5/15/2014

Are Sinkies crazy, stupid or what, too clever?

There are more than 700k Work Permit holders working here. Last night’s Talking Point’s topic was about whether to integrate these foreign workers or to leave them alone. The general view was that Sinkies must take the initiative to reach out to these transient workers, to get to know them, to organise activities for them or to participate in their activities. One went further to suggest that the foreign workers should be involved in our grass root activities, even patrolling to keep the place safe. My eyes are rolling. I could go on to elaborate more of the things the panellists would want to do to make these workers feel appreciated, to tell him how grateful we are for them to build our homes, roads and infrastructure and to help to grow out economy. I would like to add that we should invite them to our homes on their festivals or holidays, and likewise when we are celebrating ours. We should also celebrate their birthdays and show them how caring and gracious we are.

It keeps me thinking. How much time does an average Sinkie has to socialise and integrate with the foreign workers? Does an average Sinkie has time for his/her parents, siblings, Sinkie friends and neighbours? Or are they so tired after work and would like to have some moments of peace and rest for themselves? There is this presumption that the Sinkies have a lot of free time and a lot of energy and money to spend time with the foreign workers. Their well being is our responsibility, the responsibility of all Sinkies.

There were some sensible views expressed, like these are workers here to make a living. Give them a decent place to live, to rest and to play. Give them decent working environment, take care of them and make sure they are paid. Don’t cheat on them. These are the responsibilities of the average Sinkies? What about their employers and recruitment agents who benefited from their labour and fees? What about the govt that collects fees from the workers to be here? Shouldn’t it be their responsibilities to take good care of them?

Do we need to integrate them to our way of life or we integrate into their way of life? Are they citizens that are going to be part of us? Are they PRs that are here on a long term basis to live with us and try to be one of us?

There is one very serious issue that ‘seow’ Sinkies are taking for granted. These are very nice people, like the rioters in Little India. I have to be fair here when making this comment. In every community or group of people, the majority are nice or decent people. These include the Sinkies. But in every group, including Sinkies, there is always that 5% or 10% that could turn bad when given the opportunity or temptation. You want to take the risk with them? You know which one is going to be bad? You want our innocent young girls to go and socialise and play with them?

One source of trouble with people is familiarity. When people get to know someone too well, they get to know the weaknesses and vulnerability of that person. When people are invited to your homes, they get too familiar and could have naughty and dangerous ideas. Think of the stranger you brought home and trusted to take care of your old parents and children. There are that 5% to 10% that could bring harm to you while you try to be very nice, very gracious, very caring and very clever.

My view, very subjective, is that the foreign workers should be left alone to live their lives as long as we don’t mistreat them, don’t exploit them, don’t abuse them. There is no need to want to be too clever or too nice. But there will also be the 5% to 10% of Sinkies that would want to be very nice to them. Go ahead and be nice.

Do not force it upon the average Sinkies to go and socialise and integrate with strangers they have nothing to do with in their lives. Do not ask for trouble when there is no need to. Do not create the familiarity and the temptation to bring harm to oneself or family members when there is no need to. They live their lives and the Sinkies that choose to live their own lives should stay that way.

Sinkies don’t ‘kee seow’ and ask for trouble that you would curse yourself later on. Many will be lucky and have good experiences and stories to tell. Better to treat each other at arms length, unless one has good reasons to be connected out of necessity or work, and be cautiously and tentatively respectful and safe. Often kindness does not beget kindness but harm and pain. That is the hard truth in life. But of course, for those who have so much time and love for the foreign workers, do not be affected by my cautionary comments. Go and do what makes you happy and make the foreign workers happy.


Kopi Level - Green

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let Sinkies or whoever talk what they want lah.

If u think they talk nonsense, just ignore.

If they talk sense, listen and maybe learn and make, especially $ and cents and kopi.

If not ah, nothing to talk on Talking Point, or nothing to write on their blog or comment, tio bo?

Anonymous said...

Talk on Talking Point got kopi or not?

If got, must talk sense lah, like RB.

Anonymous said...

They think foreign workers so fucking free like a Minister without Portfolio is it?
The foreign construction workers get how many days off a month?
The maids get how many days off a month?

They think foreign workers so stupid like PAP grassroots and PAP Ministers to do wayang is it?

Foreign workers are not stupid like Singaporeans.

Anonymous said...

There was a molest case published in the newspapers not long ago. It was about a woman being nice and friendly and offer drinks to foreign construction worker doing upgrading works in her block. She was later molested by the foreign worker. Pls be careful who you mingle with.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

How come the sheeple take a bunch of idiotic talking heads on TV so seriously...as if these attention-obsessed fuckers have some sort of "special biological apparatus" to tell other lesser mortals how to live and behave.

They don't call TV the "idiot box" for nothing.

Actually, if you just leave people the fuck alone, they will form relationships by the same natural, messy and chaotic process that has been happening for as long as our species has existed -- i.e. about 200,000 years by the latest estimates.

I doubt a panel of self-important but in reality insignificant yaya cocksuckers on TV have any real value to add to this natural process, based on the FACT that we're a mammalian, social species.

Anonymous said...

Stupid unthinking Sinkie women think they want to be nice to them and nothing more. But the sex starved FWs got the wrong message and think the women are asking for it.

How to teach daft women to use their head to think? They think these men are robots, got no urges and desires.

MS you got any good ideas?

Anonymous said...

Sex starved Foreign Workers?
Of course lah!
All the sexually active young males from the Indian sub-continent.
All the sexually active young females from Indonesia, Philippines and Myannmar.

And you control any chance of fraternizing by keeping the males in dormitories.
And the female maids at their employers' home.
With only one or two days off a month.

Anonymous said...

It will be entertaining to have a talkshow called Talking Cock And Bull. Sure to hit the charts.

Anonymous said...

Sinkie women, paint nice nice, smell nice nice, dress nice nice, and strut among the FWs. What do you think will the FWs be thinking and wanting to do to them?

Never see so many women acting so silly. It is like mice running around in a room full of hungry cats. Knowing they want it and still walking right into them, like offering themselves to them.

Anonymous said...

Have they forgotten that when NS started, Malays were excluded because of their close connection to Malaysia via kins and relatives and in the event of war, these Malays may be in a diliema as to which side to take. That was an issue involving our closest neighbour.

Are we sure that this will no longer be a problem now? Surely the Little India riot gives a clear indication of where foreigner's hearts and minds will point to in the event of disputes?

We are playing with fire.

b said...

If they join hands and revolt around CNY, sg will be easily taken over because many sinkies will be out of town. Be careful what to wish for. They are not here to enjoy live and integrate. They are here to earn a living. PERIOD.

The indians revolted against the british when the british started to recruit, train and help them. So many british and their families were killed. Better to trust the snake than the snake charmers.

b said...

I still think their existence is a threat to sg and sinkies politically, economically and socially. Perhaps we should put a tracking device on them to ensure that they will not be up to any mischief that will jeopardize the stability and progress here.

patriot said...

It is good to have Rb and the many sensible commenters here balancing the sickies in the Talking Point Programme doing 'quee kong lanpa song' sweet talking imaginative bird talking panelists. These bird talking Sickies ever remind employers to pay 13th Month and bonuses to foreign workers? Did they ensure that foreign workers are provided with proper shelter and given adequate medical care???

Fucking big mouths full of bird talks.

patriot

Anonymous said...

totally agree with patriot.
and the govt should also make sure that these people get paid their monthly ages. these are basics, but not in so-called 1st world Spore! exploitation is the game here.

in one typical case I know of, the foreign worker's boss went bankrupt and he was to be sent home. he was owed 2 months pay. he was told in no uncertain terms that if he complained to MOM, he would never be able to come back to work in spore again. so he left spore without complaint...

the question is, if he had complained, what use would it have been?

see now why sporean workers are treated so shoddily?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@1103:

>>MS you got any good ideas?

No. Zero. I deal mostly in opinion -- which is free. "Ideas" cost money. "Good Ideas" cost even more.

Actually, I like Singapore women -- they have attitude and character. I much prefer them over Singapore men. I think the dudes are mostly FUBAR -- low on character, low on value, low on style...you get the picture ;-)