Riot breaks out in Little India

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/09/2013 18:44 | By Channel NewsAsia

Victim of Little India traffic accident is first concern: MWC

SINGAPORE: The Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) said its first concern lies with the victim, who died when a private bus hit him at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road on Sunday night.

The victim is 33-year-old Indian national construction worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu.

Channel NewsAsia understands he was working for scaffolding company Heng Hup Soon.

MWC said it is in touch with the man's employer to ensure that all necessary support is provided, and it is also trying to reach the man's family.

It added that Sunday night's incident showed the importance of outreach to all foreign workers to ensure a harmonious co-existence, adding that it will be stepping up efforts in its engagement process.

MWC will also do its part to provide legal assistance and emotional support to affected workers.

MWC chairman Yeo Guat Kwang said: “We must realise this is a group of workers who come from different cultures and backgrounds. It is important for us to continue to engage them, share with them and let them understand our social norms.

“If they have any issues at the workplace, or if they face any problems, please don't take matters in your own hands, please come to us and we will give you necessary support and assistance.” - CNA/nd

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/09/2013 18:49 | By Channel NewsAsia

Shops at site of riot in Little India report dip in business

SINGAPORE: The majority of businesses along Race Course Road, where the riot broke out on Sunday, have said their business has seen a dip of 10 to 30 per cent.

A check by Channel NewsAsia’s reporter showed that more than eight shops remain shut.

Those that are open are worried about how to get their patrons back.

The Banana Leaf Apollo, for example, said it has seen a dip of 10 per cent in its lunch crowd.

But it said it could also be due to the fact that it is a Monday, and that business is not as brisk as during the weekend.

An employee at the eatery hopes that checks in the area could be stepped up to avert further incidents. - CNA/gn

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/09/2013 19:54 | By Channel NewsAsia

Police presence to be stepped up in Little India after riot

SINGAPORE: Police presence will be stepped up in Little India following Sunday's riot that left 39 people injured.

This will extend to areas where foreign workers congregate, and also on weekends, holidays and festive periods which typically see large crowds gathering.

Singapore's Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew told reporters this on Monday, adding that he is looking at ways to tighten liquor access in the area.

Mr Lui added that Sunday's riot is a "very, very serious" incident.

"We sometimes take our peace and tranquility for granted. This is a reminder that things can flare up and we need to be prepared," he said.

The day after the riot at Little India, Mr Lui, who is also Member of Parliament for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, visited residents and business owners to reassure them.

The area comes under the GRC's purview, and following the riot, Mr Lui said he is considering a limit on the number of liquor licenses in the area, the amount of alcohol sold, where it can be consumed, and the hours during which it can be consumed.

Mr Lui said he and fellow MPs for the constituency had discussed with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean about the ongoing consultation on what changes should be made to liquor licences.

"What we had wanted to do is limit the number of liquor licenses within this area, because our feel is that in Little India, the number of licenses that had been given or being used has increased too significantly, and too much for our comfort," he said.

Mr Lui pointed out that he has seen success in other areas of the constituency in terms of getting support, citing Balestier as an example.

"We have strict limits on pubs, massage parlours, karaokes and budget hotels. So there's been a freeze for a number of years on such establishments," he noted.

He added that it is important to understand why the workers behaved the way they did, but that this will take time.

Mr Lui said: "I don't want to cast this as a foreign worker versus us situation or try and overlay a racial tone to it, because I don't believe that is the case so far.”

He was also asked if there was any indication that the riot was fuelled by alcohol, but emphasised that it is hard to say "definitively" why the situation turned out this way.

Mr Lui said: "When I came down to Race Course Road last night and I was able to pass those who had been taken under the police custody, I think in my mind, it was quite evident in smelling the environment, that alcohol could have been a contributory factor."

He added that beer bottles and beer cans were among items used to damage vehicles in the riot.

Mr Lui added that there is a need to look carefully into how big a part alcohol contributed to the severity of the rioting.

Business owners and residents said it is not uncommon for minor alcohol-related disturbances to break out on weekends.

But some feel the authorities should shift their focus to the area's traffic situation, and find solutions to prevent congestion, which can lead to fatal accidents.

Sunday's riot was sparked by a fatal traffic accident.

