Singapore Embassy responds
I refer to the article S'pore a 'killing field' for RI migrant workers: Study, published in The Jakarta Post on May 16.
The article, based on a "study" carried out by the Institute for Ecosoc Rights (IER), contains unsubstantiated allegations and factual inaccuracies concerning the working conditions of Indonesian domestic workers in Singapore. In particular, the use of the term "killing field" is irresponsible and reprehensible. The number of Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) that encounter problems in Singapore is a very small percentage of the 150,000 total FDWs in Singapore.
The Singapore government is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of all foreign workers in Singapore, including foreign domestic workers from Indonesia. All foreign workers who choose to work here are governed and protected under Singapore rules and regulations, without prejudice.
As part of the work permit conditions, employers must agree to ensure the well being of their FDWs. This includes personal safety, proper housing, prompt salary payment, adequate food and rest. Employers who breach these work permit conditions are liable to be prosecuted and fined.
We recognize that the living environment in Singapore is different from that in Indonesia. As such, several new measures have been put in place to improve the safety of all FDWs, who must attend a compulsory safety awareness course conducted in several languages, including Bahasa Indonesia. The course covers topics such as the hazards of working in an urban high-rise environment and highlights the necessary safety precautions to be taken.
The Singapore government will continue to safeguard the interests of all FDWs in Singapore. In a recent survey conducted by the Straits Times newspaper in December 2003, 80 percent of all FDWs said that they were happy with their employment in Singapore. The facts speak for themselves.
If FDWs are "not only overexploited but physically abused and trapped in forced labor", as the coordinator of the study claims, why then do so many FDWs express satisfaction and still prefer to work in Singapore? SHANG THONG CHIE Second Secretary (Political) Singapore Embassy Jakarta