Singaporean politician calls foreign workers 'walking time-bombs', incites furore
SINGAPORE -- A local politician's remarks have caused uproar after she referred to foreign workers in the Little India neighbourhood as "walking time-bombs."
Denise Phua, a member of parliament, made those comments during a Parliament Budget debate on Thursday, according to local reports.
Many foreign workers here who reside in the neighbourhood come from parts of South Asia like Southern India and Bangladesh.
You May Also Like
During her speech, Phua referred to the Little India riot of Dec. 8, 2013, during which 18 people were injured. After the riots, authorities had put in more stringent crowd control measures, including cordoning off certain areas to direct the flow of human traffic.
Phua, who is the MP for the district in which Little India sits, said she noticed that crowd control had become lax again, and that residents in the area must be protected from "the disamenities that can arise from large gatherings."
She suggested that public spaces such as playgrounds and housing estate void decks be fenced off.
"Congregations of such high density are walking time-bombs and public disorder incidents waiting to happen," she added.
She then suggested that public spaces such as playgrounds and housing estate void decks be fenced off.
Phua's comments have since gone viral after being posted on Facebook.
In less than 24 hours, outraged netizens have called for the dismissal of Phua, citing that her remarks as racially discriminating and derogatory.
One Facebook user, Goh Teck Heng, even went as far as to compare Phua to Donald Trump.
Following the widespread criticism, Phua took to her Facebook page on Friday morning local time to apologise for her comments.
In the post, Phua retracted her statement referring to foreign workers as "walking time-bombs", saying it wasn't her intention to undermine any specific group.
According to Singapore's Department of Statistics, the country's population is made up of 74.3% Chinese, 13.3% Malays and 9.1% Indians.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
