Workers not involved need not worry: Shanmugam

Workers not involved need not worry: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE - Safety supervisor Gopal Mahendran, 36, stays in the same dormitory as some of the foreign workers due to be repatriated as a result of the Little India riot, and he worries about his future.

Last night, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam went to Mr Mahendran's dormitory, Terusan Lodge, to reassure workers like him that those not involved in the riot need not worry.

Both he and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry S. Iswaran, who visited Jurong Penjuru Dormitory 2, also had dialogues in Tamil with the workers.

Mr Shanmugam addressed 450 workers at Terusan, where the mood, according to Mr Mahendran, has been sombre. Terusan Lodge was also where Mr Sakthivel Kumaravelu, the man killed in the accident that preceded the riot, used to stay.

Last Tuesday night, Mr Shanmugam assured the workers at the dialogue: "I said on the current evidence, people have been charged, people have been identified for repatriation.

"If you are not involved, barring any new evidence, it is unlikely any action will be taken against you. You don't have to worry, just carry on with your jobs.

"Don't get into trouble in the future, be sensitive, be careful."

He was also asked by reporters about the decision to repatriate 53 workers for their involvement in the riot, even though they were not charged with a crime.

Mr Shanmugam said that under the Immigration Act, the Government has a right, when a determination is made that someone has acted contrary to Singapore's interests or acted in a manner prejudicial to the public security or safety, to ask them to leave.

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"They have interviewed about 4,000 over, investigated about 400, and then settled on the 53. So I don't think you can say they chose them on an irrational basis. They had a reason for selecting 53," he said.

Observing that repatriation takes place regularly, he said that if every such case had to go to court and the repatriation decision became judicial rather than administrative, then "every foreigner is entitled to stay here at taxpayers' expense, housed here at taxpayers' expense".

"What we have here works quite well. Foreign workers that come here know they have to behave, and if they don't, they could be sent back. That keeps most of them on the straight and narrow."

Over at Penjuru, Mr Iswaran was asked by reporters about the warnings or advisories issued to 200 workers who were at the scene of the riot. He said it was to put them on notice to abide by Singapore's laws and be on good behaviour if they want to continue working here.

He also had assurances for the 300 workers who attended the dialogue at Penjuru, saying the actions taken against the workers involved in the riot were "fully in accordance with our law, strict, firm and fair".

"They are targeted at those who have committed offences. Those who have not, in any way, flouted our law, may not fear," he said.

One worker at Penjuru asked for the private bus services to Little India to be reinstated. Mr Iswaran said he would look into it.

Last Tuesday night's visit was Mr Shanmugam's third to a dormitory since the Dec 8 riot in Little India. Last Wednesday, he visited Kranji Lodge 1 to reassure workers.

chanckr@sph.com.sg

joycel@sph.com.sg


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