Is Malaysia so brimming with talent that 40% of vagrants in Johor Bahru can hold regular jobs in Singapore, and earn between S$1000 to S$2000.
These homeless Malaysians tend to sleep in the streets, in parks, or along corridors outside buildings when they return to Johor Bahru, according to the welfare organisation, Johor Women and Family. They are employed in Singapore such as factory workers, construction workers, odd-job workers, and cleaners.
So now that the Johor state government is trying to curb vagrancy, why not just sweep them up and send them to Singapore?
After all, if they are earning the same wages as Singaporeans in the lower-wage group, surely they can afford to live in Singapore? They don’t even need to lose 20% of their monthly disposable income to CPF contributions.
Then again, who wouldn’t want to live in at least a comfortable dwelling, and in a dignified manner? Maybe Singaporeans have something to learn from the homeless Malaysians.
Let’s take Singapore Ah Huat, who works as a cleaner in our garden city. In a good year, he earns about $1000 a month. Now let’s look at how much money he has to buy things every month.
Huat ah! Singapore Ah Huat will lead a healthy beer-free and cigarette-free lifestyle, because with $20 left a month, he can’t afford to buy any of those things! And Ah Huat better stay healthy, because if he falls sick, he is going to sink into a lot of debt.
So maybe it’s better and recommended that Singapore Ah Huat becomes a Singapore vagrant. At least he can save some money for a rainy day. Better to live as a destitute, than to die dignified, right?
And maybe Malaysia is brimming with talent after all. If the homeless in Johor Bahru can think like this, just imagine what the other more educated ones can string together!
