Secretary-General of Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Dr Chee Soon Juan has brought together a group of foreign workers to his café Orange & Teal on Sunday (5 September) and served them lunch as a way to show his appreciation for all their hard work in helping to build his café.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (7 September), Dr Chee shared a picture of himself with the foreign workers and noted that these men were the ones who “put in the pipes and bang in the nails to make the place (his café) look the way it is”.
“They pave our roads but never get to drive on them, they build our flats but never get to live in them, they manicure our parks but never get to stroll in them.
“So I treated these lads to lunch on Sunday at Orange & Teal. Many of you have commented how elegant and cozy the café looks. Well, now you know who helped us make our vision a reality. Jeshain, Abu, Ah Yew (not in pic) – just to name a few in the team – they were the ones to put in the pipes and bang in the nails to make the place look the way it is. And now they get to enjoy the results of their work,” he said in the post.
Dr Chee went on to note that most people don’t see or acknowledge the contribution made by these migrant workers to Singapore, as well as their sacrifices.
“They have names, they have loved ones at home they haven’t seen for years. They toil for miserable wages often creamed off by unscrupulous agents,” he penned.
He added, “They feel pain but remain silent when we herd them into dorms with shambolic living conditions and treat like disposable tools.”
The chief of SDP expressed that if people want others to treat them with compassion and respect, then they should first treat others with compassion and respect.
“I want Singapore to be a great nation, not just a rich one. And a great nation values wisdom, not just wealth; compassion, not just crass riches,” he concluded.
This is not the first time Dr Chee has treated underprivileged individuals to free meals at his café. Last month (25 August), Dr Chee invited a group of cardboard collectors to Orange & Teal to serve them lunch in conjunction with National Day celebration.
“Just done serving lunch to our VIPs this afternoon. They were our cardboard collectors who came as guests at Orange & Teal. On the menu: Poulet Roti and pizza with ice lemon tea and chiffon cake for dessert,” he wrote.
“I hope that it was a welcome change for our guests as they dined in comfort, away from the sun on their backs and rain on the heads.”
Besides lunch, the guests were also given ang pows and packets of takeaway of basmati rice, chicken, and prawns as parting gift, said Dr Chee.
“In return, they left me a lifetime of memories and an experience I will not soon forget,” he added.
Along with Dr Chee, other members of SDP such as Prof Paul Tambyah, Alfred Tan, Bryan Lim, Gerald Sng, Matthew Tan, Tan Jee Say, and John Tan were also seen serving, chatting, and handing out gifts to the guests.
