Letter by Leong Sze Hian to Straits Times forum page published on 14 August 2010:
I REFER to yesterday’s report (“Caterer acts after criticism of YOG food”).
It states: “The committee did not respond to questions on how much was budgeted for volunteers’ meals and whether there had been any guidelines for food provision.”
Since volunteers are not paid, I think the least that organisers could do is provide them with decent meals. As Singapore is hosting the first Youth Olympic Games, which will be reported by media internationally, such news does not bode well for Singapore’s reputation.
In the interest of public accountability, and given the fact that the YOG budget is already almost four times over the original budget, the following questions should be answered:
- How much was budgeted for each meal of a volunteer? Was it a problem with the budget or a case of the caterer scrimping to make more money perhaps?
- Was a tender exercise done to award the catering budget? If so, was it given to the lowest bidder, and what was the second highest bid?
Answering the above questions may help to ensure that similar problems do not occur in future events.
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If our army guys can get kfc or pizza hut when doing NDP rehearsals. I don’t see why our volunteers shouldn’t get the same
Just makes you think, doesn’t it, when only a couple of days back, a report in the same newspaper gives a glowing account of the facilities (even airconditioned dorms) and the (luxurious) variety of food available at the games village.
I’m reminded of a folk saying about bad parenting that goes, “You feed monkeys in the forest while your own child starves at home”
walamak,
volunteer food why like that?
think FT get better food…
walamak
Certainly tells us alot about our foreign policy doesn’t it
Vendor probably won the tender for a few million dollars then come up with food that costs 20 cents per meal.
that is singaporeans food. what you expect? 3 meals a day delivered to you?
What’s the problem? The forced labours are being fed food fit for them.
Pls read and compare the foods between YOG athletes and YOG volunteers.
YOG Food Controversy
http://sgforums.com/forums/3317/topics/408020?page=3
Singapore is a meritocratic society. PAP wants to inculcate the values of sportsmanship in the young. Olympic food is for Olympians, Singaporeans youths must be spurred to greater heights in the global sporting arena. Live your dreams, fly your flag, Oh yeah.
Nvr complain nvr change? See? Thats why SG people complain ma. Coz we want a change! Shame on organiser of YOG! Shame on u Vivian Bala!
Sg too many double standards! Though its corruption “FREE”!!! =)
Can any 1 feels the tremors?? Tremors of the Citizen’s disgrunt at the present Government.
Getting more n more shakkkyyyyy!!! Oppss! Ivory towers might fall soon!
who knows? =O
Singapore has always treated volunteers badly.
Many VWOs dont even grant their volunteers transport fare or a meal to offset their time/efforts taken to help out in the activities.
Granted that volunteers come out of their own free will to volunteer their time but surely they deserve something better?
In Australia, volunteers are sometimes paid a lump sum as meal allowance (between A$20-40) for their efforts to help out in the community . It is also non-taxable and permissible in the industry.
People on the dole can use their volunteering experience to re-apply for unemployment welfare making it doubly useful.
They can also list it as part of their work experience.
Let me just say I find no problem with the YOG food as a volunteer. Perhaps I am an exception, but we get catered food that is hot.
Its better than food I got by the catering while working for a HIGH CLASS restaurant or the IT fair.
By the way I have done NDP before and I prefer the YOG food to soggy, disgusting KFC. It gets tiring eating the same thing every week,and I seriously felt the torture then.
Not to say YOG food is splendid but I don’t think all volunteers get this standard of food. At least, I didn’t.
Why are you all surprised? We always give foreigners the best and keep the bad stuff for ourselves. Even the Tiger beer that pple get in Europe taste better!
I find this behaviour very strange because it is very different from most countries, for e.g. Japan, where they keep the better quality products for themselves and export the lower quality products. Amongst the many other discrepancies.
Now, if you do the math, it is not the foreigners who are the majority of the market force but us. We consume the most, we are tied down here, our values are here and we vote right here.
Here is the problem, we don’t act like we are the ones that have full control as the majority to change our own destiny.
It has been said before: “How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?”
