The NYT is publishing unfavourable reports on the recent riot in Little India. The paper is claiming that our govt is ill treating the foreign workers, abusing them, poor pay and poor living environment. How can that be, many of the dormitories are nicer than the homes of poor Sinkies. And some dormitories are like country clubs with recreation facilities that the foreign workers can never ever dream of in the little shanty huts in their villages.
Come on NYT, we are giving the foreign workers a life they can never have and an opportunity to be rich, to feed and uplift their families from poverty. And the riot is not due to exploitation or abuses. It is due to alcohol.
Our Ambassador has been trying very hard to explain and tell the true story that you have distorted. We agree that you have the right to your own news and opinion. At least allow us the right to reply. This is a sacred right that we offer to anyone or newspaper in our city. At least you should reciprocate. At least you must remember that we are your best friend, your most reliable friend to help you with your pivot to Asia, provide you with military base facilities here. If you don’t know, our people are angry that we are part of this military arrangement.
We even want to buy your crap futuristic aircraft that is not up to specs and willing to pay your country billions of dollars for something that is so inferior and will be rejected by other thinking countries. At a few hundred millions a piece, my God, you think we are that stupid?
Please, let our Ambassador put in his reply to give a balance view of the Little India Riot. We are your friend, don’t forget that. You scratch our back we scratch yours. And the last thing we can expect from a good friend is for you to print misinformation to hurt our reputation.
Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/