BBC report: Heroic sinkhole rescue sparks renewed scrutiny of migrant workers' rights in Singapore

Online Citizen​

4 days ago

Seven migrant workers who rescued a woman from a sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road on 26 July 2025 have drawn fresh attention to the conditions these workers face in Singapore.
According to BBC journalist Kelly Ng's report published on 1 August 2025, the dramatic rescue has renewed calls for reforms addressing systemic issues that have lingered for decades.
When a 3m deep sinkhole swallowed a black Mazda, the men acted without hesitation.
Construction site foreman Suppiah Pitchai Udaiyappan told reporters, 'I was scared, but every feeling was that this woman must be rescued first.'
Video footage of the rescue quickly spread online, earning the workers praise as heroes.
Singaporeans commended the swift actions of the workers, highlighting the danger posed by the unstable terrain.
Videos also showed workers erecting barricades around the sinkhole shortly after the car was pulled out.
Yet many advocates argue such praise often masks the difficult realities they endure daily.
Call to ban lorry transport for migrant workers
Singapore's rapid economic growth is built on migrant workers, with around 1.17 million labourers from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and other lower-income nations.
They fill low-wage, labour-intensive roles shunned by Singaporeans, working mainly in construction, shipyards, and manufacturing.
Advocacy groups note that many earn as little as S$300 a month and live in crowded dormitories far from residential areas.
One of the most criticised practices is transporting workers in the back of open flat-bed trucks.
Although Singapore prohibits people from riding in cargo areas generally, an exception exists for workers employed by the truck owners.
Sometimes, up to 12 workers are packed into trucks without seatbelts, leading to frequent accidents.
Tragic consequences of lorry transport
In April 2021, two foreign workers died and more than a dozen were injured in a collision involving such trucks.
Last year alone, at least four migrant workers died and over 400 were injured in similar accidents.
Despite repeated debates and public outcry, Singapore has not banned the transport of migrant workers in lorries.
The government argues that small businesses cannot easily switch to alternative transport without risking closures and delays.
During February 2025 parliamentary sitting, then-Senior Minister of State for Transport Khor defended the practice, citing bus driver shortages and logistical challenges.
Authorities have instead encouraged safer practices, such as using buses where possible and installing speed limiters on lorries.
However, advocacy groups maintain that these measures fall short and continue to push for a complete ban.
Rights group Workers Make Possible (WMP) suggests that the levies collected from foreign workers could subsidise safer transport options.
'Other migrant-reliant nations like the UAE and Bahrain have outlawed this practice,' said Suraendher Kumarr, a member of the group.
Activists argue that Singapore's current approach prioritises employers' needs over basic safety.
Public gestures called 'tokenism'
Earlier this week, Singapore's manpower ministry presented commemorative coins to the seven rescuers.
A ministry spokesman described their actions as 'a very good example of how migrant workers help society in general.'
However, WMP's Kumarr countered that no amount of symbolic appreciation should overshadow the exploitative economic structures in place.
Many online commenters echoed this, calling for the men to receive financial rewards or even permanent residency.
The migrant rights group Its Raining Raincoats announced that S$72,000 has been raised from 1,639 donors for the rescuers.
AKM Mohsin, who runs an activity centre for Bangladeshi workers, said: 'So many times, we have seen how migrant workers risk their lives to rescue citizens, including children, but their own human rights are constantly violated.'
Longstanding struggle for permanent change
During the Covid pandemic in 2020, cramped dormitories became hotbeds for the virus, revealing unsafe living conditions that activists had warned about for years.
Although authorities pledged improvements, many issues persist, including the lack of a minimum wage and insufficient protections for whistleblowers.
Work permit holders like Udaiyappan, who has worked in Singapore for 22 years, remain ineligible for permanent residency.
They must also seek government approval to marry Singaporeans.
Some Singaporeans still see migrant workers as separate and inferior, say advocates.
In 2008, a plan to build a migrant dormitory in Serangoon Gardens met fierce resistance from residents, who petitioned against its construction.
Authorities reduced its size and built a separate access road to placate residents' concerns.
Calls for meaningful reform
Despite persistent inequalities, some initiatives aim to bridge divides.
Mohsin's centre provides migrant workers space to write, dance, and perform, while local volunteers help publish and translate their works.
Yet these efforts remain small compared to the larger systemic issues.
Alex Au, vice president of advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too, said: 'We basically see them as a different class of people. Servants are supposed to leap to the aid of their masters.'
Rights groups continue to push for a living wage, safer transport, and residency pathways to better recognise migrant workers' vital contributions.
As Singapore's economy thrives on their labour, advocates argue that the country must ensure these workers share the security and dignity they help build.