THE two workers who rescued a toddler from near death last week may have done more than save a life ("Rescuers' only thought was to save toddler"; last Saturday).
Judging by the reactions online to the heroic feat of Mr Subramanian Shanmuganathan and Mr Ponnan Muthukumar, many people, including myself, are hoping that they have inspired a sea change in the attitude of people here towards foreign workers.
These hundreds of thousands of workers who come to Singapore in search of a better life toil long and hard hours at jobs shunned by most Singaporeans, for wages that are bare minimum at best. Sometimes, they are unpaid or paid late.
On top of that, they endure cramped living conditions and have to put up with less-than-friendly attitudes to their very presence here.
Far from being appreciated and thanked, they are often shunned and looked down upon. The Little India riot, which was an isolated incident and involved only a handful of real culprits, maligned them further.
However, Mr Shanmuganathan and Mr Muthukumar, with their spontaneous act of courage, may have turned the tide to usher in a more tolerant, appreciative climate for migrant workers here.
We can only hope. In the meantime, let me add my note of gratitude and admiration to the thousands of similar messages from not just Singapore, but all over the world.
Well done, gentlemen.
Dipa Swaminathan (Ms)
