• 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

Govt should not be so quick to assume maliciousness on re-sharing of migrant worker photographs

People could just be trying to bring a very real problem to the consciousness of the nation

by Ghui
30/04/2020
in Opinion
Reading Time: 4 mins read
1

Photo from TWC2 Facebook page

Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam has in a video conference with reporters on 29 April raised concerns about falsehoods being circulated online to create fear and panic among the  foreign worker community  in Singapore.
In particular, he cited the use of old photographs of food given to migrant workers to give the impression that the migrant workers are being given bad quality food and stressed that the food quality has “improved tremendously” since Minister for Manpower, Josephine Teo intervened.
While the use of videos and images to incite violence is a definite no no, it cannot be disputed that poor food quality has been an ongoing issue within the migrant worker community for some time now.
This situation was only brought to mainstream consciousness as a result of the corona virus outbreak. In that vein,  even if the photographs are old, it does deserve the air time it is finally getting. Besides, it is worth examining if this situation would have brought in ministerial intervention if such photographs were not circulated in the first place.
If the quality of the food remains “tremendously improved” for a sustained period of time henceforth, the rush to share and view photographs of poor food will die down naturally. For now however, there is no guarantee that food quality will remain good if it does not remain under public and governmental scrutiny.
It is also important to note that the government is not able to keep tabs on everything and it is only from circulated (and re circulated) photographs such as these that information may filter to the top in order for action to be taken.
Furthermore, why is he not also addressing messages being spread in social media about how ungrateful the workers are for throwing away their food, with the same images used again and again?
In view of this, Shanmugam may want to reconsider his comments on the “deliberate” re circulation of old photographs. Wanting to hammer home a point with the use of an image is not necessarily a malicious act. It is a reminder of something that has happened that should never happen again. Isn’t that why people erect war memorials and mark anniversaries of wars?
For example, Shanmugam would not for one second suggest that the Jewish people by circulating and re circulating photographs of the holocaust are “deliberately” and “maliciously” re circulating old images.
It would probably be fair to say that migrant worker rights were not an issue of great mainstream coverage prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. For many Singaporeans therefore, it would be an eye opener to have it laid bare for them to see just how different migrant worker lives are from their own even as we enjoy the beautiful buildings that they have built in return for low wages, cramped housing, racism from certain parts of society and now, to bear the brunt of COVID-19 to boot.
The government has every right to clarify actions and address fake news but migrant worker rights are finally having their day in the sun and it is perhaps too soon to clamp down on supposed “fake news”.
It was perhaps an inability or unwillingness on our parts to face up to just how bad conditions are in migrant worker quarters that caused inaction among the government when cases among them were first reported in February.
As journalist and activist Kirsten Han points out in her Facebook post:

“Those of us who are reporting and documenting during this difficult, messy time try the best we can to verify what we’re sent and told, and to make judgment calls about what to share based on our experience and understanding of the issue. The goal is to raise awareness and advocate for improvements, to make things better for the migrant workers who are now having an incredibly stressful, anxious time, and to work towards long-term changes that will help us do better even after COVID-19. 
It would be a pity for these efforts to be dismissed as “fake news”, because it was this attitude that led to NGO warnings about the risk of outbreaks in dorms falling on deaf ears in the first place.“

Sometimes, it isn’t just about what is being said. It is the sentiment behind why something is being said.
Maybe, the government needs to try and understand the sentiments before being so quick to assume maliciousness or label people as trying to “create panic…create unhappiness, anger and hopefully violence”.
They could just be trying to bring a very real issue to the consciousness of the nation.

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

Rescuers battle cold as Turkey-Syria quake toll hits 5,000
AFP

Rescuers battle cold as Turkey-Syria quake toll hits 5,000

07/02/2023
Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats
Housing

Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats

07/02/2023
Jamus Lim: House prices are too High
Politics

Jamus Lim: House prices are too High

07/02/2023
Ministers get away with excuses that ordinary citizens cannot hope to get away with
Opinion

Ministers get away with excuses that ordinary citizens cannot hope to get away with

07/02/2023
Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth
Singapore

Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth

07/02/2023
国会内庆妇女节 女议员获赠鲜花
Labour

15 companies barred from hiring new foreign employees after serious safety lapse found at worksite

07/02/2023
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
1 Comment
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Rescuers battle cold as Turkey-Syria quake toll hits 5,000

Rescuers battle cold as Turkey-Syria quake toll hits 5,000

07/02/2023
Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats

Hazel Poa proposes singles be allowed to buy 3-room HDB flats

07/02/2023
Jamus Lim: House prices are too High

Jamus Lim: House prices are too High

07/02/2023
Ministers get away with excuses that ordinary citizens cannot hope to get away with

Ministers get away with excuses that ordinary citizens cannot hope to get away with

07/02/2023
Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth

Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth

07/02/2023
国会内庆妇女节 女议员获赠鲜花

15 companies barred from hiring new foreign employees after serious safety lapse found at worksite

07/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

India’s Adani Enterprises shares rocket 20%, trading suspended

07/02/2023
China’s Baidu says developing AI chatbot

China’s Baidu says developing AI chatbot

07/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
108

...

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
48

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
12

...

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

...

Japanese-Canadian junior high school girl breaks national record with 3km in 9:02 mins

“I want my normal life back,” Sherry Drury withdraws from National Junior High School Tournament due to overheated public attention

by Yee Loon
06/02/2023
3

...

April 2020
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« 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