Migrant workers help community on their rest day

A group of more than 10 Bukit Timah residents rolled up their sleeves and spent their Sunday morning helping to trim some 1.5 ha of overgrown grass around the Housing Board blocks in Toh Yi.

Many were newcomers who had moved in just two months ago and had hoped to show their appreciation for the warm welcome their new neighbours had given them.

In fact, these newcomers are migrant workers who are housed at the former Ngee Ann Polytechnic staff apartments at 90, 92 and 94 Kismis Avenue, a five-minute walk from Toh Yi Drive.

One of them was Mr Natesan Muniaiah, 32, a worker from India who has been in Singapore for eight years. His employer, Woh Hup, had agreed to the initiative, as had King Wan Construction, which employs some of the other workers.

Mr Natesan is currently living in Block 92. He told the Straits Times he was glad to have a chance to give back to the community.

"It is a Sunday, but we are very happy to volunteer to do this as we are living in the area."

Some 1,030 migrant workers in essential services moved into the apartments in early May. They were greeted with care packs from local residents who have since continued to gift them food and other supplies.

Senior Minister of State Sim Ann, who is an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, joined yesterday's initiative.

"I was very touched by how positively the workers responded to the community's efforts to welcome them and that they are willing to come out and help us even on their rest day," she said.

Her sentiments were shared by resident Nancy Tan, 73. Upon seeing Ms Sim and the workers toiling under the sun near her home in Block 8 Toh Yi Drive, Ms Tan came out with offerings of water and chilled drinks.

As a survivor of dengue fever, the potentially deadly disease carried by mosquitoes, Ms Tan said she was worried that overgrown grass could gather water and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

"The grassy areas around here are where children sometimes play. So I was very happy to see them cutting the grass this morning," added the three-year Toh Yi resident.

Ms Sim shared that the initiative was prioritised especially as the Toh Yi area was a cluster of 22 dengue cases, one of seven clusters in her Bukit Timah ward which together have over 40 cases.

She also said it has been hard to maintain the estate's landscaping during the pandemic, as workers in many horticultural firms had not been cleared by the authorities to resume work.

But Mr Edward Chia, a fresh face and her recently elected parliamentary teammate, managed to use his business network to secure help, she said.

Mr Chia, who was at a similar grass-cutting initiative yesterday morning in his Zhenghua ward, said he was thankful for the volunteers who stepped forward to support the community effort.

He also thanked "fellow SME owner and friend" Michael Teh, who runs Nature Landscapes, the firm that he contacted to help with the grass-cutting.

"This can-do spirit and ownership really exemplifies the best of our community," said Mr Chia.

Migrant workers who moved into apartments in Kismis Avenue two months ago helping to trim some 1.5 ha of grass around neighbouring Toh Yi Drive yesterday. They volunteered for the grass-cutting initiative as a gesture of appreciation for the Bukit Timah residents who had warmly welcomed the workers with care packs and gifts when they relocated in May.

Apart from ensuring the estate's greenery was kept neat and tidy - a challenge with landscaping services in short supply during the Covid-19 pandemic - the initiative also helped to counter the spread of another disease: dengue fever.

Cutting the grass helps to reduce potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry the potentially deadly disease.