Khaw Boon Wan commends airline workers who volunteer to help in healthcare and transport sectors

Singaporean Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan has commended Singaporean cabin crew members who have volunteered to serve on the front lines of Singapore’s war against  Covid-19.

Mr Khaw on Wednesday (April 15) took to Facebook to publicly commend the cabin crew from different airlines who have stepped up to help Singapore’s healthcare and transport workers, providing reinforcements to those lines of defense.

“I am proud of our cabin crew,” wrote Mr Khaw. “They responded readily to our call for volunteers to help our overworked colleagues in the healthcare and transport sectors.”

He then shared his experience seeing cabin crew members helping in different ways. “At KTPH (Khoo Teck Puat Hospital) yesterday, I met the SIA crew undergoing training in wearing N95 properly. At another auditorium, I met the JetstarAsia cabin crew on other aspects of nursing care,” wrote Mr Khaw, as he added that “all were enthusiastic and saw the meaning of their efforts in helping to battle the pandemic.”

Mr Khaw also envisioned that at the end of this battle, Singaporeans would share a deeper connection to each other, as the trying times have led people to unite and tackle the problem together. “When the pandemic is over, these many ground up efforts would have bonded us together as one people even tighter,” he wrote. Mr Khaw also envisioned that “many would have made new and permanent friendship…”

According to Mr Khaw, the CEO of Jetstar Asia, Barathan Pasupathi, disclosed that around 250 workers among Jetstar’s cabin crew and pilots “have taken up temporary roles as safe distancing ambassadors, temperature screeners, hospital care support service officers and some will soon work as translators for our efforts in foreign workers’ dorms.”

The noteworthy effort of these cabin crew members earned the commendation not only of Mr Khaw, but also that of Singaporean netizens, who took to the comments section of Mr Khaw’s Facebook post to thank the workers for their effort in putting their country first.

As Mr Khaw put it, “Multiple talents, one purpose: defeat COVID-19 and emerge stronger.”