http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/10...y-prc-hawkers/
From our Correspondent
A thread started by a forumer using the moniker of “Sinostar” about a scene he witnessed at Ang Mo Kio Central hawker center on Channel News Asia forum has attracted over 3,000 views so far!
He wrote that as he was queuing up at the Pontian Wanton Mee stall last Wednesday, he witnessed the three PRC lady stallholders scolding a Singapore elderly man who is employed by the hawker centre cleaning contractor.
They scolded him for being too slow, never clearing plates fast, and never wiping their stall trays clean as well as a host of other complaints.
The forumer said that though he was unsure who was in the wrong, it pains him to see a local being scolded by foreigners.
“Imagine if he is your old man! And why is he still working at this age and suffer daily….to earn a living? pay flats? heathcare? and support the family?” he wrote.
He also claimed he had witnessed parents of foreigners who wandered in HDB estates to compete with locals “for cardboards and other stuff to sell to garang guni.”
The thread attracted a torrent of responses most of which are critical of the government.
Lean wrote sarcastically:
“Soon our grandparents and parents who are not so educated have to work for PRC bosses in cleaning, washing dishes, delivery and store keeping. Happy Golden Years, best work until dead.”
Liubei added:
“In PRC. at this old age the old people are enjoying life not work…….this is pathetic for Singaporeans”
His views were corroborated by coolwater:
“you are correct. My PRC friend told me, their parents at China home town is enjoying life. The old folk here is still working. Sad. And this is not life. We really need to work till our last day. What the *censored* they holding our cpf for. When we can’t stand already than give us? For *censored*, brother also can’t stand lo.”
Starlene shared her experience with PRC workers:
“Witnessed at most food courts-daytime are staffed with younger workers-male and female from PRCs while at time the shift job,the poor old locals takeover because the PRCs find other works-now most HDB flats are rented out to PRCs and they in turn sublet again-most of them gather garbage to sell to rag and bone man.
Never rent yr properties to PRCs-they always sublet to recover their cost,give reasons distant relatives stay with them for the night-slow in collecting rentals,then most suddenly disappear overnight with your electrical items too.”
Molvis is clear where the root of the problem lies:
“This is what happen when the top men enjoy high salary, they are so high up there that they can’t even see the lower realm of problem…those that are not in the masses are usually the ones suffer in silence, because govt only look at those represened in bigger groups.
In deed, our elderly should be enjoying their life now, and not slog till they died…..is this what a 1st world country should be or Singapore is still a 3rd world country?
If anyone has a link to any website or intend to set up one to blacklist all these stalls, do share out so that we can help to boycott them….”
Singapore’s population has just crossed the 5 million-mark which is largely due to the government’s liberal immigration policies to encourage foreigners especially those from China and India to settle in Singapore.
The relentless influx of foreigners had led to the depressing of wages for the lower income workers and sky-rocketing of prices of HDB flats.
The disgruntlement on the ground against the government’s policies was reflected in the public furore over a Singapore PR and Chinese national Zhang Yuanyuan who proclaimed her loyalty to China publicly on Chinese TV.
While the mainstream media and PAP MPs are quick to jump to her defence by highlighting the fact that she is only a Singapore PR and not a citizen, netizens question why she even qualified for PR in the first place.
Ms Zhang, who had only a diploma from an unknown institution in China, came to Singapore in 2003 on a student’s pass to study English after which she found work as a Chinese teacher. She obtained her PR within 2 months of application.
Neither the Home Affairs Ministry of the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority have explained why Ms Zhang was granted a PR in double-quick time though she is not considered a skilled worker.
Previously, only skilled workers and qualified professionals are offered to take up Singapore PRs and citizenships, but nowadays it appears that semi-skilled and even unskilled workers can obtain PRs with relative ease.
It will not come as a surprise if the three PRC hawkers who were alleged to be bullying the Singapore elderly cleaner turned out to be PRs too!
Comments source: CNA Forum
Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:47 pm