Little India goes quiet as weekend alcohol ban kicks in; interim rules likely this week
By Fiona Chan, The Sunday Times, 15 Dec 2013
There is no reason to believe that last Sunday's riot in Little India stemmed from unhappiness among foreign workers, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
"We have not seen any evidence of that," he said, when asked about speculation that pent-up tensions among foreign workers might have been a cause.
The riot was spontaneous and localised, with signs that alcohol was a factor, he said. It also involved men from many different companies and living in different places.
"It is unlikely that all the companies will have the same problem," he told reporters in Tokyo, where he attended a summit marking 40 years of Asean-Japan relations.
In the aftermath of the riot, Law and Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam visited foreign workers at their dormitories and spoke with them in the presence of the media.
"There is no tension, there is no sense of grievance or hardship or injustice," Mr Lee said.
About 400 men, mostly of South Asian origin, were involved in the riot after a traffic accident left a worker dead. So far, 33 men have been charged in court.
A large area around Little India has been declared a no-alcohol zone this weekend, and private buses that usually ferry foreign workers to and from the place on their day off will not run today.
The usually bustling area was noticeably quieter yesterday, with an increased, visible police presence.
Yesterday, the police issued a brief statement in the evening saying it is illegal to organise or take part in a public assembly without a permit.
"The public is requested to allow the community in Little India the space and time to recover from the events of last Sunday," it said.
The cooling-off measures this weekend are temporary. Mr Lee said interim rules to help ensure order and stability in the area are likely to be decided this week.
The alcohol ban covers 374 establishments over quite a big area, and Mr Lee said this is because the authorities did not want anything to go wrong this weekend.
"Let's just calm down, cool down, make sure that things are back to normal," he said.
"After that, we can calibrate, and establish new rules. It will take us some time to work out what the final rules will be, but I think we should have interim rules by next week. We'll see how it goes, and then we can adjust as we go on and work our way forward."
Mr Lee acknowledged the impact on businesses but pointed out that even before the riot, the authorities were discussing restrictions on the selling and drinking of alcohol in Little India. Residents had complained about drunken and disorderly behaviour, including men urinating or vomiting in public and loitering in void decks and other common areas."We have put in more security patrols and auxiliary police. It has helped but I think we need to tighten up further," he said.
"There are no easy solutions to these things... Now I think we have to call a time-out... We have to decide what the adjustments to the rules are and then we have to start planning again, which is what we will do."
As for foreign workers, Mr Lee stressed that Singapore would not tolerate any ill or unfair treatment of them. "They are people, they are working, they have families to support and they are here to do a job," he said.
"We have to make sure they are well treated, paid properly and on time, their safety is taken care of, their living conditions are also up to standard and that they are also given full protection of the law."
More dormitories for foreign workers to be built over next 2 to 3 years: PM Lee
By Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia, 14 Dec 2013
By Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia, 14 Dec 2013
A temporary alcohol ban in Little India started on Saturday following the riot that broke out on December 8.
As the government mulls over whether to extend the ban further, it is also taking steps to improve the welfare of foreign workers.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo at the end of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit on Saturday, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said a substantial number of dormitories will be built over the next two to three years to better house foreign workers.
Even as authorities tighten the inflow of foreign workers over the years, Mr Lee said their population needs to be managed, and there is an on-going inter-ministerial committee that looks into their welfare.
He elaborated: "One of the focuses was to try our best to see how we could speed up the construction of more dorms, so that the workers who are now housed in HDB estate or private properties, which have been rented out, they can be put in proper dorms. Then I think they can be better taken care of and there can be less impact on the community."
Over the past few days, Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam has been visiting several dormitories.
Mr Lee added there is also no evidence to show that the riot was caused by the lack of support for foreign workers.
He said: "We believe that foreign workers in Singapore ought to be treated fairly and properly. We do not stand for ill treatment or unfair treatment of foreign workers. We have to make sure they are well treated, they are paid properly on time, their safety is taken care of, their living conditions are up to standard, and they are given full protection of the law."
Mr Lee also addressed concerns raised by businesses affected by the alcohol ban this weekend.
