Some Singaporeans are asking the Government to deport the foreigners who were caught breaching circuit breaker measures at Robertson Quay over the past weekend.
Photos of crowds freely gathering and loitering at Robertson Quay despite the mandatory safe distancing rules went viral online last week. Netizens pointed out that that weren’t many safe distancing ambassadors in the vicinity and that the crowds of mostly non-Singaporeans were not wearing masks or had their masks pulled all the way down.
As public outrage ensued, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Masagos Zulkifli, assured Singaporeans that the law will be enforced against all who are found breaching safe distancing measures.
In a Facebook post published on Monday (18 May), Mr Masagos added that the foreigners who were gathered at Robertson Quay have been traced and are currently under police investigation.
Singaporeans responding to this update urged the Government to deport the expats who blatantly broke the law, just like it deported the migrant workers who flouted circuit breaker measures.
Earlier in April, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) revoked the work passes of 24 migrant workers, deported them and permanently banned them from working in Singapore after they were spotted breaching the Government’s mandatory safe distancing rules. The workers were caught eating, drinking and gathering in groups near Tuas View Square.
MOM said then that it deported the migrant workers to “send a clear signal of the seriousness of the offence.”
Netizens are now asking the Government whether it will deport the non-Singaporeans who were gathering at Robertson Quay to send a similar strong message. Others continue to ask why there seems to be fewer safe distancing ambassadors and patrols downtown compared to the HDB heartlands:
