TR EMERITUS

Click to enlarge The story of what happened to Zakir Hossain, the Bangladeshi worker whose work pass was not renewed has reignited the usual storm on who are the foreigners that living and working in Singapore. Mr. Hossain is regarded in some camps as someone who has worked hard in the jobs that Singaporeans were simply not willing to do. However, there are a group who think that Mr. Hossain is an ungrateful SOB who had the audacity to complain about not wanting to live in a place where the Minister of Manpower was only willing to enter if he was in a hazmat suite. So, given that the topic has ignited a few interesting views, I thought it might be worth asking ourselves who these chaps are. It’s a question that needs to be asked because as with passionate debates, both sides become so focused on the debate and their point of view, that they forget that what you’re talking about is a human being. It’s easy to blame your problems on a group when you label them as “illegals” or “criminals,” especially when that group has less than you. However, when you fall into that trap, you lose something important – your basic humanity. I look at the issue of “foreign labour,” from the sad reality of being a “loser” in the capitalist system. Didn’t get a foothold to build a corporate career in a field that I would excel in. When I freelanced, I had a few lucky breaks but couldn’t quite build on it. So, at the age of 38, I ended up waiting tables so that I could pay basic bills and you could say that I should have become the prime target for unscrupulous snake oil salesmen wanting political power (graduate member of the ethnic majority needing to take subsistence job to survive). I didn’t go down the dark path for a simple reason. When I became a “loser” in the economic system, I became a “winner” as a human being. My fellow waiters for Pinoys and the chefs were primarily Tamil chaps from India and Malaysia. These guys became my work mates and I got to know them as people who had things like families. The guy from that period of my life that comes to mind is Rafey, the Pinoy chap who did all the “real” work at the Bistrot for seven-years. He became invaluable to me. I was the one that customer liked but I could only be liked because Rafey did the work. Poor guy had only one problem – he was a bloke and when a little Minx got hired, he suddenly found himself surrounded by rumours that he had made attempts to molest her (which were not true) and he was eventually fired after seven years of loyal service. Working in a restaurant was an eye opener and I remember there were people in Singapore who thought that Trump’s rhetoric in Mexicans was great. For me, I couldn’t understand it because in the Singapore context, it was like saying people like Rafey had “stolen” jobs from me and from my experiences with the guys – this line of thought, simply did not make sense. The guys I worked with, saw an opportunity to earn a bit of money to give their families a better life. The Pinoy and Indian chaps I worked with in the restaurant were just ordinary guys trying to make a living just like me. Then I went to work in the insolvency trade and saw that the “screwing” of the downtrodden wasn’t a text book exercise. If anything, it was perfectly legal and, in many cases, encouraged. One of my early cases was a construction company which had 30 over workers who hadn’t been paid for over five months. As the Company had been liquidated, we had to fire them. A few of the Tremeritus crowd get very upset with me for being “pro-Indian” and “anti-Chinese.” The truth is, I’m particularly pro or anti anybody but the fact remains, many of the people who have blessed me, have inevitably been Indian (and in many cases, Muslim). I’ve mentioned that I was lucky to be on the receiving end of guys in the IIT and IIM Alumni associations. However, you could say that what transpired between myself and the guys with corporate jobs was part of my “good” fortune. My real blessing was dealing with the workers that I sacked and couldn’t help get money that they had worked for but could not claim. These guys have every reason to hate me. I was the public face of the end of their livelihood. Every time they called me to ask for the money they were promised, I was the one with the story. I didn’t believe me half the time, yet the listened to my “excuses.” I did encourage them to harass me. I did tell them they had the right to attend creditor meetings. I did extend loans from personal funds to a few. This last point in particular is “controversial,” in as much as I was violating professional rules of favouring creditors and as a colleague kept saying “You know you can’t trust Bangladeshi Workers,” (her judgement was based on working in a law firm that had to defend workers whom she believed were screwing insurance companies.) It wasn’t easy. I got calls at the most in appropriate moments on a regular basis I had to psychologically write off the pennies I was giving out. Thankfully, humanity won the day. When we finally paid the workers what was due to them, I got most of what I had lent out. Here is a message from Bangladeshi Worker I had lent some money to during that period: In another case, the guy actually called me up to tell me his wife had given birth to twins. I was officially the first person outside his family whom he told. Met him on the day that he was flying back to India and he paid me most of what he owed and I got dinner out of it. It’s like this, these guys were just trying to make a living. They were willing to clean our crap because it pays better than the professional jobs available back home. They’re willing to put up with a lot of crap so that they can get that opportunity to provide for their families (I still get text from these guys asking if I can help find jobs in Singapore). They are, what you would call just acting out like how normal people would react in certain situations. They aren’t passive victims nor are they active criminals. They are merely human beings trying to earn a living and if you look at the instances where they have “rebelled” and “complained” about, its inevitably been in situations where most of us would probably act in that particular way. Think about it, in 2013, when they went riot, they did so because the police seemed more interested in protecting the guy who killed their friend than in solving the problem. The latest instant with Mr. Hossain, is merely a case of a human being stating that he' doesn’t think people should live in a place that causes disease (a fact which the minister in his hazmat suite confirmed). The start of any policy towards our foreign workers should be based on remembering that they’re humans like us who were in a certain situation and will behave accordingly.   Tang Li *Although I’ve been based mainly in Singapore for nearly two decades, I’ve had the privilege of being able meet people who have crossed borders and cultures. I’ve befriended ministers and ambassadors and worked on projects involving a former head of state. Yet, at the same time, I’ve had the privilege of befriending migrant labourers and former convicts. All of them have a story to tell. All of them add to the fabric of life. I hope to express the stories that inspire us to create life as it should be.      Read More →

Where is the PAP after promising in the manifesto “With you, For you, For Singapore”? Not only are consumers suffering because of high inflation, hawkers themselves unable to make a decent living despite putting in more than 12 hours of back-breaking work each day. And yet, we are seeing coffeeshop stall rents being increased by 2 times overnight from $6000 to $12,000 overnight after exchanging hands for more than $40 million! What is the PAP government doing about this? In fact, their policies such as GST are making things much, much worse for the average Singaporean! We must regain our country, our dignity and our future!   Prabu Ramachandran      Read More →

Ms Kirsten Han I hope the Supreme Court judges read Kokila Annamalai’s article. Datchinamurthy Kataiah, a death row prisoner who is alive today, saved by last minute application is waiting to battle against the powerful Attorney General for compensation and other claims which I am not privy to. In the judgements of several cases, starting with the final appeals of Iban worker, Kho Jabing in 2016, judges made harsh comments, imposed personal costs on lawyers and described their attempts to save lives in unkind terms such as an "abuse of court process". The judges had raised questions following the public prosecutor's objection and mischievous suggestion (in Nagaenthran Dharmalingam's case) that there were hidden hands behind the applications who must be hounded out so that executions can be carried out without 11th hour applications. Lawyers who dared file last minute applications have been punished with hefty personal costs. Ravi M is one of them. The few who may be on the brink of taking on these life and death cases have been cowed. Even commissioners for oaths are afraid of carrying out their work. In my opinion, judges have unwittingly succeeded in damaging the independence of the legal profession to a point of no return. Would a fearless leader like the late Mr Francis Seow emerge one day? I am proud of the young anti-death penalty campaigners. They fight on despite their lack of legal training. Unlike lawyers whose leaders shut down and refuse to hear, see or act, or even say a few words, they bring their battles to the open. They wear bold anti-death penalty t-shirts and continue to disrespect unjust and senseless laws, laws that only harm us but protect the politicians. Ministers had attempted to "kill" activists at select committee hearings. We saw 10 Committee members including ministers vs one individual at the televised debates. We saw the gang seated on raised benches, like judges adjudicating a case in court. The very set up of the room tells us that those in the committee believe they are superior beings and they had no intention of listening to honest opinions of witnesses. They were out to demean witnesses especially the young activists like Kirsten Han and Dr P J Thum. But these young people survived and survive very well after the select committee hearing! They are fearless. A few days ago, the young met another storm. This time the job is carried out by the subordinates of the ministers - the Bedok Police Division. Officers threatened to charge two anti-death penalty activists, Kirsten Han and Rocky Howe for illegal procession - for wearing anti-death penalty t-shirts and crossing the road in bright daylight. The officers demanded that they strip the shirts off their backs. Shame on them for daring to ask a woman for her shirt. Instead of cowering to the demands of those in power, Kirsten and Rocky Howe retaliated with this statement: [LINK] Singapore lawyers and the Singapore Law Society should learn from these young people. They should stand up for their rights and carry out their duty to defend innocent people from those who abuse their power. They should not be the three proverbial monkeys. Let me end with a poem by Bangladeshi poet, Muzahidul Reza on power. Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely Once in jungle a rat was very frightened by a cat Somehow it escaped from the attack, There the rat met a Saint and prayed To be a large cat, So, it was turned into a cat And it began to kill rats, But dogs often used to chase it, Being unhappy it prayed to be a mighty dog, So it was then turned into a big dog And it began to torture the cats, But tigers began to chase it So, again it prayed to be a tiger, Finally the Saint turned it into a tiger, This tiger began to feel very mighty That made it so proud of power, Ill thoughts entered its brain heavily It planned to attack and kill the Saint; Some evidences made the Saint understand Instantly he turned it into the pre-rat.   Teo Soh Lung      Read More →