I don't think the influx of maids caused all the problems in the recent 6 years, afterall maids have been around in SG for many years more than that...more importantly, maids stay with employers and so have no impact on housing, they also don't travel much during weekday and peak hours to contribute to traffic congestion...it is the influx of other foreigners, essentially the work permit holders, S pass and other employment pass holders plus the PRs who have housing and transport needs - besides taking away jobs - who are the cause of the problems...and these problems in turn require more foreign workers to come in to build the houses, transport infrastructure required, so it is a vicious cycle...
Several of you have not caught my point.
What is the rationale for hiring domestic maids? - Hire someone willing to accept low wages to do work so that it frees up time for more work (which can earn more money) and leisure time.
Correct me if I got the above wrong.
What is the rationale of business owners hiring work permit holders, S pass and employment pass holders? - Hire someone willing to accept lower wages to do work so that it increases profits and frees up time for more business expansion
Correct me if I got the above wrong as well.
But if I have not got the two points wrong, then it is essentially the same principle used.
One could even say that the whole idea of maximizing the benefits of hiring cheaper foreign workers for problems we encounter with labor needs, stems from the
practice of hiring foreign domestic maids. I am sure a large proportion of the Singapore population grew up with maids in their house. It has been ingrained in many from young the idea of getting "someone" else to do "dirty work".
Seriously, if the government were to clamp down on hiring foreign domestic maids, we could have new businesses spring up eg household cleaning businesses which hire locals. For the matter what is so wrong with doing your own housework? Europeans do it. Canadians do it. Japanese do it. Chinese do it. Singaporeans cannot survive without maids.
As for cleaning up after cooking, yes my wife would cook and I would clean up. There are also things called dishwashers which are very common in places like Canada and USA.
It's our own home, our own family. Is it so impossible to do the household work associated with having a family and living in a home? Yes hiring a foreign worker who is highly affordable will "solve" this problem very easily. Which is probably the same way businesses owners think as well.
Someone else talked about hiring more foreign doctors to make health care more affordable. Same idea.
I have read threads that talk about the plight of engineers who have been replaced by cheaper foreign engineers. Same idea.
IT professionals replaced by cheaper foreign IT pros. Same idea.
Can you see what I am driving at?
If Singaporeans start putting their foot down and saying hey, it's my home, I want these things done by MY FAMILY MEMBERS , MY OWN PEOPLE and I will be willing to pay the price for it, either by putting in effort and time on my part or paying higher dollar for my countrymen to do it, then that would be the day we can start saying the same about jobs in Singapore too.
Think of the family at home and the work that needs to be done and who is going to do it? How?
Then think of the country and the work that needs to be done and who is going to do it? How?
I hope more can see the parallels I see. I have had this discussion with Singaporeans before. It is always a raw nerve.