No Document No Talk

We only know No Money No Talk. Now Singapore official words are No Document No Talk. 

No money, of course, you are not entitle to talk loudly, seek assistance and ask for service.  As the government becomes more efficient and accountability, if you have no paper information and document, they cannot process your request and so you have No Talk.

This applies to everyone, whether you are locals, foreign workers or refugees, whether you know or don’t know English.  The government needs paper documents to carry out their duties and process your case.           

Different signature in the document also carries different weight. In the TODAY’s report “Big turn-out at Punggol East MPS”, the signature of DPM Teo Chee Hean has a weight heavier than the former MP Michael Palmer.   

Another resident, a taxi driver who declined to be named, said he felt assured by the fact that a minister was handling the MPS. "He has weight, let's put it that way."  
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121218-0000045/Big-turn-out-at-Punggol-East-MPS

Hence, a document with a VIP signature is different from a normal document without a VIP signature.  Not to mention when there is no document, foreign workers and refugees seeking help in Singapore will find ‘no door to enter’.   

Troublesome to make it into a document?

The Ministry of Manpower needs document to substantiate the claims of the workers even though it is ‘troublesome’ to do so. 

When asked why they did not come back to lodge their claims, one worker apparently said it was "troublesome".
"Our officers asked one of them why they did not come back. One of the workers shared that going to MOM to lodge their claims was 'troublesome'," Mr Tan said. Mr Tan said the ministry requires documentation from the workers in order to substantiate their claims so they can handle the dispute fairly.http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1241723/1/.html

Does the minister really know the ‘troublesome’ reasons? He even acknowledged that the request to have the ‘troublesome document’ is weighted against workers. 

Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin has acknowledged that in general, the relationship between an employer and employee tends to be weighted against workers.http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1241723/1/.html

Otherwise, you have to act like ‘Function 8’ issuing a statement in proper English not to call the strike ‘illegal’. And quickly the MOM will issue a counter statement to refute you, document to document and word to word.    

The Ministry of Manpower has refuted civil society group Function 8's accusations that the use of the term "illegal strike" to describe the actions of SMRT bus drivers in late November is wrong and prejudicial.http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1243229/1/.html

Legal or illegal we will see it in Court. At least, there will be some documents give a final touch on the SMRT bus drivers dispute.

Rich beyond belief, new Singapore won't share anything with refugees

The above photo caption is taken from Phuketwan.com describing Singapore refusal to accept the entry of MV Nosco Victory and its refugees.

Our economy is structured in a way that we need documents to move forward and upward. Those who have no document, including paper qualification and VIP reference, will be discriminated.  We even don’t share our wealth with our countrymen and our poor, how can we share with foreign workers and refugees?      

In this case, Phuketwan.com does not really understand Singapore. We are a Document Country. We refuse the entry of MV Nosco Victory is not because the word Victory but because they have no documents.

As a result, need no further explanation; the turn away reasons given by MPA are “sketchy” information and no other official documentation.  

The MV Nosco Victory was turned away because the ship's captain could provide only "sketchy" information about the passengers it had picked up off the coast of Myanmar, a spokesman from Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said in a statement."There is no other official documentation to assist at this point, but they do not appear to be persons eligible to enter Singapore," the statement said.http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20121214-389456.html

The next time, when you want to refuse someone’s request, just use the same reason: No Document No talk.

When we look at the Palmer-gate, there are really too many documentary proofs of emails and SMS.   So, with documents, we talk.