He said: "We don't want anything to go wrong this week. So to make absolutely sure, we have a ban which covers quite a big area. And we said just no alcohol this week, and just calm down, cool down, and make sure things are back to normal.
“After that, we can calibrate and establish new rules. It would take some time to make out what the final rules will be, but I think we should have interim rules after this week. There is a downside to that timeout so everybody feels that and the timeout cannot last forever."
The ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol covers 1.1 square kilometres in the Serangoon Road area -- the scene of the riot on December 8.
If yesterday was any indication, Little India today will see little of the usual Sunday scenes of packed shops and eating places, with crowds of men everywhere.
Little India goes quiet as workers keep away
Alleys usually thronged with migrant workers remain empty amid a stronger police presence
By Melody Zaccheus And Lim Yan Liang, The Sunday Times, 15 Dec 2013
Alleys usually thronged with migrant workers remain empty amid a stronger police presence
By Melody Zaccheus And Lim Yan Liang, The Sunday Times, 15 Dec 2013
If yesterday was any indication, Little India today will see little of the usual Sunday scenes of packed shops and eating places, with crowds of men everywhere.
An alcohol ban and messages since last Sunday's riot advising foreign workers to cool down and keep away appeared to have worked throughout yesterday.
In the evening, the police advised people to refrain from assembling in Little India this weekend and allow the community "the space and time to recover from the events of last Sunday".
They also warned that organising or participating in a public assembly without a permit is illegal.
As at 10pm, police said, there were no incidents reported, no breaches of the alcohol ban detected, and no one was caught for consuming alcohol in public.
The authorities had earlier urged dormitory operators to keep men within their living quarters and provide recreational activities.
As a result, the typically vibrant and bustling district looked unusually quiet. Alleys usually thronged with hundreds of migrant workers chatting on mobile phones were conspicuously empty.
Gone too were the snaking rows of men waiting for their turn at barber shops and money changers.
There was a stronger police presence on the ground, with teams of officers making the rounds on foot.
Shopkeepers said the usual Saturday crowds at Mustafa Centre and Tekka Centre had halved.
Construction worker Pasupathan M., 20, stopped by Race Course Road to pack some lunch. "I'm scared to stay here for too long. I don't want to be arrested if a fight breaks out," he said.
Hardly a worker was in sight. Most businesses catering to them - including eateries, video sellers and mobile phone shops - reported a sharp dip in takings.
"Most of our 10 tables would be filled with Indian workers during Saturday lunch hour," said Spice Box supervisor Mateen Ahmed, 32. "Many would also buy takeaway food, but today it's empty."
Mr M. Gaudam, 45, manager of a Buffalo Road provision shop, did not have any customers at 8pm - usually his busiest time.
Undergraduate Irshath Mohamed, 23, who helps his father run Sangam Exchange, said they expect people to keep away in the coming weeks. "Everything is intertwined here, from the tourists to the workers to the locals," he said. "They make Little India what it is and this trickles down to our businesses. The quieter it is, the worse businesses will fare over time."
It was also the first day of the ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol across a 1.1 sq km zone. Liquor stores and bars were shuttered while some provision shops were putting up notices to inform customers about the two-day ban. To keep busy, some shop assistants spent their day doing spring cleaning and stock-taking.
Restaurant staff had to explain to surprised tourists about the alcohol ban. Diners at Indian Express in Race Course Road said they would go elsewhere for drinks instead. "I'm German, he's Hungarian. Us without beer is like a baby without milk," quipped computer science professor Jon Dieter, 37, who is visiting Singapore with a friend.
However, it proved of little consequence to others. Slovak Matt Svako, 27, said: "We are here to soak up the culture and heritage of the place. We can always go elsewhere for a drink."
One of the few businessmen who saw an upside was Mr Gunasagaran K., 49, owner of an accessories shop in Buffalo Road."I've had 40 per cent more Singaporean customers," he said. "They are shopping today due to the smaller crowds."
At about 9pm, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli visited the area to speak to shop owners and also thank Special Operations Command personnel for keeping the peace.
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