• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Certain ethnic groups marginalised by government policies, UN expert says

by onlinecitizen
28/04/2010
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

Singapore needs to better protect the human rights of low-skilled migrant workers and review policies that marginalise certain ethnic groups, a United Nations racism expert said Wednesday.

“I would strongly urged the government to act swiftly to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ human rights, as this is one area where the situation is quite dire,” UN Special Rapporteur on racism and xenophobia, Githu Muigai, told reporters after concluding an eight-day fact-finding mission here.

“While there may be no institutionalised racial discrimination in Singapore, several policies have further marginalised certain ethnic groups,” he added, highlighting various shortcomings in the government’s housing, education and employment policies.

He urged Singapore should extend and enhance the coverage of the Employment Act and introduce “a minimum wage for migrant workers particularly vulnerable to exploitation, such as construction and domestic workers.”

This would help address some difficulties faced by low-skilled migrant workers, such as a foreign labour system that leaves workers highly dependent upon employers, unilateral cancellations of work permits by employers, poor living conditions, and denial of medical insurance. The plight of many foreign domestic workers, who are excluded from the legal protections offered by the Employment Act, would also be alleviated.

While acknowledging Singapore’s efforts in fostering racial harmony and discouraging intolerance, Muigai found that some of the government’s policies may be counterproductive.

“Despite the existence of various policies and institutions seeking to provide all ethnic groups with equal opportunities, it would appear that the significance of ethnic identity has not diminished,” he said.

This has resulted in instances of ethnic marginalisation, such as the entrenchment of minority status through ethnic categorisations, the minority political representation dimension to the group representative constituency system, the academic under-performance of Malay students, and under-representation of minorities in the armed forces, police and intelligence services and judiciary.

To address these problems, he recommended the removal of ethnic indicators from identity documentation, greater flexibility in the implementation of ethnic quotas in HDB estates, special education programmes for Malay students to address historical inequalities, and the introduction of legal provisions prohibiting all forms of discrimination in employment.

He also urged the government to facilitate open public discussions on issues of ethnicity by easing laws that “aim to frame and limit any public debate or discourse on an issue considered as highly sensitive.”

“I think they stand in the way of a more robust and engaging debate in Singapore,” he said. “Singapore has a vibrant intellectual culture, and this culture should be exploited in the development of a national discourse.”

An international human rights lawyer by training, Muigai also recommended several improvements to Singapore’s legal framework, including legislation banning racial discrimination in all areas of life.

This would allow for the creation of reporting, reviewing and enforcement mechanisms on issues of racism, he said.

In addition, Singapore should sign up to international instruments, such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which prescribe an “irreducible minimum standard” for human rights protection.

Muigai, who is the first UN Special Rapporteur on racism to visit Singapore, had held meetings over the past week with government representatives, parliamentarians, legal professionals, academics and members of civil society and community organisations, and private individuals.

He expects to present more detailed findings to the UN Human Rights Council by June 2011. This will be the first report on Singapore by a UN Special Procedure.

Appointed by the UN Secretary General, the Special Rapporteur on racism is mandated to examine incidents of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, as well as governmental measures that are implemented to overcome them. Like all UN Special Rapporteurs, he can only visit countries upon invitation.

By Wong Chun Han

——-

Headline picture from this source.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille
AFP

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled
AFP

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn
AFP

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm
AFP

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?
Opinion

A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

03/02/2023
AFP

Myanmar junta imposes tough new measures on resistance strongholds

03/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

03/02/2023

Myanmar junta imposes tough new measures on resistance strongholds

03/02/2023
Malaysia High Court dismissed DPM Zahid’s application to get passport returned permanently

Malaysia High Court dismissed DPM Zahid’s application to get passport returned permanently

03/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

Adani turmoil a key test for Modi’s India Inc

03/02/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
38

...

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
41

...

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

by Leong Szehian
28/01/2023
69

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
40

...

April 2010
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« Mar   May »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz