Categories: Singapore
The PRC Chinese pei du mama (study mama) demonstration outside their Embassy two days ago demanding that they be allowed to work certainly raised eyebrows. Pei du mama, are mothers who accompanied their children to study in Singapore. The rules are clear - they are not allowed to work in their first year here, but after that they are allowed to work in any job except in massage parlours, bars and karaoke lounges, food stalls or as domestic maids. Despite this, it is not hard to see such study mamas working in shops fronting as massage parlour. Things changed after the police tightened the rules, coinciding with the murder of a study mama in a massage parlour here known to give 'extra' services. This was what had prompted the demonstration two days ago.
The rules were in placed since 2003, but why are there study mamas still working in massage parlour? Various reasons were cited. Often heard are claimes of unscrupulous study mamas agents. They either tricked them into believing that they can work in Singapore or never tell them the whole truth. The study mamas's poor comprehension in English did not help either as official documents are in English. Since they don't have much skill other than being a masseur, they cannot work in jobs allowed by government and only options left to them are the massage parlours. Some came here because of the 'promise' of a good life in Singapore from other study mamas. Often these are friends and relatives; of course the whole story wasn't told.
From news reports it seems strange that a lot of these study mamas said they were tricked into coming to Singapore. True some of them are duped by unscrupulous travel agent, but I find it strange that such bad experiences were not conveyed to their family members. Maybe by exposing their bad experiences, they may 'loose face'; but by not revealing the truth, they are only doing their compatriots a disservice. These false pretences and falsehoods must have elevated an already unsubstantiated high expectations about study mamas' life in Singapore. Hopefully the good that come out from this demonstration is to highlight the less than rosy study mamas' life in Singapore.
Whatever the reasons for their coming to Singapore, should they expected to be able to work here? I find this idea ludicrious because the main, if not the only reason, for their coming here is to take care of their children who is studying here. Any chance to work should be viewed as a privilege. I can understand the need to work because of boredom at home, just like any housewife in Singapore. And it is not as if there are no work for them to do. I have seen many working as cleaner in food courts, some giving tuitions. Why some of them demand to work in massage parlour fronting as a vice-den is beyond me.
Is there a solution to this study mamas' problem? Maybe there are.
If the problem is due to less-than-honest agents, why not accredit these agents working from China? The government has successfully protected the people from bird flu by only importing fowls from accredited farms in Malaysia. So similarly, this scheme probably can be implemented as well. As these Chinese agents work with counterparts in Singapore, the noose can be further tightened if the Singapore agents are regulated and held accountable for any proven mislead by their Chinese counterparts. This way potential study mamas and Singapore's own reputations can also be protected.
One of the ways to reduce the dependancy on study mamas agent is to enable potential study mamas to understand official documents. Hence, have official documents written in Mandarin for the benefits of this group of people. Further when a study visa is given to their children and their study mamas, these rules can be further re-inforced with further pamphlets in Mandarin highlighting the restrictions. This way, no study mamas can claim ignorance.
The government can also set up government-run hostels targeting these foreign students. Such hostels is regimented, with time to study, play and leisure. This way study mamas can be reassured that their children are in good hands. This may alleviate the need for real study mamas from accompanying their children to stay in a foreign land and suffer the prejudices brought about by a handful of their 'lesser' compatriots who are ever ready to provide special services in shops fronting as massage parlours, who give 'generously' to anyone able to pay the highest price, who are fast to disrobe just for a few bucks, and who have no qualms to be in a relationship as a third party.
To make such hostels even more attractive, the duration of stay for study mamas maybe curtailed to specific duration - longer visa for children of younger age group and short visa for the bigger kids. The durations can range from say, one to three years, so that ample time can be given for the child to adjust to the environment here and for the parent to make arrangements for their children's future stay.
I am not against the idea of study mamas and I do sympathise with the real study mamas who cannot find work of their choice. It is the demands by some so-called study mamas that irks me. When their male compatriots can toil away under the hot sun in the constructions industry, why do these 'study mamas' demand that they be allowed to work in vice dens fronting as massage parlours? Like a lady PRC Chinese friend of mine said: there are money to be made in Singapore as long as you work hard, there is no need for one to choose the easy way out and degrade herself! I can't agree more.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Can pei du mama problem be curtailed?
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4 comments:
Just read your article regarding the study mama. I enjoyed it very much and immediately bring this to the attention of my wife as this morning, we were discussing this in the car on our way to work.
I went to southen part of China last year and I felt that I've walk into a big vice den.Why can't they understand that not all things they practised in China works here?
Just to share with you this incident. Yesterday, we went for a swim in Safra club. In the ladies shower room (sure it's my wife who told me that), two china ladies actually walking around chit-chatting naked in the changing room with all the kids and ladies staring at them. I waited with my wife and daughter for these two 'clowns' to come out from the changing rooms and immediately recognised them as the earlier ladies in bikini lying on the side walk of the deep pool, not even swiming, probably aiming to make men drool. We're very upset over this matter as they are giving a very negative impact on the kids mind.
All these scavengers and trash should be arrested and deported. Period.
These crows should be repatriated to their own countries, never to return again and not be left to pollute our lovely little island. The rate at which 'massage parlours' is sprouting is unthinkable.. One can practically find all kinds of services provided in such joints islandwide, esp by prc women. It is therefore not surprising that family breakups and divorce rates are on the rise nowadays.
It's really not so much institutional prejudice that's making paidu mamas' life miserable. It's societal prejudice against Mainland Chinese in general. Many Singaporeans, ironically especially those of Chinese Mainland descent (whose ancestors came from China) look down upon the very people who come from the land of their ancestors. This is understandable, in the sense that even the most stupid person likes to feel superior than others, and some Singaporeans like to think of themselves as better off than at least some people and use it as an excuse for snobbery so they can feel better about themselves.
The comment by Mr. Ong is such an example- there is no need to call these women "clowns." That's completely disrespectful, and no one should be called that way unless the term is applied in a professional sense. Of course it's annoying to see naked people in public, but that does not give him the right to make malicious comments about these women. If these women had been white American women, then Mr. Ong would not have dared to make such judgements. Instead he would probably say "oh wow, see that's how Americans do it." Which is true, here in the American city that I live in, it's perfectly normal for women to walk around in bathing suit, even not at the swimming pool. So why can't these Mainland Chinese women do the same thing? Also, I see Singaporean men wearing ugly speedos sun-bathing next to public swimming pools. Am I supposed to assume from this that they are "asking for it?" No. In fact, on one in society will think so just because they are men, and not women. This reveals the sexist tendency of people like Mr. Ong to accuse women of being lascivious when they're doing the same things a man can do but without being judged.
If these were "peidu papas" rather than "peidu mamas" then there wouldn't be such a problem - these men would not need to endure the suspicions of being "wife-snatchers" just because of a very small number of cases. These men also would be able to find jobs more easily simply for being men. That's the irony of our society.
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