Foreign workers in Serangoon Garden

Recently, there is an issue regarding the government plan to set up foreign workers dormitories housing 1000 workers in the old Serangoon Garden Technical School. I attended the school for several months years back. I know it is located right in the heart of residential landed properties. Needless to say, the residents of Serangoon Garden are very unhappy. The polemic in Strait Times has been revealing. On one hand, there are those who sympathize with home owners and on the other hand there are those who are disgusted by the discriminatory and intolerant attitude of these homeowners. The politically correct people chastised home owners for its intolerant, racist and elitist attitudes. While it's true, many Singaporeans has a long way to get over their xenophobia, I can't help myself to feel there are elements of injustice toward the homeowners and inconsistencies on the government part at play here.

One of the argument set out by homeowner is the loss of property value. Without a doubt, the value of those premium landed houses in the immediate vicinity and possibly in the whole Serangoon Garden neighborhood will suffer a drop and may not recover so long as the dormitory is there. Considering that the home is a single most valuable asset a Singaporean most likely to own, the loss in value is going to have significant effect. One solution is to compensate homeowner with a higher plot ratio (click here to understand plot ratio) assignment for their landed home which will immediately boost up their property value at no apparent cost to the government. No one has propose this so far though.

Many, from government officers to private citizens, including Strait Times editor, has called for greater tolerance and acceptance of these foreign workers into Singapore society. However, governmental policy all along has made the call sound off key. You see, government policy all along forbids local Singapore citizen or permanent residence to be romantically involved with foreign workers including foreign domestic workers. In fact, if a foreign domestic worker became romantically involved and got herself pregnant, she would have to be repatriated even if the man responsible is willing to marry her. Future return of the mother and child to join the Singaporean/PR father of the child is almost impossible. Foreign worker policy is such that businesses are allowed to pay them so little that there is no way for them to be fully part of Singapore society and participating in the wealth they help create. In fact, with the amount they are paid, they can barely subsist in Singapore even with the cheap housing for foreign worker.

If you look at selection of foreign talent or people who are accepted to be permanent resident, it is no wonder, the citizen of Singapore is choosy in who they want to have as neighbors. To be considered for permanent residence status, you almost need to have a degree, or some sort of financial investment in Singapore. If you are poor and uneducated, you can't get a PR status even if you marry a Singaporean who are also poor and uneducated. The message is, if you are poor and uneducated, you are welcomed only as long as you are useful i.e. willing to do jobs that no Singaporean is willing to do.

It's not my intention to argue that current immigration policy is not good or vice versa. In fact, it is precisely this policy that allows stability and survival for Singapore. However, in light of this, let's not be too hasty to name call Serangoon Garden residents as racist, elitist and intolerant.

To Serangoon Garden residents, you have my sympathy. I know not all of you are xenophobics. I wish you speedy resolution to your plight.

The lack of preparation for the influx of foreign workers is an oversight on the government part. After all it was never the government's plan to use old Serangoon Garden Technical School site as foreign worker dormitories, is there? Both parties, the government and the homeowners need to find a solution acceptable to both.