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Joo Chiat fire – an old issue surfaces

Published

14 years ago

on

Andrew Loh

Following the fire which broke out at a restaurant at Joo Chiat Place last Thursday, several residents from the area have written to their Member of Parliament, Mr Chan Soo Sen, to raise certain concerns.

Besides the issues of the accessibility of escape routes, the presence of suspected vice activities, and the cleanliness of the estate, the residents were “shocked” by the sheer number of people which had spilled out from the upper floors of the building which housed the restaurant, when the fire started at about 10.30pm.

Mr Tan, who witnessed the blaze, estimates that there must have been more than 100 people lining the road that night, some of whom he saw escaping from the upper floors of the building.

“The occupants were climbing out of the second floor window,” Mr Tan tells The Online Citizen (TOC) “and a ladder was used to get to safety on the street. What really caught our attention was the number of people who scampered out from that second floor unit – there must have been about 20 people! Most of them appeared to be foreigners, and quite a few even escaped with their suitcases in tow.”

Fortunately, no one was injured in the blaze, which was caused by an explosion of gas cylinders. According to news reports, the fire was put out in less than half an hour.

“We had always suspected that the [units] were overcrowded,” Mr Tan says, “with landlords tenanting rooms to a large number of foreign workers, ranging from labourers to bar hostesses working in pubs in Joo Chiat Road.”

TOC paid a visit to the restaurant on Saturday afternoon and found that it was closed. Plastic chairs, burnt and half-melted by the fire, were strewn outside the restaurant. The lone staircase, which was the only escape route for occupants in the upper units, was rendered inaccessible as the fire raged through it, evidenced by the blackened walls and charred railings. The passageway to the upper units was dark, even in the afternoon.

The second floor unit was apparently partitioned into at least four rooms – with even the empty space underneath the staircase  converted into one of these rooms. It is however unclear how many occupants were in each of them or if they were all foreign workers.

Mr Tan gives us some insights. “Telltale signs include the large number of double-decker beds and partitions that can be seen through these units’ windows,” he explains “and the unusually large amount of laundry on their balconies.”

“This had always been a concern to us and our families,” he added.

Indeed, in TOC’s coverage of issues relating to foreign workers last year, we had come across similar situations. We visited makeshift dormitories in Geylang, Little India and Chinatown which housed foreign workers from China, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Workers were packed into rooms in shophouses and apartments. Some had as many as 40 occupants sleeping on concrete floors with just one route of escape in case of emergencies. TOC reported cases where workers were placed in cargo containers and in run-down factories converted into dormitories, all in sub-human conditions unfit for occupation.

In others, workers were subjected to squalid conditions, as in this case of some Chinese workers living in the basement of a condominium being built, “Is Singapore really slum-free?”

Thus when the Prime Minister announced in August that Singapore would have 80,000 more foreign workers this year, in addition to the more than 1 million presently, the first question which came to mind was: where would these 80,000 workers be housed?

In 2008, Minister for National Development Mr Mah Bow Tan said that “[the measures to house the workers] include making it easier for them to be housed where they work, letting them rent residential premises, allowing industrial premises to be converted into dorms and providing permanent dorms.”

“As far as possible, worker dormitories are located further away from residential areas,” Mr Mah said.

Apparently, this means as “further away” as the Choa Chu Kang cemetery  (See TOC’s report here: Social isolation – left among the dead), and the use of dilapidated factories which we brought to the public’s attention in 2009. (See “179 foreign workers abandoned by employer”)

In 2008, the Business Times reported that “[the government] has released 11 sites for purpose-built dormitories since February last year and is studying others for temporary quarters.” The dormitories are expected to be ready by 2011 and will have 65,000 beds.

Also in 2008, Mr Mah disclosed that “[an] estimated 80,000 to 100,000 are housed in illegal accommodations or living in conditions that are ‘not ideal’.  This was proved by some of the stories and reports we did in 2009 and 2010.

The question thus remains: Even if the 11 new dormitories are ready, will they be enough? Is Singapore providing adequate housing for these workers, given their large numbers, which is more than a million now?

The answer comes from Mr Mah himself. “[Even] if all these sites are converted into housing for workers, it will still not totally meet the demand,” he said, referring to the 10 temporary sites the government was looking at in 2008.

What may worry Singaporeans is that the government, while opening the door to the influx, is itself unprepared or is unable to anticipate the potential problems which come with it. Indeed, Mr Mah admitted as much. “’Yes, we do some planning but the build-up of the spaces requires quite a lot of lead time so we could not anticipate that…To call it poor planning, to call it one of the problems of success because we were so successful, we did not anticipate this kind of issue.”

If 80,000 to 100,000 were being housed illegally in 2008, and 80,000 more workers are coming into Singapore this year, where are they all going to be put up?

It seems that migrant workers will continue to be housed in atrocious conditions, despite media publicity highlighting the issue, until the 11 dormitories are completed.

