Migrant workers who rescued driver from Singapore’s Tanjong Katong sinkhole invited to Istana open house

Migrant workers who rescued driver from Singapore’s Tanjong Katong sinkhole invited to Istana open house



Construction foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah (left) and his crew rushed from a nearby PUB worksite after hearing a loud noise and spotting the car. The seven migrant workers who helped rescue a woman from a sinkhole along Tanjong Katong Road South have been invited to meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana. — Screengrab from 
Thursday, 31 Jul 2025 4:22 PM MYT


SINGAPORE, July 31 — The seven migrant workers who helped rescue a woman from a sinkhole along Tanjong Katong Road South have been invited to meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana.

According to CNA, the President’s Office said it had invited the workers, along with other guests, to the Istana open house this Sunday.


The workers are site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 47, his colleagues Velmurugan Muthusamy, 27; Poomalai Saravanan, 28; Ganesan Veerasekar, 32; Bose Ajithkumar, 26; Narayanasamy Mayakrishnan, 25; and Sathapillai Rajendran, 56.

“There will be opportunities for interaction between the guests — including the migrant workers — and the president during the Istana open house,” the President’s Office said.


The incident occurred last Saturday when a sinkhole opened up near an active PUB construction site, where workers were building a 16-metre-deep shaft to connect three sewer lines.


According to the national water agency, a concrete component in the shaft failed around 5.50pm, causing a nearby section of road to collapse and a car to fall in.

Subbiah and his team quickly jumped into action, using a rope to pull the woman to safety within minutes.


Their swift response has drawn widespread praise, including from President Tharman.

“Bravo! Thanks to the migrant workers led by foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah. They moved quickly and with courage,” he said in a Facebook post.

On the same evening, all seven men were awarded a Friends of ACE appreciation coin by Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash.

The token — named after the Ministry of Manpower’s Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group — is given to migrant workers who show public-spiritedness, courage or initiative during emergencies.

While some on social media questioned whether the coin alone was sufficient recognition, the ministry said it welcomed public feedback and was encouraged by calls for more ways to honour the workers.

Meanwhile, migrant worker charity ItsRainingRaincoats said on Wednesday it had reached its donation campaign target of S$70,000 (RM230,000) for the seven men.

The campaign raised S$72,241 from 1,639 donors.

The funds will be divided among the workers and transferred to their bank accounts.