Alma mater
Lunar New Year with migrant labourers by Tan Lai Yong
A
few days before the recent Chinese New Year, a construction worker told the volunteer doctors at the Healthserve clinic that he and his dormitory mates were given five days of vacation for the coming festival. That night, a group of volunteers and some workers met at a small coffee shop outside their dormitory to plan some activities for the coming vacation. We had to meet at about 9.30 p.m. as the workers had long work days—a 12 hour work day, six days a week, would be the norm for many of them. A 2005 study by Mizanur Rahman and Lian Kwen Fee published in the Asia Pacific Population Journal showed that 61 per cent of the migrants worked from 8–14 hours on a Sunday. What would they like to do for the coming Chinese New Year? Various ideas were thrown up but they were constrained by various factors. The activity had to be low cost—these workers were paid about S$20 a day. It had to be something they enjoyed. It had to be at a venue that isn’t too crowded (indeed a challenge in Singapore) to avoid complaints from locals who may feel that the presence of many migrant labourers and foreign construction workers intrude on their privacy and enjoyment. “We like to swim … but we do not know how to swim”, one of them said. One immediate response to spend the day at the beach was quickly vetoed the idea without the presence of lifeguards to prevent possible drowning incidents. The alternative of a gathering at a swimming pool turned out to be a popular choice. It was affordable (S$2 per person) and there are lifeguards on duty. We could go in the early morning during the New Year holidays when it wasn’t crowded. We chose a swimming pool with water slides and a jacuzzi. Chinese New Year's eve We wanted to surprise the workers at the dormitory. Traditionally, ethnic Chinese visit one another, bringing greetings and some gifts of
fruits and cakes. Younger folks will have to visit their older relatives to pay our respects and bring good wishes. We rounded up some teenagers who then got more volunteers from a nearby church and together made a traditional Chinese New Year visit to the dormitory. The workers were very happy that we visited them. Since firecrackers are banned in Singapore, we held a balloon blowing contest. Prizes were given out to those who could quickly blow the balloons till they burst. The cacophony of bursting balloons sounded like firecrackers. I had an ulterior motive for bringing the Singapore teenagers to the dorms. Some years ago, when I visited the dorms, they were terribly congested and crowded. These days, it felt less congested as there were only 12 people in one room, in bunks stacked three tiers high. It was a learning time for the teens who came along for this dorm visit; Singaporean teens who were generally more fortunate. Seeing that the workers slept on hard wooden boards, a few teens offered to use their New Year money to buy some mattresses. The dorm monitor was thankful but said that mattresses were not suitable for the crowded dorms and it was too difficult to keep the mattresses clean, giving yet more insight into their lives and how even the best intended gift may not be appropriate for their needs. Swimming day The next day, we got onto the bus and headed for the pool. A well-wisher had sponsored half the cost of each entry fee of S$2. A lifeguard on duty, informed that these foreign workers were here for their first swim, welcomed them and promised to keep a close eye on their safety. The first stop was the jacuzzi pool as a safe introduction to the waters. While they were having fun, I noticed a young worker sitting by the pool, still dressed in his jeans. He had just arrived in Singapore recently. He did not swim as he had no suitable swim gear nor did he own any pair
Dr. Tan Lai Yong wrote this account a few months after being introduced to this group of workers when a Singapore doctor called him one night, grieving at a tragic suicide in a workers’ dormitory. The doctor was asked to provide comfort and counseling.
of shorts. A volunteer said that he will buy him a pair of shorts but alas, the shops were all closed for the holidays. One of the older workers came out of the pool and said to us, “Brother. It is Ok. There is no need to go buy a pair of shorts. Later, we will come out of the pool and he can go in to swim when we loan him our swimming trousers.” Obviously they had a different way of overcoming a setback. Tan Lai Yong is a second-year Master in Public Administration student at the school.
Backstory This outing with the workers came a few months after a young labourer of the dorm had hung himself. The security guard and other workers were shocked and sad at the suicide, and the doctor for comfort and counseling. Dr. Tan was approached for help. He said, “This tragedy reminded us of the tough living that foreign workers endure in Singapore. We have to do better in caring for them. After all, they build the homes that we live in, the offices that we work in, and the schools that our children study in. The workers could share their swimming trunks. We Singaporeans must learn to share more.” He said it is heartening to note that there are key leaders who step forward to appreciate the hard work of the migrant construction labour force. At their respective opening ceremonies, the hospital director of the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and the Principal of the National University of Singapore High School arranged for a thank you celebration for the construction workers who laboured to complete the buildings.
· Jan–Mar 2012 · 59