Singapore needs them - Foreign Cleaners

An army of cleaners ensure that Singapore remain the cleanest city in the world, not because everyone is  environmentally conscious but many do it only when it is convenient. Especially so when commuters taking public transport... Singaporeans often complain that the reason they litter is due to the lack of rubbish bin. This is entirely not true as Singapore has more than 4 million rubbish bins placed all around the country. Then, you may ask, that if Singapore already so much rubbish bins, why is problem still present? The answer is pretty simple. Though there are more than 4 million rubbish bins in Singapore, the bins are never stragically placed in the right areas. One such example is the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations in Singapore. The bins, instead of being placed where human traffic flow is the heaviest, there are placed in areas where it will look aesthetically better resulting in the rubbish bins having a cosmetic purpose and reduced security threats.

Is Singapore a clean city or a cleaned city?


Imagine a day where there are no cleaners around your estate area to clean the litter.

A “No Cleaners Day” – that was what Member of Parliament of Nee Soon GRC, Lee Bee Wah, proposed in Parliament on Monday to curb the increased litter she said she had sighted on many occasions in her estate.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Vivian Balakrishnan, responded to Lee’s concern and reaffirmed Lee Kuan Yew’s vision for Singapore to be one of the world’s cleanest and greenest cities.

Balakrishnan said that while the problem is created by a minority, the burden is borne by the majority. He cited a 2010 National Environment Agency (NEA) survey that stated one-third of the respondents said they would litter if they could get away with it.

He emphasized that Singapore has a “zero tolerance” towards litter and called for a mindset of collective responsibility, thus also reducing the dependence on foreign workers to clean up the mess. He also stressed to create a social norm for cleanliness and exert peer pressure where necessary.

Balakrishnan highlighted in April 2012 that a department of public cleanliness had been set up to govern the state of all public areas.

Moving forward, Balakrishnan said that we should consider giving formal training to citizens and to also review the fines and penalties.

http://twc2.org.sg/2012/10/24/photographer-shoots-workers-as-superheroes/
Super Heroes

Photographer Sam Chin will be showing works from his project “SuperHeroes” in a group exhibition at the National Museum on Stamford Road from 20 October to 27 December 2012. This exhibition is part of the Objectifs 10 years Shooting Home Anniversary.

Sam explains: “SuperHeroes is an attempt to photograph various groups of migrant workers in a different light. Placing them against a backdrop and making them strike poses like super models, my intention is to change the negative connotation locals have of this group of people and return them the dignity they deserve.
“Migrant workers from all over the region contribute to our economy and growth and should not be sidelined by our society,” he adds.

The above picture is an example of Sam Chin’s work.
Transient Workers Count Too urges the public to visit the exhibition.