Andrew Loh
This is an update on the situation with the 179 Bangladeshi workers who were reported by TOC to have been abandoned by their employers. The following update is provided by a good-hearted Singaporean who was moved by their plight to help out today at the dormitory at Tagore Lane. He wishes to remain anonymous.
I have, since this morning, spoken to TWC2 (Transient Workers Count Too) and brought some bottled water down for the workers at Tagore Lane. Perry Tong from the Workers’ Party was there and he brought along some groceries, and also Wee Kiat the journalist from TODAY who covered the news – he’s there not for work but to see how he can help.
The latest development is as such – TWC2 has negotiated with Tipper and made it their responsibility to provide 3 meals a day for the workers. They will also be relocated to another dorm in Yishun, owned by Tipper, on the 20th.
But what the workers need are more than food and lodging. They haven’t been paid for two months, so they are running out of basic necessities, such as washing powder, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper etc.
I should be able to gather some donations by tonight, and with the money, i should be able to buy some toiletries to last them for another week.
For now the situation is stable, but we will need to monitor further. (BTW, TCW2 has limited funds as they are already bogged down feeding up to 300 people a day.)
As you can see, until the workers get employed again, we have to keep the help steady, and I doubt I can get a constant stream of donations from the same people.
I’m sure many readers at TOC would love to help. I’ve never done this before, asking for donations from online sources, maybe you guys are better coordinators.
Editor’s note: For now, and until we are sure donations can be collected, readers who wish to donate should get in touch with the people from TWC2. You can contact them through their website here.
———
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More good years, 3rd world shameful employment practice in Uniquely Singapore day 2… reuters please report this to the world what million dollars minister are worth their pay.
great warm hearted Singaporean we have here. if it were our politicians, they would definitely attempt to show sympathy and try to hog the limelight. and for that matter, no politicians even bothered. all want to collect those fees paid by all of them, but when it comes to their welfare, suddenly all the hands wash off. how shameful is this?
For now, and until we are sure donations can be collected, readers who wish to donate should get in touch with the people from TWC2. – Editor’s note
Why is there even red tape for donation? To discourage Singaporeans from doing the right thing since our ruling elites themselves do not want to do the right thing?
but kudo to Perry Tong for his effort
All eyes everyone, out of job crisis has just begin.. more jobless from china, malaysia, philipines, india foreign workers going to be out of job soon + 2009 geylang lorong golden age will prosper with foreign jobless people as more company going chapter 11 soon. Who says golden age won’t exist.. check out geylang lorong next year everyone, thanks to mom million dollars policy. Reuters, need a headline on asia front page… this is it!!!
how to help?
when even the bangala embassy not helpin their owned citizens @ all?
every evennin without fail
in little india off hindu lane
there will be a lorry laden with vegetarian rice packets/water for
ANY persons who just want a free large vegetarians dish rice
trust me on this
this is enough
one shouldn’t complaint
for the hindu communities in serangoon road are workin very very hard to feed our overflows of foreign talent workers
which is one far too many
as for our overpaid ministers
they one day will be repaid by Heavens’ eyes
hi smallvice
I think the rationale makes sense. I have dealt with some charity work before, and while we appreciate all the help the donors give, have the time they give things the needy don’t need. So if everyone rush to donate all kinds of things, it may not be the best way to help. We should help, but help wisely. For now I think cash donation is best as TWC2 would know the workers’ needs better.
Great job TOC for the effort to show these foreign brothers of ours that there are people in Singapore who do care for the human life. Let’s hope the people who are supposed to take care of them do the same thing and give them what rightfully belong to them.
More importantly, I hope they do not go on to strip them of their dignity and make it seem like they are a bunch of beggers asking for too much. Give them what belong to them, their wages, their food and their dignity.
Hi #6) moshedyan, let’s be a little more sensitive here. Please do not ask how to help when their own embassy is not helping them. Must we reach out to help only when others do so? Can’t we have our own backbones and do the right thing ourselves?
If you think there are a lot of ready food in little india, then make the effort to either go tell this poor people or to bring the food to them. If you cannot do this, then don’t put them down because they too might have their reasons, like you, why they cannot reach those food? I am also sure, food is the furthest thing from their minds right now.
#6) moshedyan,
No money take bus how to go down?
I think TOC will eventually have to apply for a license to run itself like a VWO (licensed by MCYS) the way it goes. It is like a welfare arm of TOC runs by volunteers. Of course, it needs to be registered like any private enterprise with ROC. As a VWO, there will be general auditting yearly and AGM has to take place.
This way, TOC can collect donations from readers and public who are sympathetic to certain sectors that they have reported so far. Politics and social causes are very inter-twined. Politics are after all about people.
As dealing with money can be a touchy issue, it is best to do it legitimately and sensibly. We have seen how big corporations (NKF) ran aground with financial collections.
Nevertheless, I am happy that TOC has slowly evolved into social causes. This is the right path to go into. There is so much we can write or talk about politics.
TKl has showed us by walking the talk at HLP for the minibond investors.
Keep it up TOC!
I agree with Gilbert that TOC has to consider if it wants to pursue social causes and that it would be good for it to register a welfare entity under its arm to serve this end. It entails full time commitment and transparency especially with donations and money matters.
I have also suggested this somewhere here in TOC that TOC undertake this challenge as it is becoming the alternative voice of the people, slowly but surely. Go sit down together and think about it. Good to have Vision and Mission statements to go along with it.
Anternatively, TOC might want to retain itself as “just a blog” and continue what it is currently doing while at the same time working closely with established interest groups which might be more than willing to help out in causes identified by TOC.
Whichever way, there is no running away now that the fire is burning brightly. Food for thought TOC.
The person or company who brought them in should provide air-tickets to send them back to their own country.
10) Gilbert Goh on December 19th, 2008 8.55 am
I think TOC will eventually have to apply for a license to run itself like a VWO (licensed by MCYS) the way it goes. It is like a welfare arm of TOC runs by volunteers.
I hope there is enough VWO groups around to meet the need that TOC will not have to do it. In this particular case, TWC2 is the better entity to collect donation and coordinate helps for this group of foreign workers.
It is better for social development that TOC is partnering with VWOs instead of becoming a VWO.
[i]Hi #6) moshedyan, let’s be a little more sensitive here. Please do not ask how to help when their own embassy is not helping them. Must we reach out to help only when others do so? Can’t we have our own backbones and do the right thing ourselves?
If you think there are a lot of ready food in little india, then make the effort to either go tell this poor people or to bring the food to them. If you cannot do this
[/i]
i liked you alot
100% kiasu kiasee singaporean spoiltbrat mentality
people out of goodhearted give you food
give you lobangs
you want it to be delivered to YOUR doorsteps as well?
wow!
when i was in london
every evennin WITHOUT fail
i have to walk
more than a mile
just to eat @ the subsidised malaysian hall meal for just o.50 pence
don’t come here hailing
hail mary
please send me food to my quarter
now you know
why singaporeans like YOU
can never qualifiys for the survivors contest….
[i]Zefly (aka Joshua Chiang) on December 19th, 2008 8.41 am #6) moshedyan,
No money take bus how to go down?
[/i]
good question
now do you need a REAL answer from me?
my upstairs neigbours
also asked me the same thinggie
i told them
try
62353535
ok peeps
want to discuss on dignity?
want to seek assistance?
GOD says
god help those who helped themselves
proven theories
when i am broke
which do happenned
if you still don’t know my situation by all my contributions
on most topics here
i eat udong @ $0.80/packet
sometime 2 or 3 times a week
even tried
4 days in a row
both lunch/dinner
i survived
simply because i know
when to have proper meals
when not
please don’t come here singing
FOOD is not in their minds right now
~zhee~
moshdeyan…
why are you so angry? Hugs….
Hi moshedyan,
it’s just a simple call to be sensitive to the situation, and I do not see it in you to have such a quality from the replies you gave. I sincerely hope you see beyond your own experiences and give thanks that you are more adaptable than others who may not be endowed with the same adaptabilities.
