limjunkai_eca01
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The men of yellow helmets and boots.
J.K. Lim
9 Aug 2011
Foreign construction workers line up outside a building site for their transport home. ©AP
Photo/Mark Baker (Image taken from: http://newshopper.sulekha.com/malaysia-
construction_photo_802584.htm)
Step into an elementary classroom and ask the students what they would
like to be when
they grow up and often you will get answers like teachers, doctors, and
lawyers. However,
Ismail dreamt of being a construction worker since he was young.
As you may have figured, Ismail, 26, isn’t Singaporean. He belongs to a
growing number of
foreign workers who have come to Singapore in search of a better life.
Making up more than
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10 percent of our population, these foreign workers come from China, India
and Malaysia,
often filling up menial jobs by being construction workers and cleaners that
Singaporeans
typically shun to work as. Yet, despite their efforts and contributions to
Singapore’s growth,
they are often overlooked.
A regular day for Ismail begins by waking up at 6am. After donning his boots
and safety gear, he waits by the road side just outside of his dormitory at
Kaki Bukit. As the sun
rises, a lorry approaches to pick him and a few others to the construction
site.
Today, Ismail continues working on a wall which he has left off yesterday.One by one,
he patiently stacks the bricks before slapping on another layer of cement
and this goes
on continuously till the day end of the work day. To break the ongoing
monotony, he
occasionally breaks out in a song or counts each brick out loud in English, a
language he
yearns to learn and master some day. He excitedly says that on a good day,
he lays up to
700 bricks a day. In a few months time, the wall that Ismail has been working
on would be
part of a free-hold condominium that his company has been working on for
the whole of
last year. “It’s hard work,” says Ismail with a smile, “but seeing these
magnificent buildings
rise up from scratch and knowing I was involved in the building process
makes me feel
proud.” To date, he has been involved in the Esplande and the Marina Bay
Sands.
It is lunchtime, and a tall young man who looks just like Ismail joined him for
lunch. When
asked about their similar looks, both of them laughed out loud. They are
indeed brothers,
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and in fact a very lucky pair. Working together in the same site meant that
they could look
out for one another and assist whenever possible. Ismail’s brother, Ibrahim,
who arrived
earlier in Singapore, is now a team leader of these men.
It is the end of the day and Ismail’s clothes are wet and caked with mud. The
downpour an
hour ago has loosened the soil in the construction site. Come rain or shine,
these men
continue working, in order to meet deadlines for the developer.
Back at the dormitory, Ismail looks forward to his favourite part of the day -
showering. To
him, showering is more than just rubbing soap and running a hose to cleanup after a day of
work. Because it is very much communal living, the mere 10 minutes he
spends in the
shower is the only personal time he has to himself; a far cry from what we
Singaporeans are
used to. During this time, Ismail reflects on his life and thinks about his
family. At times he
would let out a tear, being unable to hold his emotions inside. “I miss my
mother a lot. She
is always worried about me.”, says Ismail. Every year Ismail and his brother
take turns to go
back to Bangladesh to visit their family. They cannot afford to fly both of
them back because
their family needs the money. It has been 6 years since the family have
reunited. This year,
Ismail will be staying in Singapore.
During his free time, he would visit Little India where he gets his daily
necessities. Once amonth, he sets up a make shift barber outside the dormitory. With a few
pieces of
newspaper on the floor, a stool and armed with a shaver he cuts the hair of
other workers
for 2 dollars. This entrepreneurial feat is a definite win-win situation for both
him and his
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peers - they get a cheap haircut, and he earns some extra money to offset
the purchase of a
hair clipper.
These foreign workers here are generally paid about $1200-$1700 a month
after deduction of
agent fees.A far cry from what average Singaporeans are recieving. They
usually work 6 days a week and up to 11 hours a day. And although Ismail
admits that the job is physically demanding, he has come to enjoy staying in
Singapore as it is his “home away from home”.He feels that his experience
has been postive, depite hearing horror stories where workers get mistreated
by their bosses and not receive their pay. When asked about his future
aspirations, he mentioned once he has earned enough money, he will returm
to Bangladesh to build a grand house for his parents and future family; to
ensure they will live in comfort of generations to come.
Hidden behind the green facade and bamboo poles, these construction
workers work day
and night, with no regards of the weather to finish their projects on time, so
that we
Singaporeans will have a comfortable place to work and live in. Today as the
nation turns
46; we should take our hats off and salute Ismail and his hardworking
companions. Without them, Singapore wouldn’t be as of what we are today.
--------
Ordinary Job, Extraordinary Contributions: The men
of yellow helmets and boots.
By J.K. Lim
AUGUST 9, 2011 (Posted at 09:26 a.m.)
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Foreign workers are seen at a construction site in Singapore
© AFP/File Roslan Rahman (Image taken from:
http://www.sawfnews.com/Lifestyle/50564.aspx)
SINGAPORE - WORKING nearly 11 hours a day and up to 7 days a week when
schedules are tight, Ismail works hard regardless of the weather conditions.
His job: a construction worker.
Often hidden behind green facade and bamboo poles, these diligent men
come from countries like China, India and Malaysia to fill up odd jobs that we
Singaporeans usually shun - to make life possible today.
Like many who has arrived before him, Ismail aspired to come to Singapore
to chase the 'Migrant Dreams'. It has been five years since he had first
arrived in Singapore.
Though stereotyped as people of the lower class, they have contributed
much to the city’s facade. If not for them, we would not have our iconic
buildings like the Esplanade and the recently built Marina Bay Sands.
Today, Ismail patiently stacks the bricks that would form the foundation for a
luxurious free-hold condominium. “It’s hard work,” he says. Despite the
hardships, the reward of seeing a grand building materialize from scratchgives him the much needed motivation to carry on.
Due to the mid-day downpour, Ismail’s clothes are drenched and stained
with mud - a plight that most Singaporeans wouldn’t want to be in. However,
this scenario is common amongst the construction workers, especially during
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the rainy season. They continuously labour regardless of rain or shine in
order to meet the deadlines for the developers.
It is not easy to be a construction worker, one has to put up with hard labour
and low wages. “On average, we are paid $1200-1700, after deduction of
agent fees,” says Ismail. The wages they earn are usually waged at a
fraction of the typical Singaporeans’ pay, and is barely enough for
sustenance in Singapore. This plays a major part in why Singaporeans are
not willing to take up this job.
Once a month, Ismail sets up his own barber at the dormitory. With a few
newspapers on the floor, a stool and a hair clipper, he does a decent haircut
for his peers for just 2 dollars. This entrepreneurial feat proved beneficial for
both parties.
Throughout the years after our independence, these workers have shed
sweat and tears in building our nation. However, very often, their hard work
goes unnoticed as we live to enjoy the fruits of their labor. So as we take the
time out to celebrate our nation’s 46th birthday, why not spend some time to
appreciate the efforts in which these unsung heroes have put in to provide
for a stable infrastructure of our beautiful skyline.
Tags: yellow boots, Singapore’s Ordinary Achievers, construction, National
Day 2011
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