Workers in Singapore

Map of Singapore Source:National Geographic

 

 

Figure 1 Picture of "Dear Mom" Product. Source: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Introduction

Last year for Mother's Day, I purchased the book Dear Mom as a gift in the United States. The book was sold through the Andrews McMeel Publishing Company, but was printed in Singapore by the Tien Wah Press, reflecting the world's gradual shift towards globalism. This study will show the progress Singapore has made over the past few decades from small fishing port to global economic giant. It will discuss the background information about Singapore, the government's and the economy's past in perspective of their history and policies, and finishes with the lives of the plant workers, with additional focus on family and religion. My goal with this project is to provide insight into the life of a factory worker in Singapore in the context of the globalized world.

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Context of Singapore]

Singapore is “among the 20 smallest countries in the world, with a total land area of only 682.7 square kilometres” (Visit 2004). In comparison, the United States is about 15,000 times bigger. These tiny islands are located off of the coasts of Malaysia and Indonesia in Southeast Asia (Map of Country). The climate of Singapore is characteristic of the tropics. It is hot, humid, and rainy with two distinct monsoon seasons and t he geography is mostly flat terrain with the highest point being Bukit Timah Hill at 166 meters high (CIA 2004).

Singapore has a short, but rich history beginning with the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963 . It consisted of the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo (History 2003). In 1965, the small cluster of islands formally separated from Malaysia becoming its own country due to the opposition from the other Federation members to the different ethnicities found in present-day Singapore. In 1967, Singapore became an original member of a group that was less controversial, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Their main purpose was to “accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region” (ASEAN 2004).

Traditionally, this country has thrived economically due to its global positioning which makes it a lucrative shipping location; “its port is the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled” (CIA 2005). More recently, Singapore has been known for producing many engineers and skilled workers. It has little space for factory development, but has an agreement to make “investment ventures in Malaysia ” where there is plenty of room, but few skilled workers (Volume 2001:217).

 

Figure 2  Photo of Singapore's skyline.  Source: Singapore Tourism Board

"All editorial content, graphics and multimedia works on this site are protected by copyright laws and/or other laws and/or international treaties, and belong to the STB and/or its Suppliers. These works, logos, graphics, sounds or images may not be copied, reproduced or imitated whether in whole or in part, unless expressly permitted by the STB

Copyright © 1998 Singapore Tourism Board [and/or its suppliers], Tourism Court, 1 Orchard Spring Lane , Singapore 247729. All rights reserved."

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Brand: Andrews McMeel Publishing

I was very fortunate in my research that the company I was investigating was open and helpful with their information. According to an employee with Human Resources, Andrews McMeel Publishing is based in Kansas City , Missouri and is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal. At time of publishing, the personnel number was approximately 200 people. When she was asked “In what other countries do you operate?”, the worker would only respond that their products are distributed worldwide (Phone Interview, February 16, 2005 ).

On their website, www.andrewsmcmeel.com, the company claims that they are the “largest independent newspaper syndicate in the world and an emerging leader in book and calendar publishing and gift and stationery merchandising”. In order for the reader to better identify and recognize this company, I think it is prudent to state that their major “claim to fame” is being the home of Gary Trudeau's comic strip, Doonesbury. It is also widely known for the comic-strip calendars of Boondocks, The Far Side, etc. (See Figures 3 and 4).

Figure 3 Comic Strip of "Doonesbury" by Gary Trudeau. Source: Universal Press Syndicate

Figure 4 Comic Strip of "The Boondocks" by Aaron McGruder. Source: Universal Press Syndicate

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People

The Andrews McMeel Publishing Company uses a factory located in the country of Singapore . It is the Tien Wah Press (PTE) Limited, whose manufacturing company was founded here, making this location their headquarters. The plant is located at 4 Panden Crescent, Singapore City 128475, Tel : (65) 6466-6222. The factory's management declined to answer my questions concerning their employees, but I am able to speculate on the background of the typical worker using the country's statistics and other research.

Singapore is one of the most economically stable countries in Southeast Asia , which put it into contrast with many of the other countries being researched through this project. It is nicknamed the “Little Dragon” because it is such a strong commercial entity while being only 3.5 times the size of Washington D.C. For Singapore , having so little room puts the Tien Wah Press at the definite advantage of being one of few factories located in Singapore . They have the distinction of serving a worldwide market with “90% of [their] production head[ing] overseas” (TWP 2004).

The history of this factory is very indicative of how the company is now run. Seventy years ago, the factory was known as “Tien Wah, a family-run letterpress business in Singapore ” (TWP 2004). In 1970 it was established as a formal company claiming their founding “on strong financial position, dedicated work force and extensive market coverage” that now has a staff of approximately 414 (TWP 2004). Today, Tien Wah Press has other offices in Malaysia , New York , San Francisco , London , Paris , and Sydney . These humble beginnings are reminiscent of how people in the United States follow their own “American Dreams”.

Based on Singapore 's national census, the average worker is most likely to be a man, age 36 (CIA 2004). Their job in the factory is most likely running one of a variety of the company's printing presses, equipment that does photolithography printing (TWP 2004). At this point I can only conjecture about the average wages, but with such a strong economy and the requirement of skilled workers to run the equipment, I would imagine that the workforce at Tien Wah Press would at least make a living wage given the high gross income of the country, and probably is able to live quite comfortably. Additionally, the factory worker would speak English, which “is the official working language and the most widely used language in Singapore ” (Visit 2004).

His family most likely includes a wife and only one or two children. This is due to a low fertility rate in the country, speculated to be caused by past government policies, “rapid urbanization and increasing educational levels of Singaporeans” (Low 2005). Singapore 's government saw rapid population growth as a threat to living standards and political stability, as large numbers of children and young people threatened to overwhelm the schools, the medical services, and the ability of the economy to generate employment for them all. “Abortion and voluntary sterilization were legalized in 1970 [and] between 1969 and 1972…” (Singh 1990:16) other policies were created to discourage conception. Examples are raising medical costs for subsequent children, only allowing tax deductions for up to two children, and giving additional social benefits to families with one or two children (Library 1989). Since then, the government has tried to reverse the trend with incentives to have more than two children, but this has been mostly unsuccessful (Library 1989).

The birth laws in the country still followed by most Singaporeans and “31% [of the people]… felt that the government should have a strict role in controlling family size, 32% felt that the government should primarily provide advice and pass laws” (Hassan 1984: 160). Their high economic status has also been to blame for the low reproduction rate because as “ Singapore becomes more affluent, the higher standard of living has led to higher child-rearing costs” (Low 2005). This is a prime example of global tendencies as a country develops.

Religion in Singapore is as varied as the origins of the citizens who comprise the country. The main ethnicities correlate to the spectrum of religion ranging from the majority being Buddhist (Chinese), the next largest group being Muslim (Malays), followed by Hindu (Indians), and then Christian, Sikh, Taoist, and Confucianist religions comprising the rest of the minority (CIA 2004). A worker at the factory is most likely to be a Chinese Buddhist as they make up the majority of Singaporeans and readily identify themselves with the working-class:

 "Proportionately more of the majority Chinese are in the service class... [and this]     reflects that the minorites are somewhat more inclined to see themselves as middle-   class. If there is any validity to this observation, the picture that emerged here augurs well for ethnic relations in Singapore".  [Ser 2004:17-19]

With such diversity in as small of an area as Singapore , one would think that there would be more religious or ethnic turmoil as there is in the Middle East, but so far, this country has evaded that problem due to the non-existence of inequality problems and uniting as a national identity.

 

Figure 5 Flag of the Republic of Singapore. Source: CIA World Factbook

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Process

As stated before, I have been very fortunate to work with a willing company. After doing some preliminary online research in early February, I had enough background information to begin the process of contacting this company, seeking whatever information I could. I had gone through various conversations in my head so that I could be ready to overcome any obstacles the company would provide. What I didn't expect however was spending that morning just trying to reach any worker at Andrews McMeel. I had scanned their website for contact numbers and had about five for this first attempt. As I waited through the automated message, it abruptly ended with no option for speaking to a customer representative. I went through again, exploring all of the menu options with no luck. I did this with each of the numbers on my notepad to no avail.

A few days later, I again had time to try to contact the company, but I had found the numbers of specific sales representatives who could hopefully give me the number of the main office. As it turned out I was connected with more automated machines, but at this time, there was an option for customer service. I came into contact with a human voice on the other end, but the receptionist wasn't qualified to answer any questions regarding the company. She then connected me with a member of human resources staff, who was wary of my intentions- asking me why I needed information like this. Luckily, she told me more about the Andrews McMeel Company and was able to connect me to management personnel who would be able to answer my questions on a Singapore factory, although being a human resources employee, she wouldn't admit or deny their operating in a foreign country. I assume that this procedure is to prevent any questions solicited from investigative reporters, protesters, or anyone else that could harm the company so the receptionists and other low-level staff are most likely trained to be ambiguous about any controversial topic.

Once connected to managerial staff, I was transferred an answering machine. I presumed they were purposely ignoring my call to have me to drop the issue, so I left a message stating my purpose and the topic I wanted to ask about. I assumed that if I was contacted, it would be maybe a week or two later, if they thought a college research project worth a response. Much to my surprise, I returned later that same day to a voice mail from a woman, saying she would be happy to answer any questions I had. The next day I called her and asked my questions, which she answered to the best of her knowledge. I was even given a contact inside of the factory, with whom I could email with further questions.

After a few weeks of receiving my email, my contact from the Sales and Marketing Department responded with his regrets for being unable to discuss said questions. I would provide a transcript of his reply but am legally unable to reveal the contents. After this rejection I send another letter to a Customer Support employee at the Tien Wah Press who did not respond at all. It was a disappointment that after so much effort I would be unable to gain any specific answers.

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Conclusion

This project has increased my understanding and appreciation of the concept of globalism. The history of the “Little Dragon” demonstrates the power of a global market and how globalism can affect the quality of a person's life for the better. There are always reports saying that free market trade will hurt countries excepting the major players of capitalism. Although this might often be the case, it is a great example to the contrary that Singapore took its limited resources and turned itself into an economic powerhouse.Unlike some other foreign countries and their abhorrent factory conditions, from my research so far, the life of an average worker at Tien Wah Press seems comparable to the average United States worker.

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Internet References Cited

• Andrews McMeel Publishing

  2003 Andrews McMeel Universal. Electronic Document. www.andrewsmcmeel.com, accessed Feb 8 2005 .

  Created by Andrews McMeel Publishing Company for retail and information purposes.

• ASEAN

  2004 Association of SouthEast Asian Nations. Electronic Document. www.aseansec.org.64.html, accessed Feb 15 2005                                           Created by the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations to provide the world with economical news and information on this region.           

• CIA Factbook

  2005. Central Intelligence Agency. Electronic Document. www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sn.html, accessed Feb 23 2005 .

  Created by the Central Intelligence Agency to provide information to countries, mainly the United States, on the statistics of the world's people.

• History of Singapore

  2003 Lonely Planet World Guide. Electronic Document. http://library.thinkquest.org/10414, accessed Feb 14 2005 .

  Created by Lonely Planet World Guide, it is an on-line travel guide, that provides overall information on Singapore.

• Low, Madaline.

  2005 The Baby Bonus. National University of Singapore . Electronic Document. www.thecore.nus.edu.sg/sea/students/bbonus/p2.html accessed Feb 26 2005 .

  An article written by Madeline Low to educate Singapore and the world about the fertility rate of the country.

• TWP

  2004 Tien Wah Press LTD. Electronic Document. www.twpsin.com, accessed Feb 19, 2005 .

   An information site created by Tien Wah Press for retail and company information         

• Tien Wah

  2004 Tien Wah Press Snd Bhd. Electronic Document. www.tienwah.com, accessed Feb 15 2005 .

   A business focused website created by Tien Wah Press for Singapore

• Visit Singapore

  1998-2004 Uniquely Singapore . Electronic Document. www.visitsingapore.com/main, accessed Feb 8 2005 .

   A website created by Singapore's Tourism Board to educate the world about Singapore's culture and current events

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Peer-Reviewed References Cited

• .Hassan, Riaz

  1984 Role of the State in Population Planning: Singapore and Pakistan. Genus Rome 40(1-2):15l-171.

• Library of Congress                                                                                    1989 Library of Congress Country Study: Singapore. Barbara Leitch Lepoer, ed. Federal Research Division.

• Singh, Kuldip                                                                                             1990 Sterilization and Its Reversal- the Singapore Experience. Biology and Society 7(1):15-22. London.

• Ser, Ern Tan

  2004 Does Class Matter? Social Stratification and Orientations in Singapore. Singapore City, World Scientific Pub Co Inc.

• Volume Library

  2001 Asia: Singapore. Ed Harris, ed. 2(24):113a-b. Nashville , Tennessee: Southwestern.

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