Terry Xu Over a hundred mostly Bangladeshi workers went on strike today at a construction site in Tampines Industrial Street 62, over a dispute of unpaid salaries. Sunway Concrete Products (S) Pte Ltd are the main contractors, and Techcom Construction & Trading Pte Ltd is the sub-contractor of the construction site for HDB flats. On Monday, 6 … Read more
~by: Jolovan Wham~ First call for help In 2005, barely one year after I started my job as a social worker, I received a call from an Indian shipyard worker who complained that he and his colleagues were trapped inside a room and were unable to leave, despite requests to the men who locked them … Read more
Debate concerning the clearance of Bukit Brown Cemetery to make way for a new four-lane dual carriageway and new housingdevelopments will likely be revived with the recently announced plans to evict and relocate residents of Rochor Centre to make way for the North-South Expressway. The central argument made by the authorities is that such changes are necessary for Singapore’sdevelopment. Change is … Read more
~by: Jewel Philemon~ the following is an email interview with a 46 year-old new citizen Raj (an actual but shortened name): – TOC: Where are you from? Raj: I am from Chennai the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. TOC: When did you become the citizen of Singapore Raj: I have been a PR (permanent resident) since 1999 and … Read more
By Leong Sze Hian I refer to the National Day Rally speech about ‘Singaporeans First’ in the universities (“At a glance, key points from Prime Minister Lee’s speech“, ST, Aug 15). Calls have been made in the past for the Government to continue monitoring carefully the proportion of foreign students in our educational institutions … Read more
By Leong Sze Hian What percentage of students in our universities are Singaporeans? Posted by theonlinecitizen on August 16, 2011 I refer to the National Day Rally speech about ‘Singaporeans First’ in the universities (“At a glance, key points from Prime Minister Lee’s speech“, ST, Aug 15). Calls have been made in the past for the … Read more
By Ghui Singapore is a multiracial society with a melting pot of cultures. The four main races in Singapore: Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian work with each other and live amongst each other. As a country, we celebrate, amongst others, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and Christmas. In such a multicultural environment, one … Read more
A long-standing debate has been revived – with no resolution yet in sight. As employers of domestic workers continue to make their views felt on the issue of a weekly day off, Stephanie Chok asks some domestic workers for their responses. Ever since Madam Halimah Yacob, the Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and … Read more
TOC Editorial Those hoping that Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong’s gentlemanly approach would set the tone for the upcoming elections would be sorely disappointed by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan’s mention of a YouTube video that would raise “awkward questions” for the SDP reported in the Sunday Times. Giving no details, Dr Balakrishnan said, “It has been brought … Read more