SINGAPORE: The migrant workers who rescued a driver after her car fell into the sinkhole along Tanjong Katong Road South last month said they hoped their recognition would motivate fellow workers to help in similar situations.
The seven workers were invited to a National Day open house at the Istana on Sunday (Aug 3), where they met and shook hands with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife Jane Ittogi. Mr Tharman had acknowledged their bravery in a Facebook post, thanking them for moving quickly and with courage.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbaiah, foreman of the site where the sinkhole appeared, said in Tamil: “This kind of appreciation ceremony is already a lot. This is more than enough.”
He added that his family back in India was very happy about the praise he was receiving, and that they were glad another family was safe and happy too, referring to the driver.
In addition to Mr Subbaiah, 47, the other workers involved in the rescue are: Excavator operator Sathapillai Rajendran, 56; and co-workers Anbazhagan Velmurugan, 26; Poomalai Saravanan, 28; Ganesan Veerasekar, 32; Bose Ajithkumar, 26; and Arumugam Chandirasekaran, 47.
Mr Sathapillai also spoke to the media and said that the president had asked the workers how they rescued the driver using a rope.
