Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Singapore This Week

It's been a while since I updated you on what's what in Singapore. Remember I told you about the rising number of maids in Singapore falling to their death from high-rise buildings while hanging laundry or cleaning windows.

Via

On Sunday, another maid was hanging laundry (while standing on a stool!) when she fell out of her flat. She would surely have plunged to her death if she hadn't caught hold of the laundry rack of the flat below hers. Luckily neighbours saw her plight and came to her help. Three men held on to her leg until rescue workers came. She survived. She's one lucky woman. I hope she buries the stool in the deepest hole she can find.

On Monday, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced new measures to help safe guard maids. I won't even bother to mention what these new measures are. You can click on the link and read for yourself if you're keen. They are just common sense stuff every adult should do. I feel the only sure way to keep these maids safe when hanging laundry is to ban hanging laundry using bamboo poles. That's right. The government needs to send its crew out to every public housing block and have the bamboo poles holder surgically removed.

via

From near-death from hanging laundry to "my grandfather road". A 25 year old woman, believed to be Samantha Lo was arrested. Her alleged crime?
- painting "My Grandfather Road" at several spots in Singapore
- pasting stickers on pavements and road traffic signs. Some examples of the stickers were "Press once can already", "Press until shiok", "Press to time travel" and ironically "Anyhow press police catch."

If convicted, she could face a fine of up to $2000 or a jail term of up to 3 years. If she were male, she could face CANING. Remember Michael Fay, an American who vandalized cars in Singapore in 1994? He received 4 strokes of the cane. Vandalism is a serious crime in Singapore. If you do it, don't get caught. If you're a guy, be prepared to be caned.

An online petition has been started to ask for the charges to be reduced to a Miscellaneous Offence as well as to treat the vandalism as work of art. It should be interesting to see how the authorities treat this case. They did not cave in 1994 to US pressure. Would they cave now?

Hope this is a good week for you. And if you live in Singapore, do not vandalize.

7 comments:

Kandi said...

Good heavens! It's a crap job doing the washing without risking life and limb, my biggest problem is avoiding bird poo whilst dashing up and down the garden. I will no longer complain.
I must say I wish the caning laws applied over here too. x

Linda said...

Although I've never been to Singapore, everyone I know who has comes back amazed at what a clean city it is! I wish everyone took as much pride in their surroundings.
I do hope the maids learn safer methods of hanging out the laundry! How frightening!

tamdoll said...

I understand that graffiti of any type can't be tolerated, because then it would become more prolific. I just don't know what that "My Grandfather Road" means or is about.

Suzee said...

oh my gosh! I would hang my clothes up in the closet wet before i would get out there! eeeks that looks scarey.. and sometimes common sense is not breeded into alot of ppl lol
and I do remember Michael Fay!!! at the time I was like.. wow I don't want to go there LOL

Anonymous said...

Samantha Lo's charge should be reduced - she was simply trying to put artistic sense into things - to charge her without charging/suing the other PAP-connected-blogger at topmleehsienloong.blogspot.com who had internationally embarrassed our civil service and these personalities/organizations/ministers/etc with her false allegations here and even false reports to CPIB causing many of us to lose our jobs seem to imply that she's connected

Chris H said...

I love the law's in Singapore. It is one of the safest places I have ever been.

punkychewster said...

wow that samantha lo's grandfather is just exploding all over fb! i love that she did what she did, not only glorifying singlish (which i consider a part of our identity) but first and foremost, is damn funny what! and samantha did provoke a response from the government. i think that's a positive outcome of this! That is what art is supposed to do. or at least any form of social commentary. please lah. the gahment should have at least a teeny sense of humour.

(i'm totally loving the use of singlish in this comment! i've been so deprived!)

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