Foreign Worker dormitory
In 2008, pap approved a plan to convert an unused school to house foreign workers [link]. This creates lots of concerns among the small village that the residents staying there decided to petition the pap to not build the dormitory and a meeting followed [link].
Issues raised
Many issues were raised [link]. All were concern about the safety of the residents. The meeting was highly emotional. Some Comments were a little xenophobic and stereotyping (eg the workers will get drunk[link]!). There were further suggestions that there may be incidents from staring to accidents, rapes or riot due to the lack of spaces and amenities within the dormitory. Likewise, the workers may roamed around the area.
All concerns were ignored by pap
As usual, pap brushed away all the suggestions and mention that it is a non-issue, from alcoholism to possible rape or riots. As such, the Dormitory went ahead [link]. The residents were very angry and felt that the dialogue was a pretense .Rather, the pap has made up its mind and it is doing an exercise to show the residents without addressing their concerns totally.
Straits Times Jump into labeling them
As usual, the pap propaganda mouthpiece, the Straits Times went onto labeling all those who didn’t want any homes or institutions build near to them as NIMBY(Not In My Back Yard) syndrome. It portrays these residents are selfish and self centred.
Pap proven Wrong
After the recent Riot at Little India, the residents were proven right. The same thing could have happened to them if they did not take evasive actions. In fact this is a time bomb waiting to happen. Pap was given a first warning in 2008, they failed to heed the advices from the residents. Pap insists all is fine . Instead of learning a lesson and rectifying a possible issue, Pap did nothing proactive .
Serangoon Gardens made the wise and right choice in 2011.
When election came in 2011, the whole area decided they had enough of pap immigration policies. They dared to stand up to pap and vote in Workers Party. The residents have a made a brilliant, wise and right choice in 2011, will you in 2016? Or do you want more issues to happen before kicking pap out? After all, pap MPs are those that will happily tell you that $1000 salary can support a 2 room flat, have a $8 bypass , a $0.50 Bandung drink and the workers will not do anything outrages like rioting . Please make a wise and Right Choice in 2016.Reject the 6.9 million white paper!
Anson Be
TRS Contributor