Migrant Worker Makes Short Film Of Life In S’pore, Shows Struggle To Get By On His Salary

Migrant Worker Makes Short Film Showing Challenges They Face In Singapore

Singapore owes much of its rapid rate of development to the migrant workers who travelled long distances away from home to make a better living.

However, not many Singaporeans may be aware of the challenges they face while living on our shores.

Hoping to offer a rarely-seen glimpse into their lives, an Indian migrant worker in Singapore named Ramasamy Madhavan directed his own short film titled “$alary Day”.

Though the film features few dialogues, it poses viewers with the powerful question of whether we are taking the luxuries in our lives for granted while others around us struggle to afford necessities.

Migrant worker earns $450 per month

It’s no secret that migrant workers do not earn enviable wages, but many of us might not know just how much they make.

In the film, Madhavan plays the role of a new migrant worker, earning just $450 per month.

Source

With such a humble amount, it goes without saying that he would have to scrimp and save to survive.

Madhavan shows several instances of this in the film, including this scene of him squeezing the last ounce of toothpaste from the tube.

 

Source

Remits 2/3 of salary to family back home

Even before receiving his salary, it seems Madhavan has already allocated every single cent of it in his head.

Soon after receiving his pay, the migrant worker heads to an ATM to withdraw all $450 in his account, leaving behind $0.

Source

He remits $300 – or 2/3 of his pay – to his loved ones in India.

Source

He then hands $110 over to a man running an eatery — for his catered meals.

Source

Having paid for the majority of his monthly expenses, Madhaven tries calling his mother in India, but realise he could not do so as he had already exhausted the value in his pre-paid card.

Source

Determined to contact his mother, he eventually purchases a new card, costing him an additional $20.

Source

He then heads over to a provision shop where he stocks up on necessities like shampoo and toothpaste, which add up to $12.

Source

If you’re doing the math, you must’ve realised that he now only has $8 left from his salary.

Source

Madhavan initially wants to treat himself to a plate of Maggi or bee hoon goreng at a mamak stall using the money, but eventually decides against it.

Source

Instead, he went for a haircut, after realising the length of his mane.

Source

The trim costs him another $7, leaving him with just a single dollar from his pay.

Calls mum while overlooking Kallang River

After a long day spent running errands, Madhavan finally has some free time to himself.

As he sits along the Kallang River bank, Madhavan picks up his handphone and dials for his mother.

Source

The first order of business is the money  he had remitted earlier in the day, as he slowly recites the password that would allow his mother to withdraw the money on her end.

Source

With that out of the way, Madhavan allows himself to catch up with his mother, asking how she was, and whether she has eaten.

Source

After they end the call, Madhavan stares down at the gold-silver coin that represents the amount he has left from his salary, seemingly wondering what he could possibly do with it.

Source

As the film draws to a close, viewers learn how the events in the film are representative of the scenario that migrant workers face when they first journey to Singapore.

Source

Massive thanks for migrant workers’ contribution

“$alary Day” might be a largely silent film, but it leaves viewers with some heavy ponderings of how the things we take for granted are in fact luxuries that other members of our society simply can’t afford.

We hope viewers will be more appreciative of the things they have in life and give back to those in need whenever they can.

A massive thank you goes out to Mr Madhavan for sharing his life, and other migrant workers for their contributions our country.

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from Ramasamy Madhavan on YouTube

The Must Share News Team

Teamwork makes the dream work.

Recent Posts

Bloomberg issued POFMA order over S’pore GCB transactions article, Govt addresses falsehoods

False claims include that GCB transactions occur without government checks on beneficial owners' identities.

23 Dec 2024, 3:35 pm

Woman set on fire aboard New York subway train, suspect allegedly watches her burn

The suspect casually watched as the woman became consumed by flames.

23 Dec 2024, 3:14 pm

Elderly man pickpocketed on bus from JB to S’pore, loses S$450 & has S$800 charged to credit card

The thief left the wallet and more than RM200 behind, presumably to mislead the 72-year-old…

23 Dec 2024, 1:38 pm

SingPost fires 3 senior executives citing gross negligence, CEO & CFO to contest termination

Earlier this year, three managers were found to have made manual updates on a customer’s…

23 Dec 2024, 12:14 pm

Passenger on US flight slammed for bringing Great Dane as ’emotional support’ dog

On the other hand, some said they'd prefer sitting next to a massive dog than…

23 Dec 2024, 10:12 am