Workers in salary tussle were not staging protest, did not violate public order laws: Police
The migrant workers who gathered outside the site of the old Central Provident Fund building last week were waiting to talk to their employer about their salary claims and were not staging a protest, the police said.
In a statement on Sunday (Mar 10) night, the police told TODAY that their preliminary findings showed that the workers from Stargood Construction had not gathered deliberately to publicise a cause or campaign, or to support or oppose the views or actions of any person or group.
Hence, they have not committed an offence under the Public Order Act, which regulates assemblies and processions in public places, the police spokesman added.
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More than 30 foreign workers staged CBD sit-down protest allegedly over S$300,000 in unpaid salaries
On March 6, more than 30 foreign workers from Stargood Construction staged a sit-down protest at the construction site of the old Central Provident Fund Building, along Maxwell Link.
According to Today, the protest began on March 4 morning, with the workers spending a few hours per day on-site protesting.
Those involved in the protest claimed that 59 of them had been unpaid — more than half are from Bangladesh, with the remaining coming from India and China.
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Migrant workers protest in CBD to demand unpaid salaries of nearly $300,000
Over 30 migrant workers participated in a sit-down protest in Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) on Mar 6 demanding answers from their employer Stargood Construction over unpaid salaries.
The protestors claim that 59 workers, who worked at a construction site at the old Central Provident Fund building from December 2018 to February 2019, were not paid for their work and that these workers are owed nearly S$300,000 in total. Half of the unpaid workers are Bangladeshis while the remainder are from India and China.
According to TODAYonline, the sit in began on Monday morning and saw workers spending a few hours a day at the Maxwell Link protest site. On Wednesday, the scene was reportedly calm. Four police vehicles were seen at the area and uniformed officers were spotted speaking to the workers.
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Sit-down protest in the CBD: Workers demand unpaid salaries of close to S$300,000
A sidestreet at the Central Business District was the scene of a sit-down protest on Wed (Mar 6), as over 30 foreign workers gathered at a work site to demand answers from their employer over unpaid salaries.
The workers from Stargood Construction claimed that they were owed nearly S$300,000 in payment for their work, which was carried out on the site of the old Central Provident Fund building from Dec 2018 to Feb 2019.
4 police vehicles were spotted when TODAY visited the Maxwell Link site on Wednesday and the scene was calm, as uniformed officers were seen talking to the workers. TODAY understands that the sit-down protest began on Monday morning, with the workers spending a few hours each day on-site.
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Gathering of migrant workers outside old CPF building not a protest, did not breach Public Order Act: SPF
The gathering of 30 migrant workers outside the old Central Provident Fund building site last Wed (6 Mar) could not be classified as a protest, as the workers did not gather for the purpose of promoting a cause or a campaign, or to endorse or object to the views or actions of any persons or groups, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
An SPF spokesperson told TODAY on Sun (10 Mar) that upon the police officers’ arrival at the old CPF site, the foreign construction workers were seated in an orderly manner, and told the officers that they were merely waiting to discuss the issue of their unpaid salaries with their employer, Stargood Construction.
Consequently, the workers’ gathering was not found by SPF to be a violation of the Public Order Act, which concerns assemblies and processions held in public spaces.
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30 foreign workers protest at CBD for 4 days: No arrests made by police
When Singaporeans Jolovan Wham and Seelan Palay staged solo protests in Singapore, they were promptly arrested by the ultra-efficient Singapore police who confiscated their handphones and laptops.
However, no arrests were made when 30 foreign workers staged an audacious sit-in protest on a busy side street in the Central Business District since Monday morning over unpaid wages. Though the police was called in, no action was taken against the protesters. The police confirmed that they had responded to a call at 9.46am and said that “the parties involved were advised accordingly”. No further “police assistance” was required, an unique Singaporean euphemism for no arrests made.
A protest is still a protest whether it is a sit-in protest or one with placards by Singaporeans or foreigners.
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Big problem with the way justice is perceived to be executed in Singapore
There’s a big problem with the way justice is perceived to be executed in Singapore, especially when you consider the treatment of socio-political activist Jolovan Wham and the group of foreign workers who held a sit-down protest outside the old CPF building in the CBD area.
Wham held up a sign outside the State Court on 2 Jan, in support of other alternative news site editor Terry Xu and contributor Daniel de Costa. Wham said that he held up the sign, snapped the photo, and left. He was then brought to the police station and questioned, and had his phone confiscated. According to Wham, he was investigated for “illegal assembly”.
According to the police, “organising or participating in a public assembly without a Police permit is illegal in Singapore”
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Why the Arrest for One-Man Photoshoot but Only a Warning for Foreign Workers on Protest?
There’s a big problem with the way justice is perceived to be executed in Singapore, especially when you consider the treatment of socio-political activist Jolovan Wham and the group of foreign workers who held a sit-down protest outside the old CPF building in the CBD area.
