President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Sunday met with migrant workers, including Indians, involved in two separate rescue operations in Singapore, as a mark of appreciation, local media reported.
Shanmugaratnam and First Lady Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam welcomed the workers at the National Day open house at Istana, the presidential palace, to celebrate SG60, sixty years of Singapore's independence, The Straits Times reported.
In one incident, a 46-year-old Indian foreman and seven workers in his team rescued a woman from her car after it fell into a sinkhole in Tanjong Katong Road South on July 26.
In another incident, 11 workers helped during a fire at a shophouse in River Valley in April this year. The workers were quick to set up a scaffolding to bring down children from the burning third floor of the shophouse where coaching classes were held.
“You saved her life, thank you,” The Straits Times quoted President Tharman as saying during chats with the workers who had saved a lady driver.
The President and First Lady also thanked 11 others who helped out during a fire incident.
Each of the workers received a memento
After the interaction, each of the workers received a memento of their visit to the Istana.
{{/usCountry}}After the interaction, each of the workers received a memento of their visit to the Istana.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to the media at the Istana, construction site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah said that the successful rescue of a life was the most rewarding thing from the incident.
“Because of us, a family is safe and happy (which) makes us very glad,” Subbiah, 46, said in Tamil. “The recognition we have received is more than enough.”
The other workers involved in the sinkhole driver rescue are: Excavator operator Sathapillai Rajendran, 56; and co-workers Anbazhagan Velmurugan, 26; Poomalai Saravanan, 28; Ganesan Veerasekar, 32; Bose Ajithkumar, 26; and Arumugam Chandirasekaran, 47.
The workers have also been commended by the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group, a division that aims to support migrant workers' well-being.
Also Read: Who are the 7 Indian workers Singapore President invited after sinkhole rescue?
ACE Coin, given to each of the workers
The ACE Coin, given to each of the workers, is a "token of appreciation" presented to migrant worker volunteers and partners who have made meaningful contributions towards supporting and caring for the migrant worker community, said MOM.
Following the sinkhole incident, a non-profit organisation supporting migrant workers, ‘ItsRainingRaincoats’ has received more than SGD72,000 in public donations as a show of appreciation by Singaporeans.
The organisation said it will hold a small gathering on August 10 to honour the workers and to announce the disbursement of the funds raised to their bank accounts.