Last year in 2013, I have visited the SAFRA Toa Payoh Bowling on Level 3 and was shocked to learn that the place was occupied by Pinoys. Apparently, they are in the Pinoy Recreational Club and to serve the strong Pinoy community, they have a club for Pinoys to get together.
It was fully booked and there was no space for Singaporeans to even bowl.
While we do understand that many foreigners need their own space for recreational purposes, choosing SAFRA as their venue is very sensitive. We all know that SAFRA has been the place for reservists to relax and train up for their reservists and for foreigners to invade SAFRA, it's akin to saying that National Service is fucked up when we have foreigners invasion at our door-step.
Since the riot in Little India, the government has been working very hard trying to tell Singaporeans that it was an isolated incident, and at the same time, encourage foreign workers to gather in various parts of Singapore instead of meeting in one single location.
Many Singaporeans have already been frustrated at the overcrowdings on trains, stadiums, shopping malls etc. I doubt Singaporeans like the idea of seeing large groups of foreign workers gathering all over Singapore, especially within HDB estates. As some Singaporeans asked, why in our neighbourhood and not the ministers’ residential estates?
In view of what the government has been lecturing us and what it hopes to achieve, I am thinking that perhaps the best place for Foreigners to gather, relax and drink is probably the parkland in The Istana.
This way, the government can really get to know how crowded and stressful it is with all the foreigners invading our spaces.
Geographically, Istana is situated next to our Lucky Plaza which is a well-known place as Pinoys' Paradise. Shopping is also expected to be a hassle-free experience.
Given that the government believes most foreign workers are law-abiding people (in fact the Prime Minister said Singaporeans committed more crimes than foreigners living here), there is no reason to worry about foreign workers dirty or damage the President’s attractive residential compound.
Best of all, PM Lee is worried about the world ranking in immigration, so by opening his doors to Pinoys in Istana, it will improve Singapore's image and world ranking.
Designating The Istana for foreign workers’ recreation after office hours would also create a powerful international publicity and aid the PAP Government’s effort to achieve its 6.9 million population target through mass import of foreigners.
CJ
TRS Contributor