Trafficking In Singapore. A very suspicious rescheduling.

Stop Trafficking SG discovered this weekend that the first reading of MP Christopher De Souza’s bill on Trafficking In Persons has been moved forward a full month to ‘some point during the week commencing Tuesday 7th October’. The revelations made through anonymous Government sources indicate that the bill will be heard as early as possible in the week.

There are as yet no official comments from the government on just why this move was made. It is possible they felt it necessary to hear the plight of trafficked workers alongside a Bill dealing with animal rights. This sort of makes sense when you look at the government’s track record of treating victims of trafficking like animals (withholding passports, refusing the right to work, denying any state stipend to support during trial)

This is of course all speculation. But why stop there?

Another fine theory is that this week was chosen as it begins with Eid Al Adha- a hugely important day for Muslims (15% of Singaporeans, considerably higher amongst migrant populations)

Eid Al Adha is a national holiday in Singapore, no one is at work today, many will be drinking. In the supermarket yesterday I saw people dragging crates of strong lager around as if it was the world cup final.

So, some people are going to be getting drunk. More people than usual I might even go so far as to say. Probably not the Muslims of course, but they will be doing their own thing. Hanging out with family, praying and so on.

Now, If Eid Al Adha is anything like Christmas (forgive my western-centric mind here but I really don’t have any other points of reference to hand) it will be an intense affair. An entire room full of people you see once or twice a year, who know you intimately, and yet barely at all.

In short, it will be a stressful day for the muslims of Singapore... All 15% of them. and stressed people have their guard down. possibly, usefully so…

Looking out my window all I see is families/friends together, united by the national amnesty on the usual painful level of overwork. It is not just Muslims who are bonded by this national day. Everyones having stressful family time or at the very least they’re all getting blasted.

If I had more time I’m sure i could bring up some statistics on how unconducive three-day weekends are to productivity in the following days. for the time being though, you will just have to take my word for it. I generally am a bit shit after a good old -fashioned August bank holiday weekend.

Maybe it’s just me/England of course. In fact.. ill give that a possibly/probably

Whatever, Moving on. My favourite theory for the date change is that they don’t like how much speed the inter-organisation pressure group we represent is picking up speed. They are now aware of our petition and intend to clamp down on our efforts to influence the process by hastening their first reading and effectively cutting short our campaign.

Maybe a little egocentric of course, but why not? You cant put a stunt like this past any government, especially one with such a shaky adherence to the principles of participatory democracy and fairness to the masses.

Hell, if I was a totalitarian junta parading as a democracy that is exactly what I would do. Arrange a date for a debate, then shift it forward to a day when no ones going to give a shit in order to shake off my humanitarian pursuers.

So… Ho hum. It would appear that there is very little we can do now but just suck it up and head straight off to parliament the minute we hear that a date has been confirmed.

Current indicators appear to suggest that it will be tomorrow at 1.30pm.

I will update here when I know. If you are in Singapore and fancy being part of a spectacle, please join us.