History

In December 2001, Indonesian domestic worker Muawanatul Chasanah died at the age of nineteen following months of brutal assault by her employer, Mr Ng Hua Chye. As disturbing as the details that emerged during the investigation—Chasanah’s autopsy revealed some 200 caning, scalding, punching, kicking, and burning injuries at the time of her death—were the comments of a neighbour, one Mr Neo who was reported by The Straits Times to have said that even if he had known about the abuse, he would not have reported it to the police. He was quoted: “It’s not by business. He can do what he wants, that’s his problem. And anyway, God can see.”

The outrage and concern over the apathy of civil society in Singapore provided impetus for the formation of an ad-hoc group called The Working Committee 2, or TWC2, which was publicly launched on 9th March 2003. The stated objective of TWC2 was to promote respect for domestic workers through education and secure better treatment of domestic workers through legislation and other means. TWC2 launched two major campaigns in 2003: the “Day Off Campaign” and the “White Ribbon Campaign.” By utilizing public forums, art exhibits, photo displays, essay competitions, and other creative avenues, TWC2 invited the public to think critically about the employment of foreign domestic workers in Singapore.

Because The Working Committee 2 was formed as an ad hoc group, it was subject to strict guidelines that regulated its duration of existence, and it was necessary to formalize the organization as a permanent institution. On 18th August 2004, the organization was re-invented as an officially gazetted civil society called Transient Workers Count Too—which subsequently adopted the widely recognized moniker, TWC2, of the initial organization. As well as continuing the advocacy and educational work of the old TWC2, the new TWC2 expanded its scope of activity to include research and direct services for migrant workers. Furthermore, TWC2 broadened its purview from a specific concern for the welfare of domestic workers to a wider interest in all migrant workers, both male and female, in Singapore.

Following its inception, Transient Workers Count Too has continued to actively engage government officials, migrant workers, employment agencies, partner organizations, and the general public. TWC2 has since grown into a reliable contact point for domestic workers who encounter problems with their employers, a source of information for employers and the public, and a centre for generating action-oriented research. A few recent milestones include:

• The publication of a handbook for employers entitled “Mutual Respect: Building a Good Working Relationship with Your Domestic Worker” in December 2004;
• Winning the New Non-profit Initiative Award presented by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre in November 2005;
• Organizing the International Migrants’ Day Sports Carnival—which drew some 3000 participants—in December 2005;
• Launching the TWC2 helpline service in 2006.

A more detailed account of TWC2 history from 2002 to June 2005 can be found in Dignity Overdue, a book edited by John Gee and Elaine Ho. If you'd like to purchase the book, please call 62477001.