On April 29, Ravi Philemon and his Red Dot United Team were out and about in Nee Soon GRC for a walkabout. There, the Red Dot United Team came across a group of foreign workers putting up signboards along the roadside.
When Ravi approached, the workers appeared cautious — even intimidated. They said, “Sir, we are not doing anything wrong. We are just putting up the signboard.”
Why did they feel the need to defend themselves? Have we, as a society, become so disconnected from these workers that even a friendly gesture seems suspect?
Ravi was quick to reassure them, “No, I came to thank you. I want to make time for you. You are important. May I shake your hands?”
The workers were surprised. They shook Ravi’s hand warmly and even agreed to take a photograph.
Ravi reflected, reminding citizens that, “even as we fight for citizens to be treated as first-class in our own country — the only home we have — we must not lose sight of our values. We must not turn our frustrations against the foreign workers, who toil under a system they didn’t create”.
It was a needed reality check for many Singaporeans who direct their frustrations about Singapore’s open immigration policy on these hard-working foreign workers who have played a big part in building Singapore.
These workers have not come to Singapore to steal jobs away from locals, they have come here to earn a good wage in an effort to support their families back home. They do not take jobs away from the locals, they merely take up the jobs Singaporeans traditionally avoid.
Instead, Singaporeans can channel their frustrations towards policies that open the floodgates to foreign PMETS — who compete directly with the majority of Singaporean employees as they look towards career progression and upward mobility.
Ravi drove the point home, “The enemy is not the foreign worker. The enemy is the system that has left Singaporeans feeling sidelined in their own land — in jobs, in housing, in dignity. This battle is about tilting the balance back — firmly, fairly, fearlessly — in favour of Singaporeans.”
Ravi’s message is that citizens must not forget the long-inculcated Singaporean value of compassion when dealing with others. We cannot lash out at those seeking opportunities and instead hold our governmental policies to account.
A key message of Red Dot United: “When we lift Singaporeans up, we can build a fairer Singapore for all who live and work here — without losing our soul in the process.”
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