Foreign Workers Dormitories In Serangoon Gardens

The recent uproar from residents of Serangoon Gardens over the possibility of the conversion of an old school building to foreign workers dormitory quarters is understandable. Serangoon Gardens is a middle-class residential area that is different from most estates in Singapore because it is largely made up of landed properties.

I have known Serangoon Gardens for over 20 years and in spite of the recent upgrading of Chomp Chomp, the constant change in the faces of shops and the smattering of monstrosities built in place of the modest single storey houses, the complexion of the estate remains the same.

This begs the question: What were the government officials thinking of when they contemplated converting the unused school here to a dormitory for foreign workers? In short, factors considered when the Ministry of National Development assesses a site for foreign workers housing are as follows: 1) Availability of adequate infrastructure serving the site and 2) Sufficient parking spaces and enough ancillary facilities to serve the workers. That's all. If this is the type of guidelines that are typical in government bodies, no wonder our policies are often seen as hard and lacking in the heart factor.

There are many reasons why I do not support the housing of foreign workers in Serangoon Gardens or anywhere near existing housing estates.

In the first place, those who argue on the need for integration is way off the mark. The government has no intention of letting this group of foreign workers stay here for the long term. These are not the PRs or PR wannabes. They are here on a contract basis, with a job to fulfil and after that they will go home. This is the fact. No doubt if they are able to integrate into the society within the short time, that will be wonderful, but is it realistic and at what cost?

These foreign workers have a different way of life. I am not saying our way of life is better nor am I insinuating that we are socially superior. Culture is oft-said to be descriptive, not evaluative. What I am saying is that we are different.

Of course it is not impossible for different groups of people to live together and assimilate and grow a new blended culture, but it takes time. And time is something that we do not have because these are not permanent workers here. Most are here for two years. So the hardship that accompanies the change process will come to naught in the end. Is this fair to the Singapore residents?

Those who argue on humanitarian grounds have missed the point as well. We all agree we should treat our foreign guests well. We appreciate their contributions to the development in Singapore. We need to house them in suitable and decent accommodation.

Think about it. There are Chinatowns all over the world. Little Italy, Little India, Greek enclaves, little townships filled with the Lebanese, the Vietnamese, the Hispanics.... people like to live among their own kind when they are abroad. It is their home away from home. If we house the foreign workers in their own communities, I believe they will be more comfortable and happier. They need a place where they can be themselves after work, relax among their own people and do the things they are used to doing, away from the prying, and often critical eyes, of the locals.

I applaud the government's move to build self-contained foreign worker dormitories in Lim Chu Kang. Facilities such as shops and recreational spaces are catered for. Even then, there are the humanitarians who objected for various reasons. I wonder are they really assessing the situation objectively or are they blindly guided by an all-compassing moral compass?

There is no short-cut to the solution. George Yeo did mention that there are plans to create special townships for our foreign guests. I hope he sees it through.

We need foreign workers and we appreciate their contributions. The way I see it, there is only one decision that the government can make. The unused school can be used for other purposes. The most obvious is for it to be used to house an international school. Not to see the obvious will have deep political implications to the government.