'Where do I sign up?': Netizens joke after Twitter user claims Singaporeans sell children to sweatshops

When most of us were young, we would've been told by our parents that we would be sold to the karang guni man if we misbehave, but hardly do we hear of parents threatening to sell their children to a sweatshop.

Probably because in Singapore, there isn't one.

But according to a Twitter user in the United States, not only do we have textile factories in Singapore, starving families here are even selling their children to them for US$180 (S$245) each.

"Sue in Michigan will wear an H&M blouse made by a ten-year-old in Singapore whose starving family sold them to a textile factory for $180 USD so she can look cute on the 7 o'clock news," she wrote.

It's not known whom her tweet, posted today (Oct 13), was directed to, but it definitely caught the attention of tons of netizens, both American and Singaporean.

Despite a subtle reminder from a fellow American that Southeast Asia was a region rather than a whole country, the Twitter user fired back, saying: "Singapore is not even remotely free from child labour, as much as their PR would like you to believe otherwise."

She also attached a screenshot of an article on child labour from a children's rights non-government organisation Humanium.org.

Which is confusing, considering how the website makes no mention of the alleged sweatshops nor any form of statistics regarding child labour in Singapore beyond the country's minimum working age (13 years old).

She blocked said user, set her account on private after, and has yet to respond to AsiaOne's queries. 

But much like with CNN's blunder, Singaporean netizens are taking things in stride, with some raising a laugh by sharing their own experiences as "slaves".

Even local personality Mr Brown joined in on the fun.

Other parents chimed in with equally amusing reactions to the tweet:

But why sell your child for that paltry amount, others noted, when the government is offering up to $17,000 for Singaporeans to have a baby?

rainercheung@asiaone.com