Singapore Expats

What happened?
Already when I heard about this I knew what kind of comments I would found under the articles.

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-ne ... riot-20131

'Commissioner of Police Ng Joo Hee said in a press conference ... that destruction of property and fighting the police is not the Singapore way.'

What a strange statement. It's like an inverse of 'behaving and doing as you're told is the SG way'.

'The driver of the private bus involved in the accident before the riot remains in hospital and is not arrested'

Despite what allegedly happened?
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What I have noticed, when we spent a few weeks staying down that way, it that on Sunday pm it becomes something of a mecca for Sub-continental 'workers'. Serangoon Road becomes very busy, and many people walk on the road, or cross it in a pretty random fashion (as I have seen nowhere else in SG).

From that article ".... urging the public to stay calm, not to speculate".

That would be easier avoided if all information about the event was given to the public. Surely 400 people don't riot because of a traffic accident - or do they? See what I did there?

Oh no... the blary gahmen has been looking for an excuse to demolish the unique little India and now they have one. Damn. One of the last authentic places in Singapore will be bulldozed and turned into another ugly mall/Condo crapola.

And 300 coppers to control 400 rioters is either a disproportionate over reaction or perhaps there were 4000 rioters... something stinks and it's not just the reaction of the subcontinental workers. (What stinks is the complete lack of traffic control or presence of traffic police on Serangoon Rd late at night for the last decade or so - this was an accident waiting to happen.... I've had so many close calls there).

From a newspaper article>

The mob spiralled out of control quickly after that, turning on the police, including the reinforcements who had arrived by then. "Some of the men lit beer bottles with fire and threw them at the police, I saw them throw more than 10 bottles," said Mr P. Kannan, who was waiting for a friend at the Little India MRT station.

First time ever I have heard of beer strong enough in alcohol to be lit....

Fortan wrote:From that article ".... urging the public to stay calm, not to speculate"

I found that a strangely curious and condescending comment to make (at face value/if taken literally). It's like being told you're not allowed to think about an event, that's being reported on the front pages of all government owned newspapers.

Maybe 'speculate' means something else in SG?

Really all because of an accident?

JR8 wrote:

Fortan wrote:From that article ".... urging the public to stay calm, not to speculate"

I found that a strangely curious and condescending comment to make (at face value/if taken literally). It's like being told you're not allowed to think about an event, that's being reported on the front pages of all government owned newspapers.

Maybe 'speculate' means something else in SG?

I think he means "exaggerate the incident". typically useless Singapore bureaucrat speak.

Fortan wrote: First time ever I have heard of beer strong enough in alcohol to be lit....

That hooch they drink called 'Knockout' is about 9%.

I have no desire to condone the violence and disorder but I feel kind of re-assured that people have felt strongly enough to take this action here in Singapore with all the likely punishments that will inevitably be coming their way. It will be interesting to see how many face the law as 400 taking part in an illegal assembly coupled with rioting is quite a big event here.

They don't want to look beneath the riot. It was triggered by the death of a man who was hit last night by a private bus. But the underlying problem is the way Singapore/Singaporeans are allowed to treat foreign worker in the first place. They are abused, overworked, underpaid and scorn is heaped on them for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Add to the the debts they have amassed just to get a job here and leaving their families and a couple bottles of Kingfisher and a trigger is all it takes.

It's time that Xenophobic and just plain nasty Singaporeans take stock in the way they treat persons whom they think are lesser than themselves. Otherwise, this may well be the tip of the iceberg. Sure, they'll deport a couple of hundred and cane and jail a sizable number as well, but the real problem, well, lets just say probably has pink ICs.

When did this happen? Yesterday (Sunday) morning I saw these posters freshly hung all over the area around East Coast Park. I found it a little odd, but this explains it:

Well no, the timing doesn't make sense. Did they just happen to hang these posters a day or two before the 'riot'? how awfully convenient.

Five police vehicles, one ambulance and several other private vehicles were also damaged. Ten officers were also injured in the riot.

See these links:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sin ... 14834.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sin ... 14914.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sin ... 14932.html

Wow! We were in Mustafa on Saturday. We are there almost every other weekend. Thank God, we were not there yesterday.

zzm9980 wrote:Well no, the timing doesn't make sense. Did they just happen to hang these posters a day or two before the 'riot'? how awfully convenient.

Maybe they picked up a sense of disaffection, moving towards a critical mass. (And the timing is just coincidence).

In any case quite strange to have posters up in advance of a riot warning of the consequences. Not exactly great PR for 'peaceful harmonious' SG. Think about it, how would it fit, socially, in your home town (back home)?

p.s. @SMS. Quite.
It is like the indentured labour of a generation or two, now liberated, have acquired their own indentured labour to bully and treat as slaves.