work permit

saw a programme on channel u earlier… it’s a docu about a guy who married a former filipino maid.

the wife is now banned from entering singapore forever. the reason?

she broke the law according to ministry of manpower [mom] ’cos all existing and previous work permit holders need to seek approval from mom before they can get married to a singaporean or pr.

looks like she wouldn’t be re-united with her husband anytime soon as appeals through her husband's mp has so far been unsuccessful. this guy had tried for the last 5 years and his wife had waited equally long.

when the wife was asked how long she’ll wait for him, she said she’ll continue until she dies.

sometimes, it’s such individual cases that reveal and highlight the high-handedness of certain laws that were ostensibly for the well-being of our own society.

the official stand of mom is that the severe penalty is to prevent the 600,000 foreign workers from growing roots in singapore. something which our small country may not be able to sustain.

how would you feel if it happened to you?

for me, definitely outrage and indignant.

i mean if i’ve worked in australia, for example, for a few years and found someone whom I want to settle down with. then i’m told i can’t ’cos i’ll be banned from entering the country ever again since i’m supposed to be busy working and not looking for a spouse there. what the heck?

that’s so discriminating, right? haven’t i just contributed to the economy?

perhaps she’s deemed not "talent" enough for us. :P

it seems that several mps have brought this apparent disparity in treatment of these [ex-] permit holders vs those vietnamese brides that are practically bought [no spelling mistake here] into singapore for discussion.

isn’t it strange to "penalise" those who had contributed to our economy while welcoming with open arms those who may not be even be able to adapt to our way of life here?