Singapore volunteers forced to work long hours without rest for YOG
August 17th, 2010 | 
Author: Since the eruption of the “DOG” food scandal, more and more Singapore volunteers have been stepping forward with horrid tales of the inhumane treatment they are being subjected to volunteering for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
Many are students in secondary schools, ITEs, polytechnics and junior colleges and were coerced to volunteer for the YOG by their schools. One JC even threatened students with six hours of Corrective Work Order if they do not volunteer.
[Get instant updates and discussions about the YOG on our Facebook page here]
According to the feedback we receive, the students often had to work for long hours without proper meals or rest and some have to take cabs home after 1am as no transport is provided.
One JC student told us that he was forced to serve as an usher at Jalan Besar stadium for one entire week from 4pm to 11pm daily and still has to attend school at 8am the next day.
“I am dead tired every day I return home and fall to sleep immediately. Where got time to study. I am worried for my term tests in two weeks’ time,” he wrote in exasperation.
Another polytechnic student volunteering at the Youth Olympic Village work from 1.30-10.30pm daily and apparently she is only entitled to one pathetic packed meal.
“In addition, the volunteers were not even given chairs to take a rest because apparently one member of the organising committee commented that some other individuals were lazy and took all the chairs away. Imagine standing straight for 10 hours?” she exclaimed.
These accounts were corroborated by a letter from an irate parent Lim Yoke Peng which was published in the Straits Times Forum on 14 August 22010:
“I was appalled by the meals served to volunteers of the Youth Olympic Games (‘Caterer acts after criticism of YOG food’; yesterday). My son, who is a junior college student, was enlisted as a volunteer. He had to train for weeks from 11am to 11pm and sacrificed weekends. So it is irresponsible of the organisers to neglect basic requirements like a proper meal or transport. After training, volunteers must find their way home. How would one expect to encourage pride in service?”
Our students are already stressed up by the heavy school load. The PAP regime and MOE should not impose additional burden on them by forcing them to volunteer for the YOG which has nothing to do with their studies anyway.
EDITORS’ NOTE:
Has your life been turned upside down by the YOG? Please share your views with us. We assure you that your identity will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL. We will be your UNCENSORED VOICE. We will publish your letter in FULL with ZERO editing, moderating or censoring. You do not have to suffer in silence! You have the RIGHT to speak up as a citizen of this country. Remember: you are a CITIZEN of Singapore, not a SLAVE of the PAP regime.
Our mailbox has been swarmed by letters from YOG volunteers for the last few days. Unless you specifically want us to publish your REAL NAME, we will use a pseudonym instead. Please understand that due to manpower constraints, we may not be able to publish your letters immediately and we will have to stagger them a few hours apart to ensure that they get maximum exposure.
Please keep your feedback coming! Singapore for SINGAPOREANS! Your interests always come FIRST.
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What do you expect after you voted for PAP?!?
What do you want?
You want 3 meals at hawker centre, foodcourt or restaurant?
You want GDP of -5%, 2% or 10%?
You want HDB flat at $300K, $500K or $700K?
You want COE at $15K, $50K or $100K?
You want retirement at 60, 70 or 100+?
If you voted for PAP, just shut the f*ck up, smile and do your duty to PAP.
If you’re not happy & really want changes, you better wake up your bloody ideas and vote opposition in the upcoming GE.
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Perhaps… a visit to the doctor could give u excused for few days…
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Singaporeans are just a bunch of idiots with no initialive.
This is not about responsibility anymore, this has come close to slavery. These volunteers should have just walkout of these stupid duty.
I worked at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as a Security personnel and the pay was C$20/hr and included one l meal. And when they needed more personnel, the management will request for people who were willing to work overtime and there were never short of volunteers.
There were also volunteers for some other duties like urshering, and all of them though without pay, have many benefits in kind, and they were all well scheduled for their duties and no overtime.
It is just wrong to exploit young people like this. Hope Singaporean will know how to stand up for their right soon.
