SINGAPORE, Dec 19: Singapore celebrated International Migrants Day with a carnival in the Little India precinct and sporting activities at clubs, applauding the country’s foreign workers, more than 175,000 of whom were among the hardest hit during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Little India event, held for the first time post-Covid, was jointly organised by the Ministry of Manpower’s Assurance, Care and Engagement group that oversees the well-being of migrant workers in Singapore, and the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach, an arm of Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA), a local charity.
About 50,000 workers attended the eight-day slate of events in total, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said.
The carnival held on Sunday was the highlight of a series of activities that started on December 10 to mark the International Migrants Day which falls on December 18 annually.
In the week leading up to Sunday’s event, workers played in sports tournaments like futsal, visited local attractions such as Gardens by the Bay, and joined food and cultural tours.
Singapore draws its migrant workers from India, Bangladesh, China, The Philippines, and Thailand.
Migrant workers, particularly those living in dormitories, were among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with more than 175,000 of 323,000 dorm residents infected as of the end-2021, and strict, prolonged curbs imposed on their movement, according to The Straits Times newspaper.
President of HIA, Reverend Ezekiel Tan said that holding the carnival at a centralised location like Little India, which is accessible to migrant workers, is critical to providing them with a sense of normalcy as Singapore emerges from the pandemic.
“It is important (to provide a sense of normalcy) because Singapore is a country of migrants, and we rely a lot on both migrant domestic employees and migrant workers to bring about the development of Singapore,” he said.
Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon said at the carnival that migrant workers build homes, and skyscrapers and take on caregiving duties for many here. “They are also a key workforce for SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), contribute to our economy, and provide essential services to support our businesses and communities,” he was quoted as saying in the report.
In his speech, Koon spoke about the ongoing efforts to improve housing standards, healthcare, and the social well-being of migrant workers. Higher standards have kicked in for all new dorms built after September 2021.
On Sunday, the migrant workers’ advocacy group Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) held its own celebration at the MWC Recreation Club in Pioneer, which was attended by the National Trades Union Congress deputy secretary-general Desmond Tan.
There, workers played street soccer, with Tan joining in, as well as badminton and volleyball in the afternoon. After the sports activities, 2,000 goodie bags containing items such as toiletries, dry rations, and 10 Singapore Dollars in foodcourt and supermarket vouchers were given away.
Tan presented awards of commendation to 28 migrant workers for actively participating in MWC events and engaging their fellow workers.
Elsewhere, dormitory provider Westlite Accommodation and Singapore Press Holdings Media jointly held two concurrent tournaments on Sunday at the Indian Association (IA) and Ceylon Sports Club (CSC).
Speaking to PTI at the IA tournament, Shaji Philip, a naturalised Singaporean from Kerala, underlined the importance of recreational activities for the well-being of migrant workers.
“We have been organising cricket matches over the weekends for these workers in the Sengkang housing estate for the past 10 years,” said the chartered engineer who works as deputy director with Singapore’s SMRT Trains.
He highlighted the support given by Sengkang Community Centre to hosting regular weekend crickets within the estate since 2009. (PTI)
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