Mr Jolovan Wham, Executive Director for HOME, an NGO which works with migrant workers, says: “Decent accommodation for foreign workers seems to be in short supply. We have been to poorly ventilated living quarters with triple-decker beds and the workers are packed like sardines into a tight space.” Triple-decker beds are illegal under the Ministry of Manpower’s rules.

Coincidentally, just a day after the fire at Joo Chiat on Thursday, the United Nations issued a statement on the human rights of migrant workers around the world. In it, the UN said: “Today, most of the 200 million international migrants are not enjoying their right to adequate housing.” It also said “[states] had no justification for not protecting the vulnerable groups.” (Read the UN statement here.)

In their letter to Mr Chan, the residents of Joo Chiat Place urged the authorities “to do the necessary to investigate and tackle the overcrowding issue, improve hygiene standards in the public space, clamp down vice activities, and ensure that there are no fire hazards in this stretch of Joo Chiat Place.”

Now, with the fire at Joo Chiat Place clearly demonstrating the danger of such inadequate housing, the Singapore authorities should explain to Singaporeans how our huge population of foreign workers is to be properly taken care of, before lives are unnecessarily lost.

Read an eyewitness account of the Joo Chiat fire here.

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Current Affairs

TJC issued 3rd POFMA order under Minister K Shanmugam for alleged falsehoods

The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) was issued its third POFMA correction order on 5 October 2024 under the direction of Minister K Shanmugam for alleged falsehoods about death penalty processes. TJC has rejected the government’s claims, describing POFMA as a tool to suppress dissent.

Published

2 days ago

on

6 October 2024

By

The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), an advocacy group opposed to the death penalty, was issued its third Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction direction on 5 October 2024.

The correction was ordered by Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, following TJC’s publication of what the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) alleges to be false information regarding Singapore’s death row procedures and the prosecution of drug trafficking cases.

These statements were made on TJC’s website and across its social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).

In addition to TJC, civil activist Kokila Annamalai was also issued a correction direction by the minister over posts she made on Facebook and X between 4 and 5 October 2024.

According to MHA, these posts echoed similar views on the death penalty and the legal procedures for drug-related offences, and contained statements that the ministry claims are false concerning the treatment of death row prisoners and the state’s legal responsibilities in drug trafficking cases.

MHA stated that the posts suggested the government schedules and stays executions arbitrarily, without due regard to legal processes, and that the state does not bear the burden of proving drug trafficking charges.

However, these alleged falsehoods are contested by MHA, which maintains that the government strictly follows legal procedures, scheduling executions only after all legal avenues have been exhausted, and that the state always carries the burden of proof in such cases.

In its official release, MHA emphasised, “The prosecution always bears the legal burden of proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and this applies to all criminal offences, including drug trafficking.”

It also pointed to an article on the government fact-checking site Factually to provide further clarification on the issues raised.

As a result of these allegations, both TJC and Annamalai are now required to post correction notices. TJC must display these corrections on its website and social media platforms, while Annamalai is required to carry similar notices on her Facebook and X posts.

TikTok has also been issued a targeted correction direction, requiring the platform to communicate the correction to all Singapore-based users who viewed the related TJC post.

In a statement following the issuance of the correction direction, TJC strongly rejected the government’s claims. The group criticised the POFMA law, calling it a “political weapon used to crush dissent,” and argued that the order was more about the exercise of state power than the pursuit of truth. “We have put up the Correction Directions not because we accept any of what the government asserts, but because of the grossly unjust terms of the POFMA law,” TJC stated.

TJC further argued that the government’s control over Singapore’s media landscape enables it to push pro-death penalty views without opposition. The group also stated that it would not engage in prolonged legal battles over the POFMA correction orders, opting to focus on its abolitionist work instead.

This marks the third time TJC has been subject to a POFMA correction direction in recent months.

The group was previously issued two orders in August 2024 for making similar statements concerning death row prisoners.

In its latest statement, MHA noted that despite being corrected previously, TJC had repeated what the ministry views as falsehoods.

MHA also criticised TJC for presenting the perspective of a convicted drug trafficker without acknowledging the harm caused to victims of drug abuse.

Annamalai, a prominent civil rights activist, is also known for her involvement in various social justice campaigns. She was charged in June 2024 for her participation in a pro-Palestinian procession near the Istana. Her posts, now subject to correction, contained information similar to those presented by TJC regarding death penalty procedures and drug-related cases.

POFMA, which was introduced in 2019, allows the government to issue correction directions when it deems falsehoods are being spread online.

Critics of the law argue that it can be used to suppress dissent, while the government asserts that it is a necessary tool for combating misinformation. The law has been frequently invoked against opposition politicians and activists.

As of October 2024, Minister K Shanmugam has issued 17 POFMA directions, more than any other minister. Shanmugam, who was instrumental in introducing POFMA, is followed by National Development Minister Desmond Lee, who has issued 10 POFMA directions.

Major media outlets, including The Straits Times, Channel News Asia, and Mothership, have covered the POFMA directions. However, as of the time of writing, none have included TJC’s response rejecting the government’s allegations.

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Current Affairs

Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

Published

4 days ago

on

4 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

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