Jolovan Wham: Not only are we content to push them to the margins with our policies, we are also happy to stereotype them. We don't offer them adequate social support and services, and yet we are quick to point our fingers at them when things go wrong. Foreign workers are the builders of our nation. They don't have any citizen benefits. The least we should do is accord them some basic dignity and respect. Andrew Loh: Reminds one of this headline in the New Paper: http://2x43di7fqtr1359hx1tnjj0te6.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com... Derek Pak: I'll Feng Yi: Hi Sir, I understand the purpose of such an exercise, but I cannot help but feel disturbed by the racial undertones. Riots can be started by anyone regardless of their ethnicity. Positing Indian foreign workers as the next group of rioters or troublemakers does not paint racial minority groups in a positive light but only perpetuates existing stereotypes which are inimical to the development of a harmonious society. My suggestion is that "rioters" in future such exercises (if any) must also consist of people of other ethnic groups. I hope the organizers can take this into consideration. Thank you Yee Kai: Minister, the worst riots in the history of our nation were due to racial issues. Do we to this date still stimulate exercises based on racial conflicts putting two major racial groups fighting against each other with the civil defense and the police coming in to contain the situation under the purview of 'prevention is better than cure' ? Absolutely not. I fail to see how stimulating based on a particular racial group is relevant. There are so many other resources under the different ministries to try and understand their issues and to give them avenues to air their grievances- why not employ these resources ? Michael Cyssel Wee: The conduct of this riot simulation exercise and its publicisation displays an embarrassing lack of sensitivity and political savvy. I'm sure that few people, if any, would doubt the usefulness of conducting riot simulation exercises from time to time. But the use of real foreign workers is dehumanising. Combined with the minister's preface, 'We have a few foreign workers' dormitories. What if some quarrels erupt, leading to fights or worse?', it leads to an unhelpful stereotyping of a largely unintegrated group in society. It also betrays a highly reductive view, one that risks making a mockery of the issues surrounding it. Perhaps an elementary point of logic has been lost on some: it is not the fact of being a foreign worker per se that made the foreign workers who rioted last December do so. More often than not, people riot because of some perceived injustice done to them. They riot because they feel they have been treated as less than full human persons. And that is precisely what we do when we make these foreign workers participate in such a simulation exercise qua foreign workers. If it is true that the police force need to be better trained to deal with outbreaks of riots, then they need to be better trained to deal with any rioters in general, regardless of race, language or religion. If it is true that social factors made the foreign workers who rioted last December more prone to such behaviour than other groups in society, then those social problems need to be investigated and addressed. Neither of these -- nor anything else, really -- justifies the use of foreign workers as props. It makes what should simply have been an ordinary training exercise for our uniformed services look like a highly choreographed show designed to boost public confidence. And as if to heighten the mockery of the situation, we call these foreign workers 'foreign worker ambassadors', seemingly implying that they represent themselves well when they are pretending to riot. What are the 'preventive messages' we are trying to spread? As a young nation we often talk about 'nation-building'. Foreign workers have helped to physically build so much of our nation. Do we really treat them as builders, with the full dignity of human persons, or do we merely see them as building tools -- tools that can injure us if we do not wield them properly, or if we do not keep a tight grip on them? Mr Khaw Boon Wan?, will you apologise in Parliament for this disappointing gaffe? Will the Ministry of Home Affairs care to explain how the conduct of this exercise got approved? Reena Melanie Mohan: This seems very racist. I can't believe such an exercise can be done at this time and age. What was the reason for a particular racial group to be signaled out? And putting up pictures isn't helping. What were you trying to educate the public? Sheena