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“被volunteer”
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Guys, please stop the quote “You want 3 meals at hawker centre, foodcourt or restaurant?” directed at Vivian B. He could have been misinterpreted by the press, similar to our Law Minister Shanmugan remarks about the MDP. I suggest we move on for better things rather than harp on this.
And his comments and the YOG are two separate thing. Singaporeans must get a sense of proportion. Singaporeans must be grateful to the government. This YOG has long term effects, really.
Whether New or Old Singaporean, I already pledge my allegiance here. So I have the right to speak.
Some of you guys are too emotional and hopeless!
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You can just walk away, they can’t stop you. If they challenger you, just lay down the facts for everyone to see. They only have power over you as long as you are afraid and kept in the dark of your rights.
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We don’t need motherfarkers like u anywhere in Sg, kindly fark off to ur motherfucker land and fuck ur mother.
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crazy…some how the attetion is brought twds a politicals party, opposition trying an easy patform to gain attention… i disagree with most of the statements here.
45 years of harwork of our must be hailed
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I know why Singaporeans are called champion grumblers now. They complain a lot and still vote for PAP at the end of the day. Like a barking dog with no bite. Long live PAP.
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Its ok lah good training for NS for the guys.
A chance for the gals to have a small sip of NS.
If the political masters want to host a games, the cheapest and most docile labour force is our students and NS boys. If not, you guys will be complaining why we went 5 times above budget instead of 3 times.
And the Political Masters are fair to reward the “volunteers” with CCA pts so you get in Uni/ Poly, etc easier!
We chose these Political Masters, so let’s embrace their policies with all our hearts and soul, even if they lead us to hell.
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@New Singaporean : Pledge your allegiane how? Are you eligible for reservist duty?
Ask yourself whether you’re a leech or contributor before speaking up. Your right to speak is self assumed. For that matter, it’s also unsolicited by true-blue Singaporeans.
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For those who are interested to know, here is the email address of the International Labor Organization, the UN body responsible for looking after workers’ welfare.
[email protected]
And this is their URL: http://www.ilo.org/
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Fuck you new singaporean!
We true blue singaporean serves the army to listen to fuctards like you for your fuck up opinion?
I SAY…………FUCK YOU DEAD!!!
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Get up, pack up and just go In the desert the Ministers, MPs and YOG members don’t remember your name. Stop this. The kids, you are not obligated and you don’t owe YOG anything.To YOG and MCYS don’t bleed the poor kids. Give them their dues nad leave them alone. The kids need to study and being a volunteer will not helm them to get far in their career with all this new pissed up shit like FT and PRs. Yhe PAP should rope them in by the thousands nd give them the medals. Peace
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I can feel the heat and anger of the people is growing stronger and stronger everyday, and it may just explode anytime. This is not about some sports event like yog, its about the papies keep doing alot of bad things towards its very own citizens, everything they are doing now is becoming very dangerous to the people of singapore, so to say, singaporeans have no other choice but to hit back now.
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So much for the “New Singaporean”. This is the exact sort of pro-PAP foreigners they are importing in droves to shore up their flagging support.
Give a beggar in Somalia a bowl of rice (literally) and he will pledge his eternal loyalty to you.
Give a Japanese or European a bowl of rice and you think they will vote for you?
These “New Singaporeans” are the beggar votes bought by the PAP
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@New Singaporean
Vivian was not misquoted.
For all who still did not know, the now famous quote happened in a parliamentary debate in 2007.
Dr Lily Neo:
Sir, I want to check with the Minister again when he said on the strict criteria on the entitlement for PA recipients. May I ask him what is his definition of “subsistence living”? Am I correct to say that, out of $260 per month for PA recipients, $100 goes to rental, power supply and S&C and leaving them with only $5 a day to live on? Am I correct to say that any basic meal in any hawker centre is already $2.50 to $3.00 per meal? Therefore, is it too much to ask for just three meals a day as an entitlement for the PA recipients?
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan:
How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?
Hence, we poor citizens will always remember his inhumane and insensitive remarks when queried by Dr Lily Neo whether the public assistance is sufficient.
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@New Singaporean
Minister V said it in parliament and there is a record on the Hansard.