Manikandan Ramalingam, a waiter at Banana Leaf Apollo Restaurant, said: "Normally every Sunday there will be a problem, but not like this.

“Because of this accident only -- normally they just drink and fight. I didn't expect it."

J Tay, a Little India resident, said: "Just that I think there are too many liquor shops around, and there are more and more."

Police officers and the town council worked though the night to clear the streets of the damaged vehicles and other debris in time for the start of the work day.

With almost all signs of yesterday's turmoil and violence cleaned up, it is business as usual for many business owners along Race Course Road.

But some were hit much harder than others.

Workers at a fruit and vegetables stall had a lot to clean up after their produce was destroyed during the riot.

The riot may be over, but for some retailers, their work has only just begun. - CNA/nd

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/09/2013 13:04 | By Channel NewsAsia

Shanmugam welcomes statement from Bangladesh High Commission following riot

SINGAPORE: Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said he was glad that the Bangladesh High Commission has issued a clear statement following Sunday night's violence in Little India.

Posting on his Facebook shortly before noon on Monday, Mr Shanmugam said that "the rioters need to be dealt with in accordance with the law."

His remarks followed a statement from the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Singapore in the morning.

In the statement, High Commissioner Mahbubuz Zaman had called on the Bangladesh community to exercise calm and restraint, and cooperate fully with the law enforcement agencies.

He had said the community is duty bound to help the authorities to maintain the rule of law, and added that this is necessary to maintain overall law and order.

Mr Zaman had also dismissed reports that the violence last night was fuelled by an accident involving a Bangladeshi worker, saying the reports were not based on facts. - CNA/ac

 

[Heaven]

12/09/2013 13:15 | By 938LIVE

Lui Tuck Yew pushing to tighten liquor licence rules in Little India

MP Lui Tuck Yew is pushing for limits on the number of liquor licenses in the aftermath of Sunday night's riot in Little India.

SINGAPORE : MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, Lui Tuck Yew, is pushing for limits on the number of liquor licenses in the aftermath of Sunday night's riot in Little India.

Mr Lui, who is the MP for the area, said there should be demarcated areas and limited hours for drinking, somewhat like smoking regulations.

His comments were made on the sidelines of his second visit to Little India this morning.

The Transport Minister added that liquor licenses have increased over the years in a manner that is "too much for comfort".

Chairman of the Resident Committee Martin Pereira said that there are about nine shops licensed to sell alcohol along Chandler Road alone.

Both of them said that the foreign workers involved in the riot reeked of alcohol.

And evidence - including beer bottles used as projectiles - suggests that the mob was drunk.

- 938LIVE/DL

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/09/2013 21:23 | By Channel NewsAsia

Complete alcohol ban this weekend in area where riot took place

SINGAPORE: There will be a complete ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol this weekend where the riot took place in Little India.

Second Home Affairs Minister S Iswaran said this is a temporary measure to stabilise the situation on the ground.

He said: "It will give the police time to assess the situation, engage stakeholders and then decide on the next appropriate next steps to be taken."

Mr Iswaran was speaking to reporters on Monday evening at Little India, where he met retailers.

He said the police will implement the ban and communicate to all the stakeholders in the affected area.

When asked if stricter rules on alcohol could have helped to avert the riot, Mr Iswaran said this needs to be thoroughly investigated before a conclusion is made.

But he added that it is "plausible" that alcohol consumption was a contributing factor.

While issues like the selling of alcohol can be addressed more quickly, one observer said the root causes may be the bigger challenge to tackle going forward.

Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings and chairman of the board of trustees at Singapore Management University, said: "What sprang immediately to my mind was a similar incident that involved the Chinese bus workers going on strike. So the commonality here is that… essentially for the first time, we are beginning to see problems that have been seen elsewhere in Dubai. And Dubai has reacted to it like a police state; just completely clamping down on them and making them live in absolute ghettos on their own.

“The problem we have now is an underclass. It's no doubt a permanent transient underclass. It's a permanent underclass of low cost foreign workers who'd move on, of course, after a few years, but it's permanent in terms of its size." - CNA/gn

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/09/2013 21:31 | By Channel NewsAsia

Victim of Little India accident was causing trouble in bus: police

SINGAPORE: Preliminary investigations have revealed more details about Sunday night's riot at Little India, and the accident that apparently set it off.

