Maids gathered outside Peninsula Plaza again ignites debate

SINGAPORE: A video shared on Threads on Sunday (April 12) showed groups of mostly domestic workers gathered in the grassy areas beside the road near Peninsula Plaza has gotten almost 100,000 views since it was posted.

While the author of the post, @colorfulthuy, simply captioned it with “Sunday in Singapore 🇸🇬,” the clip ignited a discussion between those who appeared to feel that the sight was an eyesore and those who claimed that helpers should have places to gather on their rest days.

The video, taken on a stretch of North Bridge Road approaching Coleman Street, showed groups of people, predominantly women, spending time together talking, eating, or simply socialising on the grass as people and cars passed by. 

Peninsula Plaza and other spots nearby, such as Lucky Plaza, are popular for foreign domestic workers to gather, especially since it allows them to be near establishments that facilitate their money transfers home.

As it has in the past, the sight appeared to make some people uncomfortable.

“Sigh… they make the area look so dirty, disorderly, and messy, and after you will see the litter they leave behind… hais…,” a Threads user wrote.

When called out, the user doubled down, adding, “It is messy and disorderly! And the litter they left behind! There are parks, why must they hang out by the roadside and on pathways !! You are so holier than thou, then go take up the backbreaking job of the cleaners to clean up after them. Easy for you, you don’t do the cleaning!!”

Another, although they admitted that foreign workers, domestic or otherwise, “deserve their break,” also wished  “they would be in a more organised area of some sort, they don’t need to sit at road sides and at the same time be looked at by passers by like it’s messy and haphazard.”

One called on the authorities “to control the population” of workers in Singapore.

“The United Asian States of Singapore,” a commenter quipped.

Many others, however, spoke up for the workers who had gathered outside Peninsula Plaza, saying that as long as they don’t leave trash behind, it’s all right for them to meet up there.

“I am fine with it, as long as they clear the rubbish and don’t litter, unlike many migrant workers who sit and eat on grass patches and leave behind litter in Sembawang, Sungei Kadut, Jurong, and Tuas area,” noted a commenter.

“This is the MOST HUMAN image/video I’ve seen today. It speaks so much about the need for every city to have bigger parks instead of malls where people (workers) can just chit chat, feel the earth, bask in nature’s glory, and de-stress their minds. What an amazing sight,” wrote another. 

“Let them enjoy their one day off from work,” added another.

One called it a “community, a communion, of overworked and underpaid exploited human beings,” adding that they have “no complaints, only compassion.”

Another expressed the concern that the workers were sitting very close to the road, running the risk of a car crashing into them. “Remember the incident at the rear of Lucky Plaza,” they added.

“U know..they have needs as well, and it is clearly visible here – THEY NEED A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN SPEND THEIR OFF DAYS,” another wrote. /TISG

Read also: ‘You try to become a helper for one month!’: Singapore maid slams employers over stress and long hours