All of us have our “I-have-been-there-and-done-that-to-survive’ experiences or theories to tell but the difference is we do not then tell everyone else that they ought to be as clever as we are.
Thank God you are smarter and wordly-wise than others.
what does it GOD gotta do with it?
God didn’t place food on my table
i go out to seek it
in 1 way or another
you on the other hand
act as though
you can empowered our government to assist
my experience here is
NOT to boost
it for you all
to see
the REAL situations around us
as i have said before
nothing is for FREE
those foreign workers?
am i not a foreign worker myself
when i venture to london?
have you been homeles/hungry?
i have
have you ever slept in a smelly phonebooth sitting down
or in a bustop really really a bustop on a cold winter night
with a policeman who came knocking
asking why are you camping in a bustop
and let you sleep throughout the night peacefully?
last but not least
have you ever sleep in a real broken down temple
with poor monks giving you charity?
so what is
YOUR experience?
Hi moshedyan,
We are not here to compare your plight with others. We are not here to ‘boast’ who have suffered more. While you go on harping over your poor state of affairs in times gone past, the world has to continue to rotate and time does not stand still.
All these things you have written here would be better if spoken into the ears of those poor workers. Maybe they can learn a lesson or two from you. Why waste your time telling it to us? Someone might just drop in with stories of their own and then you will have no where to hide your face.
Just a little biscuuit for you to digest. Have you heard of a place call ‘Smokey Mountain’?.
If you do not like God, even though you were the first to use the word, then I say, thank your lucky stars.
I appreciate moshedyan opinion cos the lesson i draw from his poems is not to think becos i got money & comfortable in my HDB flat or aircon office typing messages, that i know what is best FOR other peoples and can tell them what to do. People is funny one – we want to do kind, charitable, generous, compassion deeds becos it is the right thing to do.
anyway my wuliao point is to say don’t count on god(that’s the nietzschen Moshedyan for u) or even my own ‘self’ to do the right thing cos i think big big things like the political system, education system, transport system, housing system, healthcare system n so on must PCK Pte Ltd renovate first so that we can live in a society that got true openness & bruddership, regardless of lace, language or leligion.
# 6) moshedyan, how to help? when even the bangala embassy not helpin their owned citizens @ all?
Hi The Prince,
Thanks for your royal perspective and I do agree that there are lessons, lots even, that we can learn from Moshedyan’s writings.
However, i do not think his message was, “not to think becos i got money & comfortable in my HDB flat or aircon office typing messages, that i know what is best FOR other peoples and can tell them what to do”
He posted his first comment by asking how to help when even the bangala embassy is not helping its own citizens and then went on to described his innovative ideas for survival which he felt he, and only he, the only one in the whole wide world, has the right to tell. The rest of his posts are continuation of this boast.
I made a simple call for him to be sensitive to the plight of these workers, that was all. Suddenly, God and lobangs and London came into the picture. What more can I say.
Hi Friends;
Let us not be over generous or too down to earth.
moshedyan has some wisdoms while the generous have too kind hearts.
Remember the case where a family received over $400K donation when the man of the family jumped into the MRT track infront of a oncoming train? Did You see how the family was treated by the neighbours, hawkers and schoolmates shown by our telecasts? They(the family members) were ostracized, how funny, fuzzy and unfathomable we can be. Outpouring of sympathies turned sour before the grief of the family even subsided.
I am sadden by the inhumane treatments of the foreign workers and their plights but I am just as disappointed that they loaned SIN$5000 to $10,000 just to work for a meagre income overseas(away from their families and homes). This reported sum of monies are huge amounts(value) in their countries of origin which mean that the loans could be seed monies or capitals to start off some kind of small businesses or primary product industries(domestic) in their own hometowns.
Sacrificing and forsaking much of the family togetherness in exchange for a pittance to work overseas may not be the wise. I suspect them to have wrong priorities, forgive me for digressing.
