3,000 migrant workers celebrate Hari Raya Puasa with carnival games, live performances

SINGAPORE — Some 3,000 migrant workers celebrated Hari Raya Puasa on Tuesday (May 3) in an event organised by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and various corporate, religious and non-government organisations.

“Around 3,000 migrant workers from over 10 dormitories participated in congregational Eid prayers in the morning, and enjoyed carnival games and live performances in the afternoon,” said MOM in a statement on Tuesday.

The event at Tuas South Recreation Centre was put together by MOM’s Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group, which manages issues pertaining to migrant workers living in dormitories, and The Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach, a non-profit group that seeks to provide holistic care to migrant workers.

MOM said that the organisers worked with close to 20 partners, including the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, Singapore Kindness Movement, Alliance of Indian Ministries, Lorong Koo Chye Sheng Hong Temple Association and DBS Bank.

In the lead up to Hari Raya Puasa, ACE Group also worked with various partners to organise tarawih (special prayers) and iftar (break fast) sessions across more than 30 dormitories.

“Over 100,000 dates and 3,000 meals were distributed to close to 70,000 migrant workers during the fasting month,” said MOM.

“To enable migrant workers to enjoy their rest days with their friends, we facilitated community outings to various places such as Sentosa, Gardens by the Bay and the Indian Heritage Centre.”

In addition, migrant workers could also enjoy recreational activities, such as Kabaddi tournaments and cooking contests, within their dormitories and recreation centres during the festive season.

Minister for Manpower, Dr Tan See Leng, thanked the various partners which have worked closely with MOM to make the celebrations possible and said that it takes a whole-of-society effort to care for Singapore’s migrant workers.

“We thank our migrant workers who have displayed great resilience throughout this pandemic and hope they will enjoy these celebrations with their friends.”