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@ New Singaporean
Who is ur trainer btw?? He or she done a good job training u & I think you are the most suitable candiate to try out the latest recipe of “DOG food”. Dun forget to cover the hole that u poo as it is a offence to anyhow shit in Sporean. Duno if ur trainer brief u on that??? Can imagine that you can lick anything just to be a part of the tiny red dot!!!
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@New Singaporean:
August 17, 2010 at 3:12 pm
“He could have been misinterpreted by the press, similar to our Law Minister Shanmugan remarks about the MDP. I suggest we move on for better things rather than harp on this.”
fcuk u, mother fcuker
So you like to carry ahney balls? more hairy?
Your fcuking mouth is full of shit !!!
Make sure you wipe their asses clean before you lick !!!
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I am appalled, disgusted and dumbstruck by the attitudes of these so-called new citizens, if they are actual people. They choose to praise the ruling party and condemn the native citizens of their adoptive country. Do they even realise that all the success we’ve enjoyed is credited to the PEOPLE, not the PAP? If anything they should be praising the people, especially the older generations, and thanking them every single day. Such leeches make their agenda very clear – to get more personal benefits from the PAP.
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All volunteers should just not turn up for duty the very next day…go and see doctor and get MC. Tell doctor migraine, tiredness, headache, lack of sleep whatever.
Let the whole thing fuck up and see if the top scholars whose only plan is to exploit students have enough resourcefulness to face the challenge.
The reason why this is happening is simply because the scholars in the system have been having it too easy. There is no concept of working with limited resources. Want man power? Activate army, schools. Want money? Govt got plenty. There is no concept of proper scheduling, man power management, resource allocation. It is like the SAF imposed on the civilian students.
This is insane… if the thing ends late then it is the duty of the organisers to at least use the damn YOG buses to send the kids home.
Even my company bowling night has better transport and logistics arrangements for the staff than this joke of a world class event.
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Don’t joke lah!
Don’t vote for the opposition that gave the pap a passing grade lah!
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To JC students:
Term test is not really that important. What’s important is your A’ Levels. So I want to tell you: SCREW THE TERM TEST. Besides, if you really struggle for Term Test, you can always tell the teacher that you were “volunteered” by them for YOG. That’s a reason, not an excuse, therefore you can say that straight in their face.
To the Polytechnic student:
If you can’t stand, sit. Who cares whether it’s on the floor or on a chair. When some wayang guy comes to screw u up, your reply can be: Please talk to my hand. I dun want to talk to a lazy guy who doesn’t even bother with the welfare of those working under him.
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Berlin 1936 = Singapore 2010
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To New Singaporean. What so big fuck tht you had taken up citizenship. Every citizens of Singapore deserved opinion of their own. Who are you to give lecture here.
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For those who volunteered purely out of their own volition, they should have known better than to sign up for the exploitation.
What is unpardonable is the exploitation of coerced ‘volunteers’ to make up the numbers, especially the young students. Parents should be very outraged over how their kids have been exploited.
Nevertheless, there will be some parents who, being the pro-establishment dogs that they are, will roll over and insist their kids ‘volunteer’ for the YOG.
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Let the children vote. They have been well educated by the government recently on the subject.
And if you didn’t catch the quote before, here it is again.
“You want 3 meals at hawker centre, foodcourt or restaurant?” – Vivian B.
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Rewards and good name ,MONEY will be given to the Top people but small fry get nothing and still pay extra for their transport
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“volunteer |ˌvälənˈtir|
noun
• a person who works for an organization without being paid.”
Always stand up for yourselves! They won’t give a Shit about youse! If youse volunteers felt that youse were being Taken for Granted, Stand Together, Stop Working, Walk Out & See how can they carry on without you guys!
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It seems I too have a nick clone a few post up. Lucky my sentiments are almost the same so it’s alright
Everyday more and more complains about YOG. It’s becoming a routine. I bet at the end of it, people will get a big ang pow as thank you for your sacrifice and putting a good show (read: self denial) for the YOG. The week after that, you should know what they will announce.