By now Singaporeans should have known that while there are people here who have no qualm exploiting others, including ourself, there are also kind souls everywhere in SINgapore. There were floods of sympathies everytime a sad story is publicized and You know what? Much of those misplaced sympathies are exploited again and again by schemers.
We have to be kind and sympathetic but also got to check our emotions to be rational and purposeful. I call for direct donations instead of going through second or third parties.
patriot
gemami on December 19th, 2008 11.32 am Hi moshedyan,
We are not here to compare your plight with others. We are not here to ‘boast’ who have suffered more.
Just a little biscuuit for you to digest. Have you heard of a place call ‘Smokey Mountain’?.
If you do not like God, even though you were the first to use the word, then I say, thank your lucky stars.[/i]
i simply asked you
what is YOUR experience
you have
nonne to start with
i have leechers who wants to lean on me
some of them are my owned relatives/old best kakis
i simply told them
where were you
when i was in dire straits?
i have one true friend
who is indeed a real friend in need
i just express myself one day many years ago
my bank book went dry
immediately without a doubt
he came over
i wasn’t in
he dropped $50 for me
when he himself is a family man
i owed him his kindness
and when i striked 4D
no not the jackpot
i brought him to china for a holiday
together with another 2 other kakis
(which wasn’t that truthful @ all)
yet this same bloke sticked with me throughout the holidays
we enjoyed together
till today
we still are good kakis
unfortunately
bad gloomin future for him
he just got retrenched few months ago
with a brand new car to maintain
i also cannot help him
so when people asked me for a handout
i alway replied
why?
you don’t have limbs?
Hi patriot,
No one could have said it better:
moshedyan has some wisdoms while the generous have too kind hearts.
Hi moshedyan,
Let’s not get carried away. I am taking a step back because deep down in our hearts I believe we are standing on common ground and we do feel for these workers. I understand fully your point of view that these people could have done more to help themselves like the examples you have shared about yourself.
How much more they could have done for themselves is open to debate because when placed in a situation like theirs, when they were expecting promises to be carried out, they were left in the lurch without any knowledge of when will happen next.
For example, they were waiting for food to come but it did not come. If they had known that food was not going to come, I am sure they would have done something about it and go look for some other alternatives. Bottomline is, they were waiting for things that ought to have happen to happen but it did not happen and they were left in the lurch.
It was later that they had to contend with the fact that their employers have disappeared and this is why we call it a plight.
I am fine if you want to continue to share your experiences with us but I ask that you respect my wish to keep mine to myself, suffice to say, they are not too far off your own experiences. This is besides the topic of interest.
You would make a very wise man if you can tame your anger. It can be clearly felt in your writings.
Let me be the first to apologize to you if I had offended you in any way. I am not here to pick fights.
Cheers :)
Mosyedyan, perhaps you are sour and bitter bcos when you needed help, a little kindness from people back in London you did not manage to get any from the system nor from the people there? Do you thing that you deserve it ?
So you feel that given these similar condition of these foreign workers they should also learn the hard way. Would’nt you have appreciated it if the policeman had shown you a little compassion or a place for shelter from the cold winter night?
moshedyan … u really lol … wat a typical singaporean
The difference between Mosyedyan & the FWs:
You were alone , there is 179 of them
It was winter, It is a desirable 28 degree in a tropical climate
You had nowhere to go, they have a shelter over their heads at the moment
You’ve got noone to blame, they are blaming their employers and agents
More importantly you were in 1st world London,
Now you are in 1st world Singapore!
They should be able to survive without any help eh?
