At a dialogue with students and residents in Tampines East today (18 Jan), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Grace Fu said that while Singapore cannot close its doors to foreigners, the Government is putting the interests of its citizens first.
Ms Fu is also the Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Foreign Affairs.
She assured her audience that the Government will look after the interests of Singaporeans first – for example, by making sure there are enough opportunities in education and housing.
“It is also about integration,” she said. “There are important lessons that we learnt that we need to integrate (foreigners with Singaporeans) better. And how are we doing that? What we do is that we try to promote – through activities, through programmes, through coming together to work on community projects together – a very seamless, natural way for us to work with a non-Singaporean.”
With regard to the recent case of a Filipino nurse in Tan Tock Seng Hospital wishing Singaporeans dead, Ms Fu cautioned that there are many other Filipino workers who don’t and who “respect us”.
She said, “We should also know that perhaps for one foreigner who makes such insensitive remarks, there are also many others who don’t and many others who respect us and also, maybe, other Singaporeans who also make insensitive remarks against foreigners.”
“Let’s face it. Both sides also have some black sheep that are less sensitive when making online comments or making speeches. What we need to do is to stand up against it firmly but not get too emotional about it,” she added.
Ms Fu acknowledged that it has been part of the PAP government’s strategy to supplement Singapore population with foreigners.
“Actually if you look at the population growth of Singapore, we have been having quite low growth for some time already,” she said. “In fact, since the late 80s and 90s, it has been below our replacement level. So I think it has been part of our strategy to be supplemented by foreigners, both from a population point of view and also to supplement the workforce.”
Ms Fu also looks after foreigners’ interests
Despite what Ms Fu said during her dialogue with the Tampines residents, her past actions also revealed that at times, she may put the interests of foreigners first.
In 2010, she was rapped by netizens for spending taxpayers’ monies to organize a controversial ‘Water Splashing Festival’ for foreigners in Bukit Batok to celebrate their New Year and asking Singaporeans to ‘celebrate’ their festival as a way of “showing our respect to them”.
This is despite that the ‘Water Splashing Festival’ is completely alien to Singaporeans and that we have no such culture to do so.
Replying to netizens’ enquiries, Ms Fu wrote on her Facebook that the ‘Water Splashing Festival’ is just one way of reaching out to new citizens and PRs in Bukit Batok. “When we celebrate their festivities, we are telling them that we respect them and recognize that they bring along different cultures and rituals,” she added.
Later, facing constant criticisms from netizens and not able to take the “heat”, she warned that there are emerging trends that ‘tug’ at Singapore’s social fabric. One of these trends is the emergence of social media.
Ms Fu said social media has amplified voices beyond what was achievable by the traditional media. She accused some netizens of attempting to be more extreme and assertive to be heard in the noisy environment of social media. At times, these people did it to an extent that’s uncomfortable for the majority, she said.
She did not say who the majority was nor quantify the number.
http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/01/18/grace-fu-sg-cant-close-doors-to-fts-but-we-put-you-1st/
Ms Fu is also the Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Foreign Affairs.
She assured her audience that the Government will look after the interests of Singaporeans first – for example, by making sure there are enough opportunities in education and housing.
“It is also about integration,” she said. “There are important lessons that we learnt that we need to integrate (foreigners with Singaporeans) better. And how are we doing that? What we do is that we try to promote – through activities, through programmes, through coming together to work on community projects together – a very seamless, natural way for us to work with a non-Singaporean.”
With regard to the recent case of a Filipino nurse in Tan Tock Seng Hospital wishing Singaporeans dead, Ms Fu cautioned that there are many other Filipino workers who don’t and who “respect us”.
She said, “We should also know that perhaps for one foreigner who makes such insensitive remarks, there are also many others who don’t and many others who respect us and also, maybe, other Singaporeans who also make insensitive remarks against foreigners.”
“Let’s face it. Both sides also have some black sheep that are less sensitive when making online comments or making speeches. What we need to do is to stand up against it firmly but not get too emotional about it,” she added.
Ms Fu acknowledged that it has been part of the PAP government’s strategy to supplement Singapore population with foreigners.
“Actually if you look at the population growth of Singapore, we have been having quite low growth for some time already,” she said. “In fact, since the late 80s and 90s, it has been below our replacement level. So I think it has been part of our strategy to be supplemented by foreigners, both from a population point of view and also to supplement the workforce.”
Ms Fu also looks after foreigners’ interests
Despite what Ms Fu said during her dialogue with the Tampines residents, her past actions also revealed that at times, she may put the interests of foreigners first.
In 2010, she was rapped by netizens for spending taxpayers’ monies to organize a controversial ‘Water Splashing Festival’ for foreigners in Bukit Batok to celebrate their New Year and asking Singaporeans to ‘celebrate’ their festival as a way of “showing our respect to them”.
This is despite that the ‘Water Splashing Festival’ is completely alien to Singaporeans and that we have no such culture to do so.
Replying to netizens’ enquiries, Ms Fu wrote on her Facebook that the ‘Water Splashing Festival’ is just one way of reaching out to new citizens and PRs in Bukit Batok. “When we celebrate their festivities, we are telling them that we respect them and recognize that they bring along different cultures and rituals,” she added.
Later, facing constant criticisms from netizens and not able to take the “heat”, she warned that there are emerging trends that ‘tug’ at Singapore’s social fabric. One of these trends is the emergence of social media.
Ms Fu said social media has amplified voices beyond what was achievable by the traditional media. She accused some netizens of attempting to be more extreme and assertive to be heard in the noisy environment of social media. At times, these people did it to an extent that’s uncomfortable for the majority, she said.
She did not say who the majority was nor quantify the number.
http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/01/18/grace-fu-sg-cant-close-doors-to-fts-but-we-put-you-1st/