So we have anaother silent protest from Vivian that budget is no enough so that our highfallutin troop, who spend their unmilitary days, now guarding YOG and served the lowest tier food. Hey!! even my maid have decent meal than that piece of unappetizing dried chicken cutlet. Is Singaporeans army really that unimportant in a first world country or Vivian’s budget more worth savings for other cause (his eventual bonus after YOG ended?).
YOG is trying hard to impress foreign sportsmen n hopefully some of them will become Sgp citizens
On a side note, I just left a bank and couldn’t help but notice that most of the people in the queue were PRs holding blue ICs
Daft sheep eats grass.
’3rd CLASS’ TREATMENT FOR SINGAPOREANS.
[n 'DOG FOOD' for 'DOGS']
’1st CLASS’ TREATMENT FOR FOREIGNERS.
sickening. the one that does the least, but earns the most, and then still gets to cut ribbon. No sense of proportion.
no wonder he is so daft to think that one should never retire but work for life.
it would be atrocious if the sudden increase in the YOG budget by almost $200 million is to pay for him to cut ribbon. what a waste of public money.
to the YOG volunteers (and the forced volunteers), don’t be afraid to voice out online. TOC and netizens will help seek justice for you or at least expose the YOG committee’s shameful deeds.
the amount of food wastage in SAF could feed these volunteers well.
there you go. someone’s not doing his job again!
Yeah, look at the way they treat foreigners and citizen…and look at the way they treat YOG participants and volunteer? see the link?
Apparently SFI got a 5.5 million dollar contract to feed 7000 personnel including athletes, volunteers and others.
Let’s do some math, shall we? 5.5 million/7000 = about $800 per person. Essentially SFI is getting $800 per person for the two week event. So even if we look at it over 20 days, it still amounts to $40 per day per person.
I humbly ask you one question, which place in Singapore will dare to sell you a meal like that for $40?
@ Hades
Well said and calculated although they would tell you that there are unforseen food feeding to others bla bla bla bla bla
Hades
I humbly ask you one question, which place in Singapore will dare to sell you a meal like that for $40?
………….
you are askin the very same question when we also asked how do temasek inc hav a pettycash claimed $17++BILLIONs other expenses account which is not accountable nor published in details
don’t looked @ dr balekampon….
he will says..
WE DELIVERED IT TO YOUR DOORSTEP if neccessary.. so texi meter charges lark..
I am very selective as a volunteer nowadays because of bad experience.
I spent all my time and effort, but the top always treated us like shit.
They think their time is more precious than ours, act like big fellows never respect the volunteers.
in a different era, we would have a revolt from these volunteers. e.g. they could have rise up together to protest against the authorities. That could sweep up dust and soon the rest of the folks in singapore could join them in the protest. the world will bring its camera to focus on this. pap regime call in the tanks to disperse the protesters and isd arrest them one by one.
this is the problem with S’pore, volunteers need to insist the menus of the food in black-&-white!
if not, the tables will be turned to say you (the volunteers) went in with your eyes open right?
next time, always insist on a detailed breakdown in black-&-white. dun let the grey areas put you in a disadvantage. & service porviders must spell out clearly & transparently what is the service recovery plans if things fall short. if things look fishy, dun volunteer.
no free lunch understand?! who still want to volunteer for F1 Race?
The Youth Olympics committee must apologize to all the volunteers for their shoddy treatment and compensate them financially for their time/effort and meals.
The YOC Committee should be fined by the International Olympics Committee for human rights abuse. The President of the International Olympic committee must take full responsibility for not protecting the interests and welfare of its volunteers.
The Singapore Government must learn how to take better care of its citizens and give them humane treatment. Instead they force the students to be volunteers and make them suffer hunger and lack, and work them for full benefits.
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/08/14/the-plight-of-singapore-volunteers-at-the-youth-olympic-village/
MINISTER OF MANPOWER N POLICE SHOULD INVESTIGATE ALL THESE ‘THREATS’ – ”VOLUNTEER OR ELSE…..”:
August 14, 2010 at 11:53 am
Quote-
”If I were to tell YOU to “volunteer” or face an impending penalty, I’d love to see how YOU would react.”
