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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="msghead"><td><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="msghead"><td class="msgTname" nowrap="nowrap" width="68%"> <nobr></nobr></td> <td class="msgNum" align="right" nowrap="nowrap"> (1 of 1) </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="4" class="msgleft" width="1%"> </td><td class="wintiny" align="right" nowrap="nowrap">52568.1 </td></tr><tr><td height="8">
</td></tr> <tr><td class="msgtxt" id="msgtxt_1">SEAH CHIANG NEE (summary)
When the then economically weak countries in the West were closing their doors, this city – Asia’s second richest – virtually turned itself into a free port for job seekers.
It welcomed all types of workers in large numbers from East and West to its shores, pushing a three million population in 1990 to 5.08 million.
Quite a few were talented by any standards, but many were also people who had few capabilities to contribute but who merely took away local jobs.
Further tightening is on the cards. There will be fewer foreign work permits and professional visit passes as well as permanent residents (PR).
The surge in foreign workers began in 2005 as the government sought to diversify the economy away from manufacturing into services such as tourism.
Nothing can stop an employer from sacking a Singaporean and hiring a foreigner just to save money.
Neither is there any law that prevents a boss from hiring a foreigner even if local skills are available.
“If they turn the flood back on again, the People’s Action Party will lose the next election in 2016. Period,” a political researcher said.
“(The government’s) only hope is to gradually reduce the numbers and look after Singaporeans first.”
Two days before polling, Lee apologised twice for mistakes his government had made in the past few years – including overcrowded trains and housing shortage.
But the 6.5% drop in votes probably made him resolve to go for drastic change to avoid trouble in 2016, including an immigration solution.
For hundreds of thousands of prospective foreign job-seekers – many from countries like Malaysia, China, India and the Philippines – the change is their worst fears come true.
The most worried lot are fresh graduates from several Asian countries facing a shrinking job market at home and seeking relief abroad.
This means that unless foreigners have special talents – or their skills are unavailable in Singapore – getting approval will become harder.
Not only that. Those workers who have arrived and found wanting may find it harder to get renewal.
It is not just the work applicants. Families and spouses, and PRs, too, are coming under increasing scrutiny.
Even foreign wives of Singaporeans who lack job qualifications are finding it hard.
All this by no means signifies a closed-door strategy. Singapore will likely continue to employ foreigners but it will be at a more acceptable pace.
The criteria of what is talent may be stricter to ensure locals are not discriminated against.
“The election result has become a hard reality for the government,” the researcher said.
For Singapore, it could spell an end to its ambition to have a 6.5 million to seven million population for a long time to come.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr> <tr><td class="msgtxt" id="msgtxt_1">SEAH CHIANG NEE (summary)
When the then economically weak countries in the West were closing their doors, this city – Asia’s second richest – virtually turned itself into a free port for job seekers.
It welcomed all types of workers in large numbers from East and West to its shores, pushing a three million population in 1990 to 5.08 million.
Quite a few were talented by any standards, but many were also people who had few capabilities to contribute but who merely took away local jobs.
Further tightening is on the cards. There will be fewer foreign work permits and professional visit passes as well as permanent residents (PR).
The surge in foreign workers began in 2005 as the government sought to diversify the economy away from manufacturing into services such as tourism.
Nothing can stop an employer from sacking a Singaporean and hiring a foreigner just to save money.
Neither is there any law that prevents a boss from hiring a foreigner even if local skills are available.
“If they turn the flood back on again, the People’s Action Party will lose the next election in 2016. Period,” a political researcher said.
“(The government’s) only hope is to gradually reduce the numbers and look after Singaporeans first.”
Two days before polling, Lee apologised twice for mistakes his government had made in the past few years – including overcrowded trains and housing shortage.
But the 6.5% drop in votes probably made him resolve to go for drastic change to avoid trouble in 2016, including an immigration solution.
For hundreds of thousands of prospective foreign job-seekers – many from countries like Malaysia, China, India and the Philippines – the change is their worst fears come true.
The most worried lot are fresh graduates from several Asian countries facing a shrinking job market at home and seeking relief abroad.
This means that unless foreigners have special talents – or their skills are unavailable in Singapore – getting approval will become harder.
Not only that. Those workers who have arrived and found wanting may find it harder to get renewal.
It is not just the work applicants. Families and spouses, and PRs, too, are coming under increasing scrutiny.
Even foreign wives of Singaporeans who lack job qualifications are finding it hard.
All this by no means signifies a closed-door strategy. Singapore will likely continue to employ foreigners but it will be at a more acceptable pace.
The criteria of what is talent may be stricter to ensure locals are not discriminated against.
“The election result has become a hard reality for the government,” the researcher said.
For Singapore, it could spell an end to its ambition to have a 6.5 million to seven million population for a long time to come.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
