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During a speech made last night at the 40th anniversary of the Harvard Club, Law Minister Mr K Shanmugam said that the presence of foreigners here, far from taking jobs away from locals, helps to generate more jobs for Singaporeans.
Due to the ruling party’s liberal immigration policies, the number of foreigners in Singapore has increased by more than 100,000 a year in recent years.
According to Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, there are more than 90,000 PRs and 20,000 new citizens in 2008 alone. Two out of every three PR applicants are successful.
Foreigners now make up 36 per cent of the population, up from 14 per cent in 1990.
Despite rising discomfort and resentment on