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Simply stop being fooled around by miw
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stani:
August 17, 2010 at 3:47 pm
crazy…some how the attetion is brought twds a politicals party, opposition trying an easy patform to gain attention… i disagree with most of the statements here.
45 years of harwork of our must be hailed
Please do state whatever it is that you disagree with.
While i agree 45 years of hard work is indeed commendable, let me ask you this simple question.
For example, if we found out that an official of a third-world country had been siphoning money form the country into his own pockets, there would be an outcry! Everyone would want a chance to spit upon the face of that god-forsaken individual.
Now, IF our “founding father”(We all know who) had been doing the same, would you be able to bring yourself to do the same? Generally, i believe, our population save some, would come up with reasons like, “Hes brought us from nothing a a first-world country”, “he has improved our lives by such a huge margin”, “we had to share water form a well int he past”, “he gave everyone the chance to have adequate education!”. We should not be so hard on him since his so old~
Really ask yourself the above question, I did 4 years back. An ignorant teen led to believe everything he sees or hear on the national media, refuting all claims by other medias criticizing our state gov’ment, I went with the latter. But I know better today.
45 years of hard work is absolutely no excuse for a moment of folly. Not when you represent a nation, not when your decisions affect a nation, not when everything you do affects the lives millions of people, not when you are responsible for every lost second of individual people’s lives.
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it seems funny to me why those parents who complain so much, don’t just confront the principal, institutions, or their MP directly
if indeed no proper meals or transport were provided, then the volunteer shd not fear for not turning up for lesson or next YOG job, just camp at YOG venue after public tpt stop operating, or call 999 n ask for free ride home, thereafter stop going to YOG since no proper meals and tpt provided, they can’t blame you for boycotting legally can they?
see the root of our problem, its start fm sch, so by the time u start voting, most lost their courage to stand up for what they think is right/wrong
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@New Singaporean:
August 17, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Guys, please stop the quote “You want 3 meals at hawker centre, foodcourt or restaurant?” directed at Vivian B. He could have been misinterpreted by the press, similar to our Law Minister Shanmugan remarks about the MDP. I suggest we move on for better things rather than harp on this.
And his comments and the YOG are two separate thing. Singaporeans must get a sense of proportion. Singaporeans must be grateful to the government. This YOG has long term effects, really.
Whether New or Old Singaporean, I already pledge my allegiance here. So I have the right to speak.
Some of you guys are too emotional and hopeless!
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…..so ‘New Singaporean’ you really talk a lot here…but have you done NS yet? Reservist ? Btw..how did you actually pledge allegiance? Serve in grassroots comittee? LOL…:)
Hahaha…LOL…do you really expect true Singaporeans to believe that the ministers were ‘misquoted’ in the government controlled propaganda mainstream media …??
So I guess that the Minister for the Environment was also ‘misquoted’ when he said that the floods in Bukit Timah happpened only ‘once in 50 years’…??
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Govt do not care. you should not vote for PAP in the first place. Nothing to be proud of YOG.
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I think public hospital cost will increased as the committee understate the bills.
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@woot
I would also like to add that LKY DID NOT bring Singapore ‘from the third world to first’. Do not be misled by the titles on his memoirs. When the British left the infrastructure was more or less in place. Albert Winsemius did most of the post-independence economic planning.
In other words, LKY did jack squat. Do not be suckered in to the his cult of personality, heaping upon him accolades which he does not deserve. Also, do not be fooled by the ‘official history of modern Singapore’ as retold by National Education. He was, like many others, always a self-serving politician first. Even back in those days when he had black hair. What made him stand out was that he speaks eloquently (a lawyer, that is to be expected), and sheer ambition combined with ruthlessness.
He does not care about ordinary Singaporeans. All he cares about is his ego, his legacy and the perpetuation of Lee/PAP hegemony.
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It is very very simple. Students can just walk away and refuse the “volunteering” work, but they don’t, why?
Cos their school will “punish” them. Why schools dare to punish them? Becos they themselves and their own parents don’t have the BALLS to confront the schools and fight for the rights of their own children. Their parents sacrifice their own children just as they sacrificed the future Singaporean generations when they voted for the incumbent government.
