NEWS that a disused school in Serangoon Gardens was to be converted into a foreign-worker dormitory stirred a big outcry among residents there.

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It is a mega size dorm and all foreseeable problems will definitely make these residents cry father and cry mother la.

no issue in some estates because they are well spread out and not concentrated in a few small blocks within one area

How do you know ST?
Have your reporter spoke to a majority of the residents?

Otherwise, it is simply more gratitious lapdog reporting on behalf of the govt.

Look at the picture posted on FWs sitting in the carparks having their meals.
They're not having a picnic, it's how they eat most of the time, even on offdays.

Is this what we want to settle for? Or do we simply dismiss it saying c'est la vie, and anyway, that's how they eat back in their own country?

Where are they expected to go and wash up or do their toilet after their meals?

I've eaten by roadsides in Singapore, but only on occassions like orientation or during recycling drive when we went collecting newspapers from HDB flats.

It's not a situation I would term as normally Singapore.

In a practically First World country like Singapore, why is there no better place for them to take their meals - that is clean, hygienic and properly lighted, with adequate necessary amenities?

It is simply an ill-conceived idea to have workers' dorm in a middle class estate. I live in a private estate. There are foreign workers housed in my estate too. We have to increase our security at night because of them. Who pays? The residents. Previously we do not have problems before them moved in. Since they moved in, the residents have to resort to knocking on their doors to ask them not to lower their karoake, ask them not to spit at staircases, ask them not to pound chilli at 4am in the morning. I personally have to knocked on their doors on first day of Chinese New Year to ask them to stop hacking their partition in their house. You can imagine the noise. The maids will join them on weekends and one weekend I found an idiot hanging head out of the window and vomit. They persistently sit along common areas talk loudly, lie on the ground and sometimes topless. These are bare facts, no exaggeration.

ST reporters should stop painting a picture of Singaporeans like we are a bunch of insensitve, inconsiderate jerks. This has absolutely nothing to do with understanding their culture. They are plainly inconsiderate. Which culture in the world promotes spitting, littering, creating a din in the morning and late hours knowing it will disturb your neighbours? What the ST reporters have reported are exceptional cases. In a foreign land, they should assimilate into our society not the other way round.

Stop complaining about ST lah.. they are just promoting what the gahmen wans to promote.. it's their job

If u stay in Jurong area, u will understand the effect of existance of foreign workers in your estate.
One gd eg. is that we stay away from shopping mall Jurong Pt, and stay home, in the evenings and on wkends. They flood the area and any open area, be it HDB void decks, the playground or parks. Parents will not want their kids to see how these uncivilised people behave.
With such an influx, the government should plan for a foreigner community/ village, away from citizens. Like in Tuas. They can have their own restaurants, shops, parks & facilities in there.
Did they not add on to the crime rates? I thought I read murder cases recently by foreigners?

I feel most residents (including Serangoon Garden ) just want a peaceful, clean and secured environment to live in, especially Singaporeans since we are 'permanent residents' and not tenants or property speculators. Hence property prices appreciation is not likely to be the main concern.

With 1000 plus workers from India, what about 1000 plus workers from PRC ? For more than 3 years, residents in Geylang have been suffering the environment pollution, security concerns and crimes as a result of lack of strict enforcements or poor planning and approvals by the relevant authorities.

See examples of how residents suffered with the influx of foreign workers in illegal quarters and street prostitution attracted to them alongside with sex-orientated budget hotels, health centres and sleazy pubs/ktvs/nightclubs :-

http://lor24geylangresidents.atspace.com/appeal.html

street vice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utr7xuvkeVA

Good luck to Serangoon Garden, Joo Chiat, Jurong West, Little India, Chinatown residents and all. Hope you wouldn't suffer the same fate as Geylang residents !

What crap reporting by ST....as usual.