At a media briefing on Sunday evening, police said the Indian national who died after being hit by a private bus at Race Course Road had been causing trouble on the bus before the accident.

The bus driver, a Singaporean Chinese, 55, has been arrested, and is out on bail.

Police said the case against the driver is classified as “causing death by a negligent act”, an offence under Section 304a (b) of the penal code chapter 224.

According to the police, 33-year-old construction worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu was intoxicated, and had boarded the private bus, which was believed to be ferrying foreign workers to the Avery Lodge dormitory in Jalan Papan.

The bus driver asked for assistance from a 38-year-old Singaporean woman who was responsible for checking the arrival and departure times of the buses.

He asked her for help to get Mr Sakthivel off the bus as he was causing trouble.

She managed to get Mr Sakthivel off the bus, and the bus driver subsequently closed the door before moving off.

The woman works for the Singapore School Transport Association, which handles transport arrangements for foreign workers to and from their dorms to Little India.

Police said the driver heard a loud bang on the left side of his bus as he was making a left turn onto Race Course Road.

Upon alighting to check, the bus driver found Mr Sakthivel underneath the bus, near the left rear tyre of the private bus.

Police said two officers arrived at the scene at about 9:40pm, 17 minutes after a call was made reporting the accident.

They found that a crowd of about 100 men had surrounded the scene, but were not yet aggressive.

Singapore Civil Defence officers tried to extricate Mr Sakthivel from underneath the bus, but their efforts were hindered by the crowd that had by now become "boisterous".

Police and SCDF officers had to form a shield to protect the officers who had to extricate the victim.

By the time they managed to recover Mr Sakthivel's body at about 10pm, the crowd had started assaulting the bus driver and the time-keeper, by throwing bottles and dustbins at the bus.

Officers managed to get the two to safety, and they were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The victim’s body was also taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The police said that according to standard protocol, two troops of Special Operations Command officers were deployed to manage the crowd, which had by now grown to about 400 people.

They arrived at 10:30pm, but due to congestion on the streets, had to go to the location on foot.

Together with the police officers from the Tanglin and Central Police Division, the Special Operations Command got the situation under control by 11:30pm.

Police said they are interviewing many more men from the various dormitories, and will likely make more arrests in the coming days.

Of the 27 arrested, 24 are Indian nationals, two are Bangladeshi nationals and one is a Singaporean Permanent Resident.

The Singaporean PR is understood to be not South Asian.

Some of the rioters are expected to be charged in court on Tuesday, for rioting and vandalism.

Police said they have stepped up enforcement along Race Course Road and its immediate surroundings.

They said they are determining their deployment of officers at Little India this weekend.

Meanwhile, Channel NewsAsia understands the police started conducting their investigations at Avery Lodge before 5am on Monday.

The 50 to 60 workers Channel NewsAsia spoke with on Monday at Avery Lodge, have said they have no first-hand knowledge of what transpired on Sunday night, with many of them saying they were back in their dorms by about 4:30pm on that same day.

But that has not stopped the police from carrying out their investigations.

Investigation officers were seen leaving the lodge on Monday morning, and police officers were seen checking workers permits.

Later in the evening, some workers at the lodge were led away by the police. - CNA/nd

 

[Heaven]

Published: Monday December 9, 2013 MYT 11:49:00 AM
Updated: Monday December 9, 2013 MYT 5:44:12 PM

Singapore riot: Traffic victim whose death sparked off riot is identified

SINGAPORE: The 33-year-old Indian national who died in the fatal accident, which sparked the Little India riot on Sunday night has been identified.

Sakthivel Kumaravelu (pic) was working in Singapore as a construction worker with Heng Hup Soon, a scaffolding company, for about two years, said a man who identified his body at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) mortuary on Monday morning.

The man, who declined to be named, said Mr Kumaravelu's family has not been notified of his death. He added that Mr Kumaravelu's body was not decapitated as reported by some news outlets but he did suffer injuries to his face.

Twenty-seven men from South Asia have since been arrested in connection with Sunday night's riot, which broke out at about 9.30pm along Race Course Road. Investigations are ongoing. - The Straits Times/ ANN

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/09/2013 22:08 | By Channel NewsAsia

Underlying causes of Little India riot should be studied: Workers’ Party

SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party said the Committee of Inquiry should study the underlying causes of the Little India riot so the government can address them and prevent such an incident from taking place again.

