So yes, foreign workers are human beings, no less than the rest of us. And since police statistics do no bear out the belief that foreigners are more prone to committing crime than Singaporeans, the arguments put forth by the petitioners look like sweeping statements that condemn everyone for the sins of a few black sheep.

In particular, I agree with Ms Lim’s closing statement, “All of us have neighbors whose habits do not exactly enthuse us. But we learn to live with them. That is also what I will need to do if some of the people who help build our homes and offices, and clean up after us, come to live in my estate.”

Finally, I sincerely hope we Singaporeans will remember that the majority of us are migrants or descendants of migrants. And that we ourselves might become workers in a foreign land at some point of our lives. How would we like it if the locals in the lands that we visit want to throw us out?

Note: The Serangoon Gardens housing to be provided to these foreign workers is supposed to be temporary.