Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Migrant workers who rescued driver invited to Istana
"There will be opportunities for interaction between the guests - including the migrant workers - and the president during the Istana open house," said the President’s Office.
Composite picture shows the migrant workers who rescued a driver from the Tanjong Katong sinkhole and the Istana. (Photos: Facebook/Dinesh Vasu Dash, CNA/Howard Law)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: The seven migrant workers who rescued the driver from the Tanjong Katong sinkhole last weekend have been invited to meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana, his office said on Wednesday (Jul 30).
The President’s Office told CNA that it had invited the migrant workers involved in the sinkhole rescue, along other guests, to the Istana open house this Sunday.
They are: Site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 47, and his co-workers Mr Anbazhagan Velmurugan, 26, Mr Poomalai Saravanan, 28, Mr Ganesan Veerasekar, 32, Mr Bose Ajithkumar, 26, Mr Arumugam Chandirasekaran, 47, and Mr Sathapillai Rajendran, 56.
"There will be opportunities for interaction between the guests - including the migrant workers – and the president during the Istana open house," the President’s Office added.
The site where the sinkhole opened up along Tanjong Katong Road South is adjacent to an active PUB worksite involving the construction of a 16m-deep shaft to connect three existing sewer lines.
A concrete component in the shaft "failed" at around 5.50pm last Saturday, according to the national water agency. Around the same time, a sinkhole formed on the adjacent road, causing a car to fall in.
Mr Subbiah’s quick thinking, along with that of his fellow workers, helped pull the woman to safety with a rope within minutes. Their actions have since drawn widespread praise, with Mr Tharman also acknowledging their bravery.
"Bravo! Thanks to the migrant workers led by foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah. They moved quickly and with courage," he said in a Facebook post on Sunday evening.
The seven migrant workers were on Sunday evening awarded with a Friends of ACE appreciation coin by Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash.
The coin is named after Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group, a division that aims to support migrant workers' well-being. It 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.
"It is also awarded to migrant workers who demonstrate courage, initiative or public spiritedness in times of need," the ministry added.
While there has been some discussion on social media about whether the coins were an appropriate way to recognise the migrant workers' heroic act, MOM said it was "encouraged" to receive feedback calling for more forms of appreciation.
Charity and migrant worker support organisation ItsRainingRaincoats also said on Wednesday that it had reached its donation campaign target of raising S$70,000 (US$54,260) for the seven migrant workers.
"Thank you Singapore for your overwhelming kindness and generosity to the brave sinkhole rescue migrant worker heroes!" it said on its Facebook page, adding that the funds raised will be divided between the workers involved and transferred to their bank accounts.
According to its campaign page, the donation raised S$72,241 from 1,639 donors.
"We will be hosting a meet and greet with these workers as soon as we are able to arrange it," ItsRainingRaincoats added.
Editor’s note: The names and ages of two of the migrant workers have been updated after the Ministry of Manpower corrected the information it earlier provided.