[i]Would’nt you have appreciated it if the policeman had shown you a little compassion or a place for shelter from the cold winter night?[/i]
and get lockup in a jailcell
missing my 7am 1 and only bus to london?
what so bitter?
i chose to go oversea to work
the 179 all come to singapore together?
they too must adapt
onced again
you are talking about numbers
a packed of wolves
remembered
opened your eyes
go around the world
see for yourself
how they lived
only then will you appreciate
do you want to live the early 60s/70s?
try visiting china villages
today
they still don’t know
or even hear the word
economic depression
do you all want to know why i was homeless in london?
i chose to?
the employer fired me
as you too should have known
i was a workpermit holder
simply because i refused to do slavery job which is not my
DUTY in the 1st place?
ok let me give you an insight
if i employed you as a waiter
i also demand that you cleaned all the hotel toilets as well
when there are no patron in the hotel cafe
would you stoop to that level
in london?
i went to ministry of labour
submit my complains
the next day
the employer terminate my employment sayin i breached a contract?
within 24 hours
i must vacate the hostel permise
so what is the difference between me and the 179 worker?
Hi moshedyan,
It’s not nice calling people all sort of names. A pack of wolves? How so? Do you know how a pack of wolves behave? Have you been beaten up during your escapades and ending up with broken limbs and slashes all over? Get over your anger, please, for goodness sake.
so what is the difference between me and the 179 worker?
Your’s is your own doing, you decided not to stoop so low to wash toilet but rather sleep in a realy really bus-top.
These 179 workers were not given this choice even.
[i]gemami on December 19th, 2008 1.17 pm
Your’s is your own doing, you decided not to stoop so low to wash toilet but rather sleep in a realy really bus-top
wow!
i am really really amaze
you would indeed bent over to wash toilet
so what next?
sleeping with the hotel general manger as well?
what wrong for calling them a pack of wolves?
even our minister run liked a pack of wolves
what is GRC?
which country have this system?
isn’t the wolves here showing their teeth
not only do this wolves wants your money
they also wants YOUR organs
proved to me
i am WRONG
again
in my this wolves statement
Hi moshedyan,
I shall not persist with this argument if you continue to be persistently insensitive. I am retracting my earlier apology to you because I had hoped you could be wise but you have continued to show that you would rather let your anger dictate your wisdom.
I was also wrong to suggest that you felt for the plight of these poor workers. You do not have any concern for them except disdain for not being as resilient as yourself.
As long as you continue to allow your anger and hatred of grow within you, you will never be a wise man but one who sees the world with anger and hatred. They have engulfed you too deep.
God bless you, I sincerely pray. Good bye and good luck.
gemami on December 19th, 2008 1.29 pm Hi moshedyan,
You do not have any concern for them except disdain for not being as resilient as yourself.Good bye and good luck.
don’t prayed for me
prayed for them
concerned for them?
all this while
how do you want me to show concerned?
by holding their hands
and says
may Allah go with you perhaps?
stopped sitting behind your aircon office
and start walking…
Moshedyan, you are not unlike moir.
Moshedyan, you are very stubborn.
Just let this F Workers get the help from our beloved citizen.
Patriot
I think these Fws must have calculated their sums before they borrow or beg to pay the $8,500 voyage to prosperous Singapore. They must be promised much more or else do you think they will come?
They must be shocked to see the condition that they are in right now.
To me, they are fleeced or hoodwinked to come as 100 X $8,500 agent fees is alot of money. One can retire atfer that.
I agreed with you that I prefer to give directly to an organisation than going to another party e.g. TWC2. I normally give according to my conscience and gut feeling.
If TOC asks for a donation to this group of workers, I will give. If you ask me to give and they will channel the donation to TWC2 i will think twice. I know and trust TOC – it’s that simple.
It’s up to TOC now I guess. By applying as a VWO arm of TOC, there will be more planning and work to be done. However, looking at SIngapore now, there seems to be no end in what a VWO can do even though there are many VWOs now. By combining the socio-political site with actual ground work, TOC will be a real force to be reckoned with.
Not that many VWOs can appeal to the general public like TOC. It is more like a brand name by itself already.
Point to consider TOC.
did i stopped any of you
for helping the foreign workers?
you are free to do whatever you wants to do
from your aircon office to your starbuck cafe
as for me
i am free
not to help any foreign workers @ all
when all my neigbours upstairs
can’t even lived a day to day without sadness
so who is stubborn here?
the one that sit in an aircon office
or the one who can hear the sadness cries
every morning?