Wham held up a sign outside the State Court on 2 Jan, in support of other alternative news site editor Terry Xu and contributor Daniel de Costa. Wham said that he held up the sign, snapped the photo, and left. He was then brought to the police station and questioned, and had his phone confiscated. According to Wham, he was investigated for “illegal assembly”.
According to the police, “organising or participating in a public assembly without a Police permit is illegal in Singapore”
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Authorities treat different protests differently
We all know that staging any protest in Singapore, however peaceful is a potential minefield. There are permits to be gotten and the limits of such permit (if granted) to be considered. There is also the question of what issue the protest is about. Rightly or wrongly, most Singaporeans would likely be of the opinion that any protest (however peaceful) against the ruling Peoples’ Action Party (PAP) will likely attract greater scrutiny from the authorities. Whether that opinion is valid is up to the reader but I would like to point out the seeming discrepancies between how various “protests” were dealt with recently.
Earlier this month, it was reported that social worker and activist Jolovan Wham (Wham) was being investigated for allegedly protesting outside State Courts without a valid permit. Wham had posted a photo on Dec 13 2018 on social media channels, which showed him standing outside the court complex while holding up a piece of paper that read: “Drop the charges against Terry Xu and Daniel De Costa.” Without commenting on the nuances of the law, I would like to pose a question in common sense to the readers – Can one person constitute a protest? In Wham’s case, was he simply making a request of the authorities as opposed to staging a protest? Not to mention, it is said that he was there for only a few seconds without the guards being alerted to his presence or actions.
Now contrast this with the group of people outside Platinum Dogs Club, holding up posters of the missing dog for an extended period of time. In that case, there didn’t appear to be investigations beyond Minister for Law, K Shanmuggam calling for calm. I am not suggesting that anyone who took part in the Platinum Dogs Club protest be investigated. Being an avid dog lover myself, I would have gladly joined the group outside Platinum Dog Club had I known that it would be happening. The issue is therefore not with peaceful protests per se but with the inconsistent treatment meted out to different protests. Could it be interpreted by the watching public that dogs are less political and therefore less of a threat?
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Activist Jolovan Wham investigated by police for protesting outside State Courts without permit
Social worker & activist Jolovan Wham is being investigated for protesting outside State Courts without a valid permit, police said on Sat (Mar 2).
Wham had posted a photo on Dec 13 on social media channels, which showed him standing outside the court complex while holding up a piece of paper that read: "Drop the charges against Terry Xu & Daniel De Costa."
The protest happened the same day Terry Xu, the editor of socio-political website The Online Citizen, and Daniel De Costa were charged for publishing an article that alleged corruption among the Singapore Government's highest officers.
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Shanmugam urges calm over Platinium Dogs Club saga, says any illegal act will be dealt with by the law
All parties involved in the ongoing Platinium Dogs Club saga should let the authorities carry out the investigations, & not take the law into their own hands, said Law & Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam yesterday.
The pet boarding facility in Bukit Panjang was raided by the authorities on Dec 29 and Dec 31 last year following complaints of animal abuse. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) then took temporary custody of 18 dogs and a rabbit found on the premises.
Both the AVA & police are actively investigating "several serious allegations" & "Singaporeans can rest assured: There will be thorough investigations and there will be due process. Anyone who has engaged in illegal acts will face the consequences", said Mr Shanmugam in a Facebook post.
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Court told that activist's permit for performance was restricted to Speakers' Corner
The National Parks Board (NParks) had approved a permit application by artist & activist Seelan Palay for a performance art piece last October, & the permit was restricted to the Speakers' Corner in Hong Lim Park, a district court heard on Wed (Sep 26).
Seelan is said to have committed an offence when he staged an alleged "public procession" from the park to the National Gallery and Parliament House to commemorate the detention of long-time political detainee Chia Thye Poh.
Seelan's performance art piece, titled 32 Years: The Interrogation of A Mirror, was meant as a tribute to the 32 years that Dr Chia had spent living in detention & under restriction.
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Public assemblies without permit are illegal, says police
Public assemblies without a police permit are illegal in Singapore, the police has said in advance of planned gatherings in support of jailed Jakarta Governor Ahok.
Police said on Sat (May 13) it is aware of plans to hold events in support of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, at the Speakers' Corner and in other locations in Singapore.
It reminded the public that "organising or participating in a public assembly without a Police permit is illegal in Singapore".
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Police investigating MRT ‘silent’ protest
SINGAPOREAN police are investigating a “silent” protest which reportedly took place on a Mass Rail Transit (MRT) train on Saturday, local reports said.
According to Channel News Asia, the authorities confirmed they were looking into the case after a police report was lodged on the matter.
On Saturday, a group of demonstrators reportedly gathered in an MRT train to protest against a series of arrests and detentions that took place 30 years ago under the Internal Security Act.
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