In a post on its website, non-constituency MP Gerald Giam said the Workers' Party believes the police will carry out a thorough investigation to arrest those responsible.

He urged the public not to speculate and make unnecessary accusations.

Mr Giam also sent condolences to the family of the deceased, Sakthivel Kumaravelu, and wished Home Team officers and other injured victims a speedy recovery. - CNA/gn

 

[Sinkie]

The majority arrested were INDIANS and only 2 Banglas...........and Shanmugam welcomed the statement from the Banlga high com.

What cock is this?

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/10/2013 15:20 | By Channel NewsAsia

24 Indian nationals charged with rioting in Little India

SINGAPORE: 24 Indian nationals have been charged with rioting in Little India on Sunday night.

Each of the 24 men who appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon faces one rioting charge.

The maximum penalty for the offence is seven years' jail and caning.

The case will be mentioned again on December 17.

In the meantime, the Law Society's pro-bono services are looking to offer legal aid to the accused through their volunteer lawyers.

So far, more than 10 lawyers have indicated they are willing to do so.

The 24 were among the 28 arrested in the riot. The other four -- a Singapore permanent resident, two Bangladeshi nationals and an Indian national -- were subsequently released after they were found to have nothing to do with the incident.

The riot, the first in Singapore in over four decades, came after a fatal bus accident involving 33-year-old Indian worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road.

Some 400 people were involved in the riot. Vehicles were set on fire, and emergency services workers were injured. - CNA/ac

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/10/2013 15:36 | By Channel NewsAsia

MFA working with Indian High Commission to provide support for accused in Little India riot

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry is working closely with the Indian High Commission to facilitate consular access and support for the 24 men being charged for their role in the Little India riot on Sunday.

A ministry spokesman said the support includes legal representation. The spokesman made the comment in response to media queries.

The 24 men, all Indian nationals, were charged in court on Tuesday afternoon. - CNA/ac

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/10/2013 17:34 | By Channel NewsAsia

No evidence foreign workers in riot unhappy with employers or govt

SINGAPORE: There is no evidence to suggest that the foreign workers involved in the Little India riot were unhappy with their employers or the government, said Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.

He was responding on Tuesday to various comments made which implied that such unhappiness was a cause for the riot.

Mr Shanmugam said: "Looking at what the majority of Singaporeans want, they will want us to treat the foreign workers in a humane way.

“You know, the majority, they recognise that many of them are needed. They recognise that many of them are good people, they are here to earn a living. But we must make sure the minority don't create trouble."

Mr Shanmugam said there was no excuse for the violence.

However, swift and decisive action will be taken against those who break the law, where the full force of justice has to be meted out.

He acknowledged that violence cannot be completely eliminated, even among Singaporeans, but rules are there to reduce it to a minimum for a peaceful and orderly society.

Mr Shanmugam said Singaporeans accept the norms of societal behaviour, and foreigners working in the country should do the same.

He said it was premature to say if any laws need to be tweaked as a result of the riot. - CNA/nd

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/10/2013 18:34 | By Channel NewsAsia

Further arrests over riot; COI to be formed by weekend

SINGAPORE: Police have made further arrests over the riot in Little India on Sunday evening, and a Committee of Inquiry (COI) to look into the riot will be formed by end of this week.

Acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Home Affairs Minister, said this in comments released on Tuesday evening.

Mr Teo said the names and terms of reference will be ready, and that will provide a more in-depth look into the incident.

The COI will also review the existing procedures for places where foreign workers congregate, and it will consider whether improvements are needed.

Saying that he wants to put recent actions and decisions into context, Mr Teo said that first, the authorities wanted to ensure that the situation remains calm, especially this weekend, to allow people to continue their lives as normally as possible.

So an alcohol ban has been introduced. Police have also increased their presence in foreign worker dormitories and places where foreign workers congregate.

Second, the COI is being formed to look into the incident and consider additional measures that might be needed.

Third, the authorities are continuing with investigations to make sure that all those who have broken the law are dealt with strictly, firmly and fairly.

They will also look into the traffic accident in detail to make sure that is dealt with fairly as well.

Mr Teo noted that 24 people were charged in court on Tuesday, and police have made further arrests.