Hmm…. very strong and valid argument, Gilbert. I second the call for TOC to seriously consider. My cheque book is ready.
sarek_home (#13),
I agree with you. TOC would do better by partnering with other VWOs. What TOC should be doing now is to build up its key competencies (news-making, reporting, analysis, perspective and communication) first before expanding into too many areas.
I don’t think there is a lack of VWOs in Singapore but rather the lack of awareness to social issues, compounded by apathy and selfishness that have led to illusion that there are no social problems in Singapore just because MSM doesn’t report these issues as often as PAP’s merits.
Did they(MEN IN WHITE) department *Ministry of Labour, KNOW This Workers
stranded??
Hi gemami, Gilbert Goh and all Friends;
I want to say that TOC has been doing a great job, thank You Folks very much.
And I wish that more people in Singapore as well as elsewhere will visit this great site and give it pointers, criticisms and helps. However, I do feel that we should not be asking too much and having too many requests from TOC. Many, I believe, like smallvice585 and me, share the views of sarek_home(#13) that TOC partner other VWOs.
As the social and political developments largely run counter to the wishes and hopes of the people, more are finding TOC helpful and a effective organization for us to express our views, exasperations, frustrations and even despondences. We are awared that the Government monitors TOC and its’ members have appeared and been featured in the MSM.
Of course, we wish that more will volunteer with TOC and offers of assistances in equipments and services are made in postings as we have read them, they augur well for TOC.
Sentiments and expressions are sometimes very vehement due to bad experiences and sufferings, it is quite understandable. Hopefully, we should do our best to avoid being personal, confrontational and combative. We all like to be constructive, I am sure. Venting and ranting against policies and rules will be very acceptable to all but nevertheless we can still try our best to be friendly and polite.
Have a good weekend!
patriot
[i]patriot on December 19th, 2008 12.19 pm Hi Friends;
Let us not be over generous or too down to earth.
moshedyan has some wisdoms while the generous have too kind hearts.
Remember the case where a family received over $400K donation when the man of the family jumped into the MRT track infront of a oncoming train? Did You see how the family was treated by the neighbours, hawkers and schoolmates shown by our telecasts? They(the family members) were ostracized, how funny, fuzzy and unfathomable we can be. Outpouring of sympathies turned sour before the grief of the family even subsided.
[/i]
here is the main story
read the link
sorry toc
is not that i want to hijack or whatever
i was challenged
what would i do
if someone come knocking…
http://www.findsingapore.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9508
or this
http://www.youngpap.org.sg/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=23192&highlight=noelofarc
while you are @ it
try doing a seached engine
on moshedyan/matagandhi in youngpap
don’t says i didnt give feedbacks @ all
thank you
have a nice weekends for all
Hurray to all kind hearted Singaporean who cares for human rather than the current regime of elite who only think for themselves. But still remember that people still desire a merry Christmas … Donate to the BBSGB Sharity Gift Box for the poor Singaporean will be extremely kind and helpful this Christmas season.
I have a different view
mosehdyan..
Why are you still so angry? Hugs hugs
Hi moshedyan;
thank You for your Response#Post45 !
patriot
[i]) Zefly (aka Joshua Chiang) on December 20th, 2008 10.37 am mosehdyan..
Why are you still so angry? Hugs hugs
Current score: 0 49) patriot on December 20th, 2008 11.17 am Hi moshedyan;
thank You for your Response#Post45 !
patriot
[/i]
you are welcome
you certainly deserved a respected reply
as for zefly
not angry lark..
its my nature
This mess is created by MOM.
Shouldn’t MOM do something?!
I hate to say this, but the truth is … if they can’t find jobs now .. they will not later.
Since they have no job, cancel their work permit and send them home.
Fine the companies involved, both main and sub-contractor and compensate the workers accordingly.
Frankly, the longer they stay .. the worse their situation will become. And they can’t expect to live on singaporean charity on long term basis.
MOM should start having some SOPs on such events propping up by the dozens soon.
Man, bunch of useless beauracrats.