My dear daughter,
TODAY I want to tell you the life of migrant workers in here. The local call us FT or FW. FT mean foreign talent and FW represent foreign worker. Most of local here don't want to see FT/FW come and working here as their job are putting on the stake. The government keep giving reasons to its people why they need to import FT/ FW. But the local always think of us as a burden on here rather than helpers. Being an immigrant worker, I need to work more than local with lesser wages. We came here to work and enjoy a life of here as a better community. Meanwhile we try to save money so that we can go back home as early as possible.
Since we earn less, we can't spend as local and resulting our behavior and life-style become distinguish to locals. Here locals are mostly tired of chasing the modern things to compete with their peers both in work and life. This is their life-style and I don't want to critize on it. But the problem is they are pointing FT/FW's weakpoints rather than praising on what they have been contributing for them to comfort in their daily life. As a developed and rich country, they don't want to work 3D works because they are shun to take those jobs. That's why their government need to import foreign workers to fill these gap left by its shun people. Everyday I can see FW are sweeping the roads, collecting the garbage, trimming the trees, clearing the drain on the way to my office. I don't think there are some locals involved among them. Even the role of supervisor level would be hard to find local for these odd jobs.
This country is as small as our country's biggest city. But they are proud of cleanliness and renown of its city state. They may probably manage on how to maintain it. But this is collective efforts from lowest ranking workers to minister level. Only white-collar workers cannot complete a job successfully without FW especially in these manned demanded odd jobs. But I am upset to read the news read locals don't like to see FT/FW around. Some are retrenched on last year recession and they find it hard to find a new job again and easily pointed out at FT/FW as a reason of jobless. Their consideration cannot be truth totally I believe as there are always other locals who keep their job through difficult times. Probably those who accuse others easily are likely to be lazy or unqualified to compete others in the job market.
If even FT/FW are dare to find a job here, why not for them if they are really qualified and advanced people as they claimed every time. They might give me other reason that they can't work with the lesser earn as FT/FW can accept due to their high living expenses. In fact, they are quite lucky to have such a good government compare to other countries especially in this region. At one point they even blame their government for not taking care enough its people as well as for praising FT/FW for their contribution to Singapore's economy. It's funny to read some of their comments sometime as they rated their government as a blind state. In fact, Singapore is an ideal state for most of the countries in this world because of its genius leaders. But locals still can't satisfy on the efforts of their leaders and always demand for greater height.
One local even advised to the authority and employers to avoid Myanmar workers citing our poor English language skill. What a shameful to comment like this by stating particular country's name? This comment was severely critized by his fellow citizen. It's good remedial effort by his peers so as to save Singapore's reputation. This is not first time to highlight our country men's lack of English language efficiency. To be fair, their comments are not wrong to actual situation. But I would appreciate if they encourage to us in going training for the sake of better communication in work and life adaptation.
Doubtless that our country men are poor in English compare to other countries men. I don't this language is everything about making somebody professional as long as he/she can speak reasonably. For instance, Japanese and Korean are also bad at language skill other than their own mother tongue. But they are leading country in the world and nobody dare to look them down for this single flaw. We, Burmese workers, can maintain our jobs because we are expertise in other areas. They forget to see our strength in jobs and easily pointing at our solely weakpoint is not a manner of a mature community.
We maintain our jobs not because of only low paid workers but because we are honest and super hard-working people compare to our counterparts from other countries. In fact, my country's workers are educated and easy to understand work's condition and adapt life quickly. Other country's worker are mostly non-educated who are from rural areas of their respective countries I think. Because the educated people from other countries don't need to go out of their country for a good paid salary. They can easily encounter a good job within domestic market. It makes difference us from peers from other lands.
In view of above, we know the situation of ourselves including background and we tried our best to anchor the post we settled in here. So we rarely complained for any unfair matters encountered in workplace. We have to overcome a lot of unfair matters while we are working in here. We can't expect a smooth workplace since we came from a poorer country and we are rated by locals as a low paid workers. Everybody from the world knows about our country and it makes our life sometime difficult. They know how difficult to find a proper job in our country and they know how bad our English skill was. As a result they want to pay as low as they can and they want to treat us unfairly. I have come crossed a lot occasion of these unfair case. We can't complain due to lack of English proficiency. We keep quiet doesn't mean we are always agree with what they have treated us. I even myself unsatisfy in this universal language.
My English is worse than a primary student of this country. Believe it or not, my daughter? It's really truth and I can't catch them as I have no practice on this and didn't have a proper education system when I was studying in my country. It is happening to all my fellow citizen, not only happening to me alone. So I can't complain for that, just accept the karma of ourselves for being a person in such country. But luckily I still manage to get here at the age of optimum. Hopefully I can give you the best education heir so that you can compete with them in future. I swear I will give you my best effort and hope you can fulfill my dream come true.
Your beloving daddy
Singapore
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