PUBLISHED ONJune 10, 2020 4:00 AMByKimberly Anne LimWhile "not in my backyard" syndrome is sadly still common in Singapore, this career soldier is countering the vitriol against migrant workers, one Facebook post at a time.
Meet Alex Chua, 48, a lieutenant-colonel in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and a self-described "photography hobbyist" in his free time.
At least, before a deployment to a migrant worker dormitory saw both worlds collide — and the birth of #storiesfromthefrontline on Facebook.
Following a spike in Covid-19 cases in migrant worker dormitories, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo had announced on April 9 that forward assurance support (Fast) teams comprising officers from SAF, the Singapore Police Force, and the Ministry of Manpower would be deployed to purpose-built worker dormitories nationwide.
Chua was in one of the first teams deployed to Woodlands Lodge 1 the next day.
During the month-long deployment and 15-hour days assisting migrant workers on the ground, he began to capture photos to document the experience, Chua told AsiaOne.
But his spontaneous project sharing bite-sized photos and anecdotes from the frontline soon began to take on a different significance.
"I noticed that there was a lot of negativity in the news published revolving around the migrant workers," he said. "In my course of work as a Fast Leader, I saw a very different picture."
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When it was time for his Fast team to be rotated out, Chua requested to be allowed to stay on the ground, even as the number of new cases in dorms burgeoned.
"I want to spread positivity. Especially in times like this when we are bombarded with negativity in the news and on social media.
"I also want people to see what the frontliners are doing to fight this pandemic and how the migrant workers are coping with the situation."
And so he embarked on a new mission, this time as a member of the Information Team in the Inter-agency Task Force set up to fight Covid-19, chronicling daily life in different worker dormitories.
From witnessing the emotional moment 63 migrant workers who had recovered from Covid-19 "graduated" to a block for recovering workers, to befriending dormitory staff, Chua said the people he's come across have left an indelible impression on him, but none so much as Jaganathan Jeeva, a migrant worker residing in Avery Lodge.
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After a chance encounter at a mobile remittance station, Jeeva revealed to Chua that he remits 80 per cent of his salary to his mother, wife and two children back home, leaving himself with only $150 a month.
"It was very humbling to talk to a man who selflessly puts his family as the top priority while leaving just the bare minimum for himself," Chua reflected. "We have so much to learn from this man."
His stories have also struck a chord with other Singaporeans, with Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin among the loyal fans keeping up with the daily photos on his Facebook page.
While Chua's Facebook updates often highlight the sacrifices and efforts of the other frontliners he meets, he, too, does not have it easy.
Like many other frontliners, suiting up in personal protective equipment (PPE) is all in a day's work.
Wrapped up in a hospital gown, surgical gloves and an N95 mask — and toting a DSLR camera — Chua certainly cuts a distinctive figure.
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To ensure that all of his photoshoots are conducted safely, Chua dons PPE for about two to three hours at a time, or until the session is over.
"It is generally uncomfortable to shoot in the PPE as I am out in the hot sun most of the time and the PPE generally traps heat," he explained.
But for Chua, the entire process is worth the moments in time that he has been able to capture.
"Every single moment of effort is important. Lives are at stake. Because everything we do, small or big, contributes to the life and well-being of every single migrant worker."
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