New citizens get free guidebook from South West District

[Watchman]

New citizens get free guidebook from South West District
December 18th, 2010 | Author: Editorial

New citizens living in South West District will be getting a free guidebook to help them to “integrate” into Singapore, courtesy of the generosity of Singapore taxpayers.
According to a Channel News Asia report, the guidebook with the name ‘South West Snippets to Singapore Living’ aims to ‘foster understanding and deepen a sense of community identity and belonging between and local and new citizens.
It is not known who will be footing the cost of the ‘guidebook’ which is probably the first of a kind in the world. In other countries, immigrants are expected to assimilate themselves into local society.
Last year, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan launched a massive $10 million dollar ‘Community Integration Fund’ to help the new citizens adapt themselves to Singapore.
South West District Mayor Amy Khor said she “hopes the guidebook would help new Singaporeans familiarise themselves with the community, and give them the confidence to take the first step to forge new friendships with others in the community.”
The latest population census revealed that foreigners now form nearly 40 percent of the population and the percentage is likely to get higher in the years ahead with the Singapore government’s open-door policy to immigration.

.

Jay

 

[besotted]

good news, should have more of these integration activities

 

[Ramseth]

Actually, Besotted is right at times. There're so many incidences of Singaporeans demanding more wages than foreigners but unwilling to work as hard. Common examples are Singaporeans saying, how can they be paid equal to foreigners for the same jobs and ranks. Then when it comes to the jobs, particularly menial or tedious, many Singaporeans are saying, how can they be expected to do that, ask the foreigners to do. On that norm and note, I can't fault Besotted.

However, society and country don't run on economics alone. A certain dependancy and population has to be maintained. That's the socio-economic for our political leaders. They can ask our for opinions, for sentiments, but not solutions.

 

[cathylmg]

Yeah. Instead of cocooning themselves then complaining about this and that, they should make it a point to integrate into our society. The guidebook is a very good start for them. Somehow I feel this unwillingness to see the right side of the picture. Can see by their outdate views and negative comments.

 

[Ramseth]

Yeah. Instead of cocooning themselves then complaining about this and that, they should make it a point to integrate into our society. The guidebook is a very start for them. Sometimes I feel that they are just not willing to see the right side of the picture. Can see by their outdate views and negative comments.

When we travel to other countries, we'd like them to treat us well and fairly. Therefore when others come here, we should treat them well and fairly too. There should be nothing discriminatory against foreigners just because they're foreigners, except for illegals and criminals. The number of foreigners here is a social-economical and political managment problem. If you feel the number is too high, send your message and signal to the government. But remember, there're others with votes in their hands who may disagree. Understand that in politics, you don't always win however right you insist you are, the majority wins.

 

[cathylmg]

When we travel to other countries, we'd like them to treat us well and fairly. Therefore when others come here, we should treat them well and fairly too. There should be nothing discriminatory against foreigners just because they're foreigners, except for illegals and criminals. The number of foreigners here is a social-economical and political managment problem. If you feel the number is too high, send your message and signal to the government. But remember, there're others with votes in their hands who may disagree. Understand that in politics, you don't always win however right you insist you are, the majority wins.

Actually wherever you travel there are always discriminatory locals that do not like foreign intruders. This we cannot deny. Nobody likes to share their rightful belonging with others. I for once met these kind individuals in Aussieland. The case of Indians being murdered by them racist never happen in Singapore. And I pray that it won't happen in the near future. The onus not only lies with the local who are encourage to treat them fairly, the foreigner also need to be encourage to make an effort to understand the local's lifestyles, habits, thinkings, way of doing things and to be able blend in with the locals. Not act like some high class expatriates who only hang out with their own elite group of people from their own country. Then criticise us outright. This I think we should organise more activities and opportunities or require them to come out of their cocoon or make it a compulsory requirement for them to join a specific number of activities. Because it is not a one side thing. It take 2 hands to clap.

 

[Tristan]

Who the fark would want to refer to a guidebook to be kind to someone when they can't wait to see the back of him taking away their jobs.

 

[cathylmg]

Who the fark would want to refer to a guidebook to be kind to someone when they can't wait to see the back of him taking away their jobs.

See? This kind of attitude? Very typical of foreigners. You come here, you take away my job, the least you should do is be nice to me. Like that also so difficult to do meh? If in Aussieland you go around with this kind of attitude, you think the angmohs will let you off easily?

 

[annexa]

After almost 20 years of FT policy then they suddenly realise the FTs are not integrating. Fucking too long to realise right? Especially for top dollar "CEO" people!

 

[cathylmg]

After almost 20 years of FT policy then they suddenly realise the FTs are not integrating. Fucking too long to realise right? Especially for top dollar "CEO" people!

The bulk of foreigners, especially those uneducated ones, only arrive this few years, due to the 2 IRs. Which is when the problems surfaced.

 

[Ramseth]

The bulk of foreigners, especially those uneducated ones, only arrive this few years, due to the 2 IRs. Which is when the problems surfaced.

The bulk of the uneducated ones arrived 20 years ago as maids and construction workers and has been replenished and sustained ever since. They have never been threats to local jobs. You want to fight for a maid's or construction workers' job or want your parents to fight for those jobs? The recent IR imports are at least mid-educated, semi-skilled and above. The cleaners or other menial chore workers would have been here according needs, with or without IRs.

The threat to local PMET jobs are PRCs, Indians and Pinoys who claim professional qualifications and willing to accepted discounted wages. Some of them are really worth the while. Some of them are opportunists and scamsters. That's the way of the world.