If the above statement is untrue, then that means the children willingly volunteered, and whatever Temasek Review portrayed here is just extrapolated anti-gahmen sentiments.
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Hey, well what can i say this was very intresting. There is some top content on your blog sharing-all the best!
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Cast PAP out. Vote villian bala out. Moth*r F**ker Vivian.
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@YComplain:
spot on! it is a widely known fact that 66% of singaporeans lack the proverbial balls to vote out PAP.
but ironically, 80% live in public housing and only 20% live in private homes. what does that tell us?
the fools in the 66% are voting PAP to support the lifestyles of the rich 20% living in private homes.
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“It is very very simple. Students can just walk away and refuse the “volunteering” work, but they don’t, why?
Cos their school will “punish” them. Why schools dare to punish them? Becos they themselves and their own parents don’t have the BALLS to confront the schools and fight for the rights of their own children. Their parents sacrifice their own children just as they sacrificed the future Singaporean generations when they voted for the incumbent government.”
yf**kmyself, you and your fellow miw comrades should really hear yourself talk. Look at how you just contradicted yourself. Of course the statement you made is true. Parents have been intimidated into thinking that without you dirtbags the country will collapse.
The school administrators are government employees. They fear for their own jobs. In the case of the parents many are not even AWARE that their children are supposed to be VOLUNTEERS; after all they were NOT even called upon to sign a CONSENT FORM giving the school permission to “volunteer” their children. The reason why I posted the ILO web & email addresses is so that anyone who has any doubts on the legality of any of how the so-called “volunteers” have been treated can find out for themselves.
Another of your comrades count dumbass was actually hurt that I attacked his stupidity extremely aggressively. So that is what you miws are really MADE OF: you like to misuse your positions to bully people, but when somebody fights back ferociously you get frightened and start whining. Just look at how that cowardly dickhead shithead suckcock feared confronting his critics after calling Singaporeans dogs.
So EVERYBODY here, HEAR ME OUT. HAMMER THE MIW LACKEYS such as silenceisgolden, count and prcitizen ferociously! BATTER THEM RELENTLESSLY! KEEP ATTACKING THEM RELENTLESSLY! SHOW NO MERCY TOWARDS THEM! KEEP GOING AT IT UNTIL THEY REALIZE THAT SINGAPORE BELONGS TO ALL SINGAPOREANS, NOT JUST ELITE SCUM LIKE THEM!
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I don’t think in my life time I will ever see singaporeans being treated as 1 class citizens that serve, slog and willing to die for this tiny red dot.
only one could do that will be an act from GOD.
Karma, retribution, good will always triumph evil, crime doesn’t pay
does such thing ever exist ???
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wao is this a website for juveniles? Ppl using foul languages and posting nonsensical comments. “voting for PAP to support 20% staying in private house” where does that come from? communism? In my view, stop bitching and start showing YOG the support it deserves. I see how the government has failed. The fact that it groomed unpatriotic citizens here. We Singaporeans jus hav to learn to be more cohesive, esp in front of the world. I hear Ppl calling for boycott of the event, simply childish to me. This YOG is supposed to make us proud not silly.
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I really hope Keith can wake up his idea
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Hi new Singaporean, don’t mind these kids’ childish comment. You are welcome here. Don’t be mistaken, these kids are the small minorities stirring shit. They do not represent Singaporeans
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this is how we should train our young people to work hard for life and don’t expect any retirement in your lifetime !! the country should always come first and you should die for your country. so, stop the complaints and match on !! even if it means you fail your exams, landed in hospital on tainted dog food, etc… etc
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Instead of walk-overs, Singapores should demand that a regular election be carried out for uncontested wards.
Then, everyone can cast their invalid votes.
And we will see how the PAP candidate will perform, counting only those valid votes, they will not get more than 50%.
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If you think you are mistreated in your volunteering job, please have the guts to just walk out. This is basic human right. If you don’t stand up for yourself, no one will . Sad state of our education system that moulded youth without courage to stand up against injustice.
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agree so much with White Pigs.
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