Even school kids are threatened with ‘go or face dentention’.
there will be many oportunities for volunteer work on the national level, please bring your phones to record clips & take pictures of “interesting” things.
that is the only way to show the rest who suspect things are not what they seem on the surface. i often carry my digicam when go out to CBD, so i can capture my Uniquely S’pore. heh…
that picture above should have been on the front page of MSM, the company should be shamed publicly & blacklisted.
My food during NS days looks way better than that. And it wasn’t even commercialized yet.
This is the PAP Dr Vivian Bala Happy Meal courtesy of SFI.
VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN SHOWS NO MERCY WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD FOR LESSER MORTALS
Quote-
“If you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place ………,
where you will have food on the table. EVEN IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT, WE WILL HAVE MEALS DELIVERED TO YOU.” (MINISTER VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN)
http://zh.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/394784?page=1
Students are forced to volunteer for the YOG even when their exams are round the corner. The have so many practices for the opening and closing of YOG tat they don’t even have time to study… Most practices end at about 12 am in the morning… For goodness sake they’re just kids, give them better food and let them go home earlier.
When someone ‘eats money’, who else but the free labour (volunteers) have to eat lousy food??????
i offer to purchase a YOG ticket per day for every meal of the same kind that vivian and teo ser luck eat in public.
and if these two buggers are game for second helpings, i will be game to sign up as YOG volunteer, but of course, they have to eat my share.
@ i can cook better
You have my support!
The food is alright! I had like rice, beancurd, chicken, cabbage at International Convention Centre ICC on 14 aug.
(plus free flow of sponsored drinks)
http://twitpic.com/2eiwzl
“Twenty-five countries will air live all of the opening and closing ceremonies. It’s a very good presence.”
For tiny Singapore, it is more invaluable exposure in its drive to prove it can compete on the global stage, despite budgets reportedly tripling to S$387 million.
“Everything we do has to be world class. We must aim high despite our size,” said Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishan.
“With imagination, team work and superior organisation, we can do it.
“This is the larger context for our hosting of the YOG, and also why we have been hosting the F1 Grand Prix, International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, and many other international events, in recent times.”
–
Vivian is world class clown, same as Lim Swee Say, why are there so many clowns in PAP. We also have a clown prince.
I bet they only budget $1 for every volunteer meal, $0.50 go to SFI.
Kanninia this is basically no law no respect already lah! Kanninia do abit volunteer works you all also want this want that! Not say never give you all eat, fry chicken & fry rice still not good har? Then what you want? lobster albalone har? Seow!
That why I say nowday young generation sg people all no hope already! Cant tahan little hard life! During our time where got so good? National day parade or minister visit estate, we all stand under hot sun wait! No food no drink no money, who dare complain? Slap you first & after, kick you out of party!
The so call Volunteers are enlisted, actually, they are forced free-of-charge labours, only very few are real volunteer. At least they should be served a decent meals like those oversea YOG having.
Always putting a false front to show the world that this tiny red dot is world class and No 1 in anything and everything at the expense of its own citizens being served dog food.
senior experience old guard, 14 August 2010
be realistic, aim to be world class than must have world class standards at every turn. if not up to standards then expect feedback to reflect things as such.
people like you who like to talk down on the younger generations, are as bad as milk pass its expiry date. the problem is that some old people like to keep things even if they go bad, like those old folks with mental health issues, house full of junks that pose a fire risk & live in filth. “abit” screw loose up there, that is why never complain. but if you try to touch or remove the junks that pose fire hazards, they go crazy.
Monumental fiasco on the global stage. Internet age, still playing “cheapo” behind that PR gloss and glamour and expecting thunderous roar of approvals – from who? SILLY to the extreme.
tender for $40/- per person per day for this kind of dog food standard, I think the CPIB should step in now.
#@#$%$^& uniquely singapore
is that the kind of food VB said will be delivered to the poor?
its disgusting to know that its very own citizens are treated like trash while foreigners are given red carpet treatment.
Most volunteers will be mentally prepared to finish undertaken task for certain period of time, and will not expect anything extraordinary in return.
Presence of volunteer not only means assigned task being done, but more importantly give big moral support to other party involved.
True wisdom is no volunteer will feel sorrow or regret for little sacrifice to see small things go on smoothly.