In an effort to stem online speculations Shanmugam has come out to say that there is “no evidence” to suggest that the rioter were unhappy with their employers or the government.
He was addressing some comments and the popular speculation that the workers involved in the riot had acted as a way of venting their frustrations at their exploitation.
Despite his denial that this is the case, Shanmugam has at least acknowledged that most Sinagporeans want the migrant workers to be treated 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." He said.
He also emphasised that there is no excuse for the men acting the way they did, being violent. He said that these people will be dealt with swiftly by the law and further commented that the rules are in place to try and maintain a peaceful and orderly society.
Shanmugam went on to say that despite the rules, there will be a minority who choose to break them and this is the case for Singaporeans too. However, he also expressed that Singaporeans tend to “accept” societal norms while foreign workers may be less aware of these norms.
It seems that Shanmugam doesn’t know the cause of the riot and is not willing to accept that it may have been contributed to by the working conditions and unhappiness of foreign workers.
Meanwhile, other ministers have put it down to alcohol consumption.
Acting on these assumptions, there have been alcohol bans announced as a quick-fix measure. Seemingly contradicting these actions, Shanmugam said that it’s “premature” to tweak laws in reaction.