Chua: Wow this is so offensive why would you put this up on the internet Balaji Narasimhan: You gotta be kidding me... Why on earth would you want to put pictures of this? Sheena Chua: Nope. Removing these pictures just makes you look worse. Strongly do not recommend. Better to be an ignorant racist who takes responsibility for their actions than an ignorant racist who is also cowardly. Just sayin Darryl Kang: This is quite distasteful. Doesn't SPF have enough people to play the role of rioters? Why need to get foreigner workers to do this? And why all indians? Kho Thong Liang: Khaw Boon Wan, I can see you are implying that foreign workers are the source of riots in Singapore. I am quite surprised you make such a remark. In fact, you are a Malaysian, so you are not much different from foreign workers too. Kenneth Yong: Racism by SPF. Murni Syahida Salleh: One of the most ridiculous things I've seen today. Out of all possible scenarios, you chose this one? Done in poor taste. Chung Feng Ren: Hurray for PAP losing more votes. Paul Gascoigne: Good for nothing expensive minister without brain Robin Low: Aren't there more Chinese Foreign workers than Indians? Clearly racist and distasteful Vince Goh: Dear Minister, not only i dislike the way you shake hands with residents which is way too insincere, I am flabbergasted by how you think this exercise is target these foreign workers. Jony Ling: This is wrong on so many levels. I think many pple in the Gahmen should be sent back to school. Kellog McPussy: You must be so proud of the ambassadors. /s Gin Liao: Mein gott im Himmel! Minister, do you think THIS is a good idea? On the one hand you say that not all foreign workers engage in the sort of actions we saw last Dec. On the other hand, the SPF and you engage in this sort of activity that betrays a level of racism that only serves to reinforce stereotypes and utterly undermines your efforts in the former. Talk about mixed signals! Sophia Rodrigues: Mr Minister, all the negative comments here doesn't seem to paint you in a good light. Reenacting foreign workers being detained and arrested sounds pretty disgraceful to me. Not to mention RACIST. You should remove this post before more bad PR comes your way. Pravin Levi Mahtani: You disgust me. Sad day for Singapore. Shawn Tan: Ah boon, better hold your next exercise outside Parliament House, later quarrels between minister erupt because pay too derisory, no dignity Jimm Wong: Our riot police carries their pistols while suppressing a riot. Please standby the body bags. Nicholas Gerard: I'm very much disturbed about this minister. Like · Reply · 2 hours ago Dharma Sadasivan: Wow. Peter Tent: Obviously out of touch and just anyhow approve and sign for the committee Elizabeth Nadan: Where are the Chinese and other race in the riot...why pick the Indians alone! Its so Racist and coming from our own politician. Mr Khaw, we hope you take this post down soonest. You are giving a wrong signal to the public! I believe you will. Lvin Yong: So if we don't use foreign workers as actors for this exercise, who do we use? Zoe Tay? Tay Ping Hui? or some other B list celebrities? Jasmin Supa: Hiro Dude, 1st of all, foreign workers is very general. It consists of many races from different countries. To just showcase Indian foreign workers only is just a wrong message to send across. 2nd, I have participated in riot control during my service in da Army. We use our own men to be on both sides, rioters as well as law enforcers. It's plain stupid to bring real foreign workers in. We marginalise them & now we stereotype them. What da hell? To me if they use their own men, when law enforcers themselves become da rioters, it let's them know how it feels being subjected to such force. So they can judge at hand what is too much during real events. Just my 2 cents.... Goh Peng Hong: Prevention is better than cure. Knowing if unexpected unpleasant situation were to happen inside any of the dormitory in our area, there’s co-ordination and swift intervention of the different agencies together with the trained foreign worker ambassadors in managing the unexpected unpleasant situation gives assurance, peace of mind to our neighbourhood. Akesh Abhilash: Gosh sensitivity for the win Ren Kwok: riot police dun know how to properly hold a riot shield... cannot make it... also, want to stage a wayang show, make sure that the total number of rioters you are trying to wayangily subdue does not exceed the total number of riot police. when the count is at 1v1 or more, the riot police will never engage. It is simple math, common sense and something taught to me by the Provost(MP) during my time in service.