Little India riot: Committee to probe cause

Little India riot: Committee to probe cause

SINGAPORE- A committee of inquiry will be set up to investigate the causes of the riot in Little India on Sunday night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

"The COI will look into the factors that led to the incident and how the incident was handled on the ground. It will also review the current measures to manage areas where foreign workers congregate, whether they are adequate and how they can be improved.

"MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) will provide more details when ready," he said in a statement.

Referring to the riot as an isolated incident, he said: "The vast majority of foreign workers in Singapore are law-abiding workers.

"They contribute to our economy, working hard to earn a living and support their families back home. We must not allow this bad incident to tarnish our views of the foreign worker community here."

He offered his deepest condolences to the family of Mr Sakthivel Kumaravelu, who was killed in the accident that led to the riot, and urged Singaporeans to remain calm and continue with their daily lives.

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INTEGRATION IS VITAL

Touching on the importance of integrating migrant workers into the community, Labour MP Yeo Guat Kwang said yesterday: "The events of last evening clearly show that peace and harmony should never be taken for granted."

MP Zaqy Mohamad agreed that integration is vital and efforts should be stepped up. But he pointed out that it has to be "two-way".

"We can try to spread them to the heartlands but it's also tough. It's difficult to control human behaviour. Will your locals be comfortable? It's not about foreign workers coming in. It's also about locals being comfortable," he said.

Mr Yeo, who also heads the Migrant Workers' Centre, called for more recreational facilities modelled after the Penjuru Recreation Centre to give migrant workers more places to go to other than Little India.

"These centres will ideally be located near their workplace or homes, so they do not have to travel too far out."


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