I REFER to last Friday's Online Forum letter by Mr Zhou Zhiqiang,

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i don't agree that sgreans are dead last in compassion. there are kind souls who offer $50k and $200k respectively to TC to offer help to those who need money for this festive season.

There goes another that likes to generalize!

The concerns of Zhou Zhiqiang were how they behaved while they were in the park, not whether they are allowed there! I was passing the park with my teen daughter and these foreign workers actually made remarks and ask my daughter whether she will "entertain" them after she had entertain me (and ask loudly how much it will cost)!!!

Perhaps, Rakesh can show his compassion and bring along his daughters or wife to the park to entertain these workers, and also clean-up the park after the foriegn workers left, and let's see whether he will be so self-righteous!

whatnext, you should make a police report on the spot and put the case on record. this is a big insult to woman! these buggers need to taught a lesson!

As usual, there will be people choose to stand on high moral ground criticising others when the problem dont affect them...

it is obvious problem when group of FW loiter at playground drinking and act rowdily... Would you bring your child near them???

There were one occasion few wks back in KL, group of FW behave drunk n rowdily at a low cost housing area, whacked the security guard when he told them off... Happen to have a off duty police man staying at the estate, he came down n fired a blank shot hoping to disperse them, but the group of 20-30 even dare him to shoot them and inching closer to the policeman prepare to whack him... fortunately for him, 2 backup patrol cars appear and the group of FW start running in all directions...

Foreign workers build our houses, roads, plant the trees in our parks, cut the grass, clear our rubbish and do all the dirty jobs for us. Having done all the dirty jobs, they need some places to go on their off days. You cannot have the cake and eat it. You need them to do the menial work, unfortunately, you will have to tolerate them during their off days.

They are over 1 million foreign workers in Singapore, the majority of which are menial workers. You cannot live without them and they will not disappear from the scene anytime soon. With the stroke of a pen, we can easily ban all foreign workers from coming to Singapore. But, which Singaporean will build our houses and roads, or clear the rubbish? So, learn to give and take, starting by tolerating them and latter, appreciate what they are doing. Many left families and friends just to earn a living.

Facts - crime from FW is no higher than national average.

Betterment

Understand everyone deserve opinion, but if u think of it this way... My works contribute to the economy too, and pay tax to government, does it mean I can act rowdily n pee n throw rubbish outside your house during my off day???

No one ask gahment to ban FW, and yes, they are allow to unwind and relax during their off day, but they have to be considerate to others too. Pls behave yourself and respect the neighbourhood... If they dont respect others, how do they expect others to respect and accept them???

Refugees - many point a finger at FW for rowdy behavious and throw rubbish. They are convenient scapegoat. Local also behave in a rowdy manner, throw rubbish and pee in the lifts. Just last Sunday, a few drunked locals trespass into SICC and assaulted some golfers. So, catch those who litters, pee or cause trouble but stop blaming one segment of the society.

Facts - crime from FW is no higher than national average. Many are law abidding and trying to earn a living.

Ok, I have said enough on this topic and this shall be my last post. Finally, with 1 million of FW in Singapore, there are bound to be a few rotten apples. But they are here to stay and we cannot live without them. Tolerate them educate them and if need to, prosecute them but stop picking on them.

Yes, it is only to be expected that whoever comes into our country should emulate what the locals do. I am sure no one will complain or pass seemingly arrogant remarks if the FW or anyone else for that matter observe the commonsense rule of conducting themselves in a proper manner while sharing public spaces with others. In fact, the lack of social graces shown by these workers suggest that that's how they probably behaved back home, not far fetched to think so, esp. when under the influence of some alcohol.

People complained not because of their presence, but are prompted to complain because of their BEHAVIOUR and CONDUCT. We have a right to expect foreigners to behave in an acceptable manner. This is the way all over the world, esp in established socities. Once, I witnessed a Singaporean being hauled up by a local resident in the middle of the Lake District in the UK for chucking a small scrap of sweet wrapping over his shoulder into a bush. That resident came up to the culprit in a flash and demanded in no uncertain terms that 'he pick it up'! It also shows that strangers to any community are closely watched here or elsewhere. And I fully endorse the point that an outsider must see himself responsible for respecting the decorum and sensibilities of any place he choose to come to.

Anyone who tries to justify and make lame excuses for poor behaviour on behalf of FW by implying that we have to be nothing short of being 'eternally grateful' for their contributions is barking up the wrong tree. By the way, some FW are actually illegal stayers, and they probably also helped 'build' some of our expressways and beautiful buildings, but they get jailed and caned all the same when the immigration officials catch up with them! So the govt is wrong too?

I think the writer Rakesh Krishnamuti must be an expat professional working on employment pass or may be he got his PR. It is understandable his support for his countrymen. But I have a few questions for him: Take for e.g. serangoon road where there is red signal why do the foreign workers beat it and cross the road? Cant they wait for green (as singaporeans do). Do they think singaporeans are idiots to obey traffic rules? Are foreign workers exempted from road rules.? These workers just throw used cigarette buds anywhere on the road. Do they realise it is a fire hazard (leave about rules). A little common sense will do to understand this. What about professionals themselves like the writer? Look the way they push through in the trains (oike they do in their native country...!!). Once they alight, they want to be the first to catch the lift or escalator and they run with Mustafa bags hanging on either shoulders unmindful of the discomfort caused to fellow passengers. Please gentlemen, learn basic manners. At least learn from us, granted it is absent in your country. Some professionals even though they stay for more than 10 years here, donot learn local manners and etiquettes at all. Certain things of nature cannot be changed.