once aliens

Dormitory decision upsets Serangoon Gardens Residents- one woman screams “I am fed-up!”, another thinks of moving out.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20081003/tap-077-dormitory-decision-upsets-serang-231650b.html


Learn to see them differently

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,180856,00.html


Foreign Workers Living Nearby? It’s no issue in some estates

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20080906-86231.html



Synopsis:

Recent plans by the Ministry of National Development to build a foreign workers’ dormitory in Serangoon Gardens sparked cries of outrage amongst residents living in that area. The dormitory will be at the former Serangoon Garden Technical School site, just right across the road from the residents. Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan said that these temporary dormitories were necessary to house the approximately 600,000 foreign workers in Singapore before permanent housings are expected to be ready by 2010 or 2011. Most of the residents did not take too well the news and more than 600 of them banded together to sign a petition, which said that the move would 'create security and social problems and spoil the ambience of the estate'.



Commentary:

As I read the countless complaints and cries of resentment regarding the decision to build a foreign workers’ dormitory in Serangoon Gardens, I can’t help but feel angry and awfully saddened. Sometimes our perceptions of foreign workers are skewed by a small number of black sheep, and thus all foreign workers have been negatively stereotyped. Perhaps as Singaporeans attain better standards of living and bask in the glory of our ‘world-class nation’, we have forgotten that our forefathers were migrant workers too- having sweat and toiled hard to build Singapore from a Third-world to First-world. Similarly, these foreign workers have worked traveled far to build shelters above our heads. While some concerns are legitimate and to feel uncomfortable with strangers of different culture is natural, we should not be overly negative. One good reminder to show kindness to strangers is Leviticus 19:34 where the Lord commanded that the “alien living with you must be treated as one of your native born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God”. Let us show kindness, respect and even extend our hospitality to people who have come from afar to Singapore.


Prayer Pointers

1) Pray for the foreign workers in Singapore that the Lord will watch over them, protect them, and fill them with peace even as they have left their families to come to Singapore in search of jobs.

2) Pray for Singaporeans, that the Lord will teach us how to give up our pride and love these foreign workers and accept them in our society.

3) Pray for the Singapore government and the relevant authorities, for wisdom to come to just decisions regarding the building of these dormitories and dealing with the segregation between locals and foreign workers.