tan, our very popular minister.

A newsletter on the issue was distributed by the Aljunied Town Council with the letters which shows that the issue isn’t taken as lightly as many might think. But I don’t think the explanations have been convincing enough or cut much ice with the locals.

Serangoon Gardens is an extremely busy area. Residents fear longer queues or can’t board crowded buses.

If you are not happy with the road bypass to AMK..
then tell your MP, Mr LHL, if he can’t do anything about it..
I doubt anyone else in Singapore can.. kakakakaka

The ugly Singaproean rears his head.
Come work for me cheap. Work 24/7. Don’t take days off. We wil pay you money. Don’t want to see yo anywhere except in the work sites. Don’t live near me. Don’t take my aircon busses, Dont eat in my hawker centers. Don’t walk past my house. Don’t even want the busses taking you to work drive near my house. Don’t even think of looking at my maid.

How short our memories are. Less than 80-100 years ago our forefathers came here as migrants looking for a better future, better opportunities for themselves and their families and decendants – you.

for goodness sake, let not divert attention by saying our forefathers came here as migrants!

Their era and now are totally different, they came here to work their life to make wht singapore is now.

The FT or FWorkers whatsoever nw are here just with one purpose (at least the majority!) Earn S$ and leave the country.

Stop bull shiting to yourself and worst still others to believe the craps about welcoming them.

FT is fine with me (real one i mean); but if I see more PRCs working in coffeeshop, hawer centre and Geylang and at the same time seeing real local singaporean working to meet end needs, it will b difficult for me to be convince!

I speak my mind & do not mean to offend anyone. Let not get personnal.

to 19) I speak my mind

I dont think Tua Sian Hokkien Pian was trying to ‘divert attention by saying our forefathers came here as migrants’. In fact i believe he was trying to get us all to reflect that we are all mostly descendents of migrants ourselves. So before we want to isolate them and yet at the same time want them to do all the dirty work for us, we should see that our forefathers weren’t very different from them actually. So, if not for anything, we really ought to treat these foreign workers better just out of the respect that we have for our forefathers.

Yes, our forefathers came and slogged and made Singapore into what she is today but these foreign workers too, will slog and work to make Singapore into what she will be tomorrow.

Yes, the foreign workers came here with just “one purpose (at least the majority!) Earn S$ and leave the country “. But so did our forefathers! They never came to Singapore with the intention to settle down. They dreamt of making enough money to return to their homes and live comfortable lives,

“I speak my mind & do not mean to offend anyone. Let not get personnal.” I guess you predicted that there would be disagreements to your argument eh?

I shall not comment on the resident of Serangoon, the first thing that come to my mind is what happened if that dorm is in my estate, how will I react, I would have all those concern that they had, but as to how I react, I tell myself I must be tolerant of them. To be fair I come to this conclusion after I see all those negative comment the resident there. From what I see, a more worrying trend is that this society we live in is educating us to be more self centered individual,every thing is monetary orientated, result base. In trying to acheive the best in every aspect of our economy, results is always the top priority. individual since young now are train to be so, much less on social responsibilty, filial, family values etc.

All Public entities we see are all going private telling us thats for competitive sake,for our own good. we see hospital now are more profit orientated, so what is doctor priority stand in a listed hospital group??? I remember my uncle telling my cousin that is going to study medicine 3 yrs ago, he told her that if monetary return is of a slight consideration of it she should not take it up.

SIA, PSA, SBS, SMRT etc all looking at several percentage increase YOY..??? Possible??? I think is episode here really voice down to all our up bringing and values we are cultivating since young. if there is something wrong there on the Serangoon residents reaction, whats more worrying is how is it that all the values parent passes down, education we receive and the society made us so???

Namly Rd and Dalvey Rd got a lot of nice green areas. Why not bus the workers there on PH and Sundays? Am surprised the AMK Ave 10 residents haven’t started complaining. With the new access road, Ave 10 is just a two-minute bus ride from the dormitory. PM’s own constituency. Last time got hooker joints disguised as massage shops. HDB also bo-chap till one of them got murdered by her so-called boyfriend. Now shifted to Toa Payoh, Bishan, Balestier and Upp Thomson. Just outside Nee Soon Camp also got one. So convenient for the boys!

I hope I am still in time to suggest to the Authority to consider the many empty Colonial Buildings in the Former British Military Base at Changi Village. The many empty buildings near the Old Changi Hospital are wasted if unused and they are distance away from populated area.

The Place is large and traffic flow is extremely low, the market, hawker centre and many eateries nearby will also definitely benefit with better businesses.

patriot

(#22).. AMK AVE 10?
Uh.. maybe they are more tolerant of FWs..

Maybe this will be the last straw and they will vote Mr Lee out of AMK GRC… Who knows…

Without these foreign workers, who will build bungalows for our ministers to stay ? People in Serangoon and AMK should protest by voting Pap out in the next GE. The Mps there won’t help much, because the decision to build workers quarters lie in the minister.

So this is very very clear that our rich governement listens to the rich act for the rich and protect the rich.

So those who argue that the government takes care of the poor better sit up wake up now already, no time to dream and dream and wait and wait and hope and hope.

Do and act concretely at the ballot box, if its not for yoursleves, for the bloody sake of your children, and your children’s children. And also, for goodnes sake.

#3, ronin’s comments are very current – look at the financial crisis ballooning into economic crisis now ; those responsible are probably enjoying and laughing on their yachts.

Without exemplary behaviour and sacrifices at such times, who are to look up to the president and ministers- they should start with just small acts of charity – like donating to the president’s charity challenge tonight – will you S$million dollars employee politicians take up the challenge or are you all cocooned at this difficult times having already received your pay increments ?

I think the best solution is make use of the empty cell in Changi Prison, send these foreign worker into the jail during night time when they are not in use. The prison authority may earn extra bonusses with their uccupancies.

tell me who do not have any apprehension about foreign workers living in their area. and we will know where to house these workers. frankly, i know many places people will never object – next to red-light districts (there is already no control), army camps, business parks & industrial zones. why test the serangoon residents ? don’t blame them as they are our fellow singaporeans. like us, they worked very hard to pay for their home (not cheap nor subsidised). you don’t expect them to accept if they don’t want to, do you ?

Why not house the foreign workers in Turf City where it has good access to PIE expressway, and it can have its own self-contained amenities ( F&B outlets, grocery shopping, etc ) and plenty of open space to build hostels or recreation.

#ben,
cause that is in bt timah.. and the land there is more expensive..
You can sell at a higher price than renting it to dorm operators..

no matter how people complain
the govt will still do what he thinks is rite for everyone

A country of self centred children ? We are already there. We don’t need further training. Our multi-million dollar PM & ministers had set a good example. Look after number one first. It is good to read that somewhere in SinKapore there are still people who care. Importing large number of FT/FW without making provision for accommodation is not exactly good planning. The living condition for these workers as reported from time to time had been terrible. It seemed it is alright to exploit workers and make as much money as possible without fear of procecution.What sort of society are we creating? Do one blame educated SinKaporean for leaving the country to start life anew in a foreign land? Those workers from poorer country see Sinkapore as a gold mine. Everyone wished to keep their own surrounding in tip top condition to preserveand enhance their value. It is only human nature. with million dollar ministers we are not getting value for money here. Can’t find a simple solution to a domestic problem. Maybe we should import cheaper minister from China or India.