He said the vast majority of those who live in Singapore -- Singaporeans as well as those who come here to work -- want a safe and orderly environment. And that is what the authorities intend to continue to maintain.

So the police, other security agencies and all government agencies will work together to make sure that a safe and orderly environment is maintained, Mr Teo said. - CNA/nd

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/10/2013 21:23 | By Channel NewsAsia

Body of victim in Little India accident flown home

SINGAPORE: The body of the worker killed in the traffic accident in Little India was flown home to India on Tuesday evening.

Mr Sakthivel Kumaravelu's body was taken from the morgue on Tuesday afternoon and sent to the funeral parlour.

It was later sent to the airport at around 5pm.

Channel NewsAsia understands that all costs were paid by the victim's employer, Heng Hup Soon.

An official from the Indian High Commission was also present at the funeral parlour. - CNA/nd

 

[Heaven]

Little India Riot: India's Sun TV asked to correct "erroneous" report

Published on Dec 10, 2013

Singapore's High Commissioner to India Lim Thuan Kuan has written to India's Sun TV Network to ask for immediate corrections to its "erroneous" coverage of Sunday's riot in Little India. -- PHOTO: SCREEN CAPTURE FROM YOUTUBE

In its news bulletin on Dec 9, the television station said the Indian national who was knocked down by the bus on Sunday was pushed out of the vehicle by the driver. It also claimed that Indian nationals were hiding in their homes for fear of being attacked by Singaporeans and the local Chinese or harassed by the police.

These claims were "entirely false", said Mr Lim in a letter dated Dec 10.

"The deceased had boarded the bus when it was already full. The deceased also appeared to be drunk and he was causing trouble on the bus, even dropping his trousers whilst on the bus," said the letter. "After the deceased was assisted off the bus, he proceeded to walk/run alongside the bus in an unsteady manner while holding onto his pants . He stumbled and fell onto the path of the back wheel of the bus and was run over."

"The inaccurate and sensationalist coverage clearly shows that Sun TV did not even bother to check the facts before reporting on the incident," said the letter. "We are requesting an immediate correction (both online and on broadcast) and for Sun TV to provide the full facts of the case so that your viewers have an accurate understanding of what really happened."

A police report has also been filed here against Sun TV by an unknown person. When contacted, police could only confirm that a report was made, but did not elaborate if they will be investigating.

 

[Heaven]

Little India Riot: Police provide timeline of events on Sunday night

Published on Dec 10, 2013

Police Special Operations Command doing their rounds of patrolling Little India as security is stepped up after Sunday's rioting in Little India. The police in a press conference on Tuesday evening gave a chronological breakdown of what happened on Sunday night in Little India. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

By Hoe Pei Shan

The police in a press conference on Tuesday evening gave a chronological breakdown of what happened on Sunday night in Little India.

Here is a look at the timeline as told by the police:

- 9:23pm: Police are informed of a serious road traffic accident.

- 9.25pm: Singapore Civil Defence Force are alerted to the incident.

- 9.31pm: First ambulance arrives at the scene.

- 9.37pm: The first police fast response car arrives at the scene.

- 9.38pm: First first engine arrives. A crowd of about 100 have congregated.

- 9.41pm: Police reinforcements start arriving.

- 9.45pm: The crowd has swelled to about 400 by this time.

- 9.54pm: The body of worker is extricated from under the bus. Mob starts pelting emergency officers and are holding dangerous weapons like drain covers.

- 10.11pm: Police shield bus driver and time keeper to ambulance. Mob behaves aggressively and hinders police efforts.

-10.30: First group of Special Operations Command (SOC) officers arrive.

- 10.37pm: Police activate a major recall of patrol cars islandwide. A total of 53 police cars activated.

- 10.44pm: SOC officers get into formation and began to disperse mob. Police arrest suspects.

- 11:45pm: Mob is dispersed.

- 12.01am: Investigations at the scene commence.

- 12.39am: Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean arrives with Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar.

- 5.03am: National Environment Agency begins clean up of site.

- 6.30am: Roads are passable to traffic.

 

[Heaven]

Bus coordinator becomes face of rioters' fury after worker dies

December 10, 2013 - 1:19am

By: Elizabeth Law

TNP PHOTO: Elizabeth Law

She was in the eye of the storm, but was she the spark in the riot in Little India?

Transport coordinator Grace Wong Geck Woon, 38, keeps track of the fleet of private buses that ferry foreign workers between their dormitories and Little India.

On Sunday, she got drunk Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu, 33, to get off a bus heading to his dormitory as it was full.

But the driver then ran over Mr Sakthivel, killing him.

Madam Wong was later assaulted by the rioters after they thrashed the bus, said her husband Alan Wee.

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/10/2013 22:57 | By Channel NewsAsia

Singapore’s High Commissioner to India writes to Sun TV on false report of riot

SINGAPORE: Singapore's High Commissioner to India has written to Sun TV Network regarding its erroneous reporting of Sunday's riot in Little India.

High Commissioner Lim Thuan Kuan said Sun TV had erroneously reported that the Indian national, who died in the traffic accident that triggered the riot, was pushed out of the bus by the driver.

The report had also claimed that Singaporeans and Chinese attacked the Indian nationals.

Mr Lim stressed these incidents did not take place.

He said that based on eyewitness and video evidence, the Indian national had boarded the bus when it was already full.

The victim also appeared drunk and he was causing trouble on the bus, even dropping his trousers.

Mr Lim added that after the Indian national was assisted off the bus, he proceeded to move alongside the bus in an unsteady manner.

He then stumbled and fell onto the path of the back wheel of the bus and was run over.

The High Commissioner has requested Sun TV to correct its report both online and broadcast. - CNA/nd

 

[Heaven]

Updated: 12/10/2013 22:09 | By Channel NewsAsia

8 more arrested over Little India riot

SINGAPORE: As of 6am on Tuesday, eight more Indian nationals aged between 22 and 38 were arrested in the wake of the Little India riot on Sunday.

And more people may be apprehended in the coming days, said police in a news conference on Tuesday. Police also released an official timeline of the events that happened on the night of the riot.

Authorities are also going to install more cameras in the vicinity of Race Course Road in the coming week to monitor the situation.

Along with increased police presence and the alcohol ban in Little India this weekend, they aim to ensure things remain calm and orderly.

At around 9.23pm on December 8, police were informed of a bus knocking down an Indian national in Singapore's Little India.

Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived within 15 minutes.

By 9.45pm, a crowd of about 400 people, mostly foreign workers, had gathered around the site.

SCDF officers tried to extricate the man knocked down by the bus, and were pelted with projectiles by the mob at around 9.56pm.

Police investigations revealed that the Indian national appeared fairly unsteady and was chasing after the bus.

He then fell onto the path of the bus' rear tyre and was run over.

The scale of investigations conducted by authorities after the riot was massive.

176 people were brought to the Criminal Investigation Department for questioning, and more than 10 foreign worker dormitories were also checked islandwide.

Authorities also checked Housing and Development Board flats where foreign workers lived.

Some 3,700 foreign workers have been interviewed.

Along with cameras installed in Little India, there will also be increased police presence there, and at Golden Mile Complex and Geylang where foreign workers normally congregate.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said: "The vast majority of those who live in Singapore -- Singaporeans as well as those who come here to work -- want a safe and orderly environment, and this is what we intend to continue to maintain.

“So the police, other security agencies and all government agencies will work together to make sure that we can do so."

Members of the Committee of Inquiry looking into the riot will be revealed at the end of the week. Their terms of reference will also be made known.

Commenting on the issue, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said there is no evidence to suggest that the foreign workers involved in the riot were unhappy with their employers or the government.

He was responding to various comments made which implied that such unhappiness was a cause for the riot.

Mr Shanmugam said: "Looking at what the majority of Singaporeans want, they will want us to treat the foreign workers in a humane way.

“You know, the majority, they recognise that many of them are needed. They recognise that many of them are good people, they are here to earn a living. But we must make sure the minority don't create trouble."

Mr Shanmugam said there was no excuse for the violence, and that swift and decisive action will be taken against those who break the law.

The Singapore School and Private Hire Bus Owners' Association said that every Sunday and public holiday, there will be 240 drivers ferrying 20,000 foreign workers from their dormitories to Little India and back.

The association met the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Monday to discuss how to safeguard their drivers' safety.

The association said it is waiting for LTA's decision on whether the service will be disrupted for one or two weeks.

Source: Singapore Police Force, TODAY - CNA/nd