http://phuketwan.com/tourism/rejecting-shipwreck-survivors-shows-singapore-lacks-heart-17241/
We visited the go-ahead city-state a while back and admired the stunning new developments, the efficiency of its taxis, the cleanliness of its streets.
Then came a sad account of the Vietnamese cargo vessel whose captain took a courageous decision to rescue 40 survivors from a shipwreck.
A second vessel plucked nine more from the Andaman Sea. Another 210 probably drowned when the ill-fated Nagu sank.
Both rescue vessels were then reported to be at anchor off Singapore as a UN agency tries to negotiate with Malaysia to take the 49 survivors, who may possibly even be Rohingya, the stateless Muslims from Burma.
Why Malaysia? Why not Singapore?
Earlier in the week, Singapore, the first-world country where prosperity is evident at every corner, turned away the shipwreck survivors.
According to Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority, it was all the fault of the courageous captain. He should have gone to the nearest port - which would have meant turning around - rather than continuing on to Singapore.
We can't speak for the captain of the Nosco Victory but perhaps he foolishly thought that Bandgladesh already had enough refugees, and that Singapore might be a better option.
Little did he know about Singapore's black soul. Prosperous Singapore was the destination for many refugees in the aftermath of the Vietnam war.
In 1975, Singapore was the first country to stop the boatpeople from coming. Other countries, including Thailand and Malaysia, followed.
Although 5000 eventually reached Singapore via commercial ships, which picked them up at sea, thousands of others died.
Indeed. Singapore has progressed in remarkable ways in the 21st century. Its people now rank as among the most prosperous in Asia. But lost at sea 40 years ago, along with those thousands of Vietnamese boatpeople, was Singapore's heart.
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