Covid-19 outbreak in foreign workers’ dorms, most Singaporeans show compassion with a few exceptions

Singapore—On the Facebook page “The Straits Times Comment Section,” which is not connected to The Straits Times (ST), a post about the lack of empathy of some Singaporeans toward foreign workers got so much attention that netizens looked up the original ST post on its Facebook page just to refute the comments. 

The post on The Straits Times Comment Section was linked to an ST article from April 15 entitled, “7,000 foreign workers in essential services moved out of dormitories.” The workers had been moved to other living arrangements in order to keep them in good health and to make sure essential services would continue.

Many of these workers are employed in low-paying sectors such as cleaning and maintenance. The move would also prevent the healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed with new cases.

The Facebook page shared comments from a netizen named Mary Tan, who first wrote, “Can we please send them back to blanga (sic) … Making our nums looks (sic) bad”.

A netizen named Jaime Wee answered back, writing, “Keep the numbers low got prize? Later you free go buy a potted plant, water it daily and take care of it so that it’ll replace the oxygen that you selfishly waste, k? It’s not like they asked for this, especially their poor living conditions. Have some empathy.”

Ms Tan then replied, “Sorry they are infected ppl. Don’t care. Dead send back in dustbin.”

While people were, as expected, angered at the insensitivity of her comments, and others made fun of her spelling of “blanga,” some netizens made their way over to the ST Facebook page to read her original comment, which seems to have been deleted.

Others, however, had already taken a screenshot of her comments.

And while it is a topic that many have commented on, the majority of netizens showed showed sympathy for the plight of the foreign workers’ proving that Ms Tan’s opinions are very much in the minority.

/TISG

Read related: Hot topic: Who should foot the bill for foreign workers’ needs?

Hot topic: Who should foot the bill for foreign workers’ needs?