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SM Lee urges immigrants not to flaunt wealth or 'zoom' their Ferrari or Lotus at night to show they've arrived
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Chatham House on Monday (Oct 27)
PHOTO: Ministry of Digital Development and Information
PUBLISHED ONOctober 28, 2025 12:18 PMBYDana LeongImmigrants are necessary and welcomed in Singapore but need to be cognisant of the norms that govern society locally, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (Oct 27).
Speaking at Chatham House in London during a working trip to the UK, SM Lee was asked a question about the immigration policy in Singapore and how the Government is able to mitigate associated risks while doing it in a non-discriminatory manner.
He spoke about 'How Singapore is surviving and thriving between China and the United States' at the dialogue.
"It is not an easy balance to strike," he said, adding that there will always be trade-offs.
Immigrants are key to Singapore's workforce and are "desperately-needed people to man our whole system", said SM Lee, adding that they make up one-third of the workforce, in jobs ranging from CEOs of banks and MNCs to construction workers.
With such a large proportion of the population comprising foreigners, there are bound to be security risks, for instance espionage and disinformation, and even social issues that may arise, he pointed out.
SM Lee said: "But we need them (immigrants), and we have got to accommodate them, and we have got to get them to understand what our rules are."
At the same time, Singaporeans need to be accepting of the immigrants, knowing that "they are here and helping us", he said.
"And they too, have family and children back home, and we have [a] responsibility for them while they are here," he added.
Immigrants urged to follow social norms
On another point, SM Lee said that it is important for immigrants to be mindful of social norms in Singapore, to prevent any potential conflicts or unrest."Do not go around popping champagne which is $20,000 a bottle with sparklers, and do not zoom your Ferrari or Lotus or whatever down the middle of the road in the middle of the night just to let everybody know that you have arrived," he said.
"You would not have thought that that was something you needed to tell anybody, but sometimes it is helpful to remind them."
In addressing the question of being non-discriminatory when deciding on immigration policy, SM Lee also said that the Government "cannot be completely omnidirectional and direction-blind in taking either immigrants or transient workers".
The Government, he said, tries to manage the overall package so that "overall, I have got not just an economy which has the people it needs, but we have got a society which can maintain identity and cohesion".
He also urged immigrants to respect the country's rules and social norms.
"And it is not so hard if you want to be in Singapore - you can do that, but we will look after you," he said.
He then raised the example of how during the Covid-19 pandemic, the "tens of thousands of foreign workers" living in dormitories were taken care of.
He said: "People know that if they come to Singapore, that is the way Singapore works — the rules are strict, but this is not an inhumane system."
https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/i...his-personal-approach-improving-govt-services
