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Singapore Democratic Party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan has made it a point to treat marginalised groups, such as cleaners and low-income elderly individuals, to free meals at his cafe, Orange & Teal.

On Sunday (Sep. 5), he hosted a group of migrant workers to lunch at the very cafe that they had helped construct.

Migrant workers don't get to enjoy the fruits of their labour

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Sep. 7), Chee wrote about how, despite migrant workers toiling away at constructing Singapore, they don't get a chance to enjoy what they create:

"They pave our roads but never get to drive on them, they build our flats but never get to live in them, they manicure our parks but never get to stroll in them."

Thus, he said, he decided to treat the team of migrant workers who had helped to construct Orange & Teal to lunch at the cafe.

"Many of you have commented how elegant and cozy the café looks. Well, now you know who helped us make our vision a reality," he wrote, naming Jeshain, Abu, and Ah Yew as a few of the workers who built the place.

"[T]hey were the ones to put in the pipes and bang in the nails to make the place look the way it is. And now they get to enjoy the results of their work."

Wants Singapore to be a nation that values wisdom and compassion

Chee added that often times, those of us in Singapore don't acknowledge or even see the contributions that migrant workers make to the country and the sacrifices that they have to make.

"They have names, they have loved ones at home they haven’t seen for years. They toil for miserable wages often creamed off by unscrupulous agents.

They feel pain but remain silent when we herd them into dorms with shambolic living conditions and treat like disposable tools."

He called for people to treat others with compassion and respect, and voiced his hopes for Singapore:

"I want Singapore to be a great nation, not just a rich one. And a great nation values wisdom, not just wealth; compassion, not just crass riches."

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