TR EMERITUS

Minister of Manpower Tan See Leng The following is a loosely translated version of an open letter that is currently being widely circulated on WeChat, supposedly from the foreign workers at Westlite Dormitory, purportedly in response to the incident mentioned by Lim Tean here and here. Open letter to Minister of Manpower Tan See Leng: Please do not call us “your brothers” If we are truly your brothers why do you surround us with riot squad and policemen? If we are truly your brothers why do you send in armored vehicles to surround our work camps? If we are truly your brothers why do you allow the work camp bosses to treat us so? Do you not know that the food we eat is infested with worms, flies and maggots? Do you not know that the Covid-19 infected and not infected are all huddled together in the same room waiting to get infected and maybe die if help does not arrive in time? Do you not know Minister that some of us have taken to sleeping on the cold hard floor in corridors to try to escape from the contagion? Minister we are not your brothers. We are only your work slaves! There are two thousand of us here, a quarter of whom have been infected? Why do you send in armored vehicles instead of ambulances? Why did you not send in doctors and nurses. Instead you send in soldiers and policemen? Truly Minister we are not your brothers because brothers do not treat each other like criminals. We are here to work to build your industries your infrastructure and your homes. You must not forget we are workers and not work slaves. The least you can do is to accord us some respect and treat us decently as human beings.   Workers from Westlite Dormitory. . Original forwarded message in Chinese below: 致：新加坡人力部部长陈思龙 请不要称我们为“你的兄弟” 如果我们真的是你的兄弟，你为什么要用防暴队和警察包围我们？ 如果我们真的是你的兄弟，你为什么派装甲车来包围我们的宿舍楼？ 如果我们真的是你的兄弟，你为什么允许宿舍的老板这样对待我们？ 难道你不知道我们吃的食物里都滋生了蠕虫、苍蝇和蛆吗？ 难道你不知道受感染的和还没受感染的都挤在同一个房间里等待被感染，如果沒及的被送院处理都可能会死的？ 你不知道部长，我们中的一些人已经习惯睡在走廊里冰冷的硬地板上以避免被感染。 部长 我们不是你的兄弟。 我们只是你的工作奴隶！ 我们这里有两千人，四分之一被感染了。 你为什么派装甲车而不是救护车？ 你为什么不派医生和护士来。 相反的，你却派士兵和警察來？ 真正[sic]的部长，我们不是您的兄弟，因为兄弟不会被像罪犯一样的对待。 我们在这里致力于建设您们的工业和基础设施和您们的家园。 你一定不要忘记我们是工人，而不是的工作奴隶。 你至少能做的就是给我们一些尊重，把我们当作人一样体面地对待。   Westlite宿舍的工人 14.10.21   According to information gathered by our techie, the complaints against the dorm operators and employees are as follows: 1. 1/4 of the Westlite Jalan Tukang dormitory’s 2,000 residents had tested positive for Covid-19. 2. the process of isolating infected residents was inadequate. 3. there was a shortage of medical supplies and that only critically ill workers were taken from the dormitory to receive medical attention. 4. the rooms were not disinfected and that they often found worms, flies and strands of hair in their food. 5. people were down with fever and positive cases were everywhere. Currently, these workers have reportedly been living in a prison environment for months, shut off from the community, except to and fro from their workplace. Beijing has taken note of this incident and has instructed its Embassy in Singapore to look into this. “We will continue to track developments, maintain communication with the Singapore side, and protect the health and safety of our workers,” a spokeswoman for the China Embassy was quoted as saying. Their condition has been widely shared on WeChat and many Chinese are furious and up in arms with some calling for donations to help their allegedly "ill-treated" countryman, while others have urged the authorities to bring their "brothers" and countryman home.      Read More →

If you are partnered parents with two school-going children, you will need a minimum of $6,426 per month to live with dignity in Singapore. If you are a single parent with one child, you will need $3,218 per month. And if you are a single elderly person, you will need $1,421 per month. These are the findings in the recent report released by a team of Singaporean researchers. Using a consensus-based methodology known as Minimum Income Standards (MIS), which is sensitive to local contexts, the researchers have determined the household budgets necessary to meet basic needs. They also suggest that "a reasonable starting point for a living wage in Singapore is $2,906 per month." Although the median work income among all workers in 2020 exceeded this amount by 56%, the median work income for cleaners, laborers, and related workers were less than half of what is needed. The median earner in services and sales earned only 73% of what is needed. The patchwork of government tax benefits and financial aid schemes does not make up for the shortfall, the researchers concluded. The thresholds are often too high and the quanta too small. The Singapore government has a duty to respond to this insightful report by overhauling the current system so as to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of society. Only then can it claim to be working for all Singaporeans.   Jee Leong Koh      Read More →

One of the most discussed problems associated with cryptocurrencies is their volatility. While the value of a particular cryptocurrency can be skyrocketing one day, it can severely depreciate the other day following some unprecedented event. While investment in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies always come with some risks, other factors have to be considered when thinking about digital currency. With various discussions on how and to what extent cryptocurrencies impact our lives, we often forget to understand how cryptocurrency mining can be extremely unfortunate for the environment. While many famous individuals have made statements about the cost of mining Bitcoin that the environment has to pay, few pay heed to it. How is bitcoin mined? Before fully understanding how Bitcoin mining can harm the environment, it is vital to have a clear concept of the mechanisms used for such activities. Bitcoin mining is much like solving a highly complex puzzle. However, these puzzles are complicated mathematical algorithms computed by the computer itself to create a new Bitcoin. Since all cryptocurrencies' most significant and striking aspect is that they are not based on a particular centralised system, mining is vital to get these coins out of the decentralised network. An average bitcoin mining software requires about 10 minutes to solve a cryptographic program and process a blockchain block. While there are many ways in which Bitcoin is mined and throughout the years, there has been much refinement in the procedure, one of the most widespread problems connected to this is the enormous amount of energy it consumes in the process. Bitcoin mining uses up a lot of electricity, and it is significantly time-consuming and energy-consuming. Even in making transactions with Bitcoin on the other cryptocurrencies, it is associated with a high level of energy usage that leads to environmental effects. Energy Consumption and its association.Bitcoin Mining The issue of colossal energy consumption by Bitcoin mining activities has become so prevalent that it has got the attention of various researchers all around the globe. While we cannot understand the influence of Bitcoin on our environment today, it is likely to show its ugly face in the years to come. Since the popularity of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are only rising, it is expected that mining activities do not end soon. This means that energy consumption by Bitcoin miners is going to increase even with the popularity of cryptocurrencies growing regularly. A significant study conducted by the University of Cambridge found that Bitcoin mining activities consume over 120 Terawatt hours per year. This is more than the electricity required annually by countries like Argentina, Malaysia and Sweden. It would surely rank in the top 30 countries with maximum energy consumption if it were considered a country. The amount of energy consumed in Bitcoin generation and transactions leaves a heavy carbon footprint that can be compared to the entire city of London. The impact on the environment The amount of pressure put on the environment is already at its maximum with climate change and pollution in every sphere. With the development of blockchain technology that is revolutionising money as we know it, it is showing its ugly faces by demolishing our environment. Increased demand for Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies means that it needs to be generated more, which causes more strain on the environment. The apparent effects are not visible to us in the present day and age, but it is likely to cause a massive mess in the coming days. Cryptocurrency mining needs to be refined in specific ways without causing such stress on mother nature. Conclusion When buying cryptocurrency from https://bitcoinxapp.com/ and other such places, it is essential to be mindful of its environmental impact. It is through actively working on the problem that we can find a solution to these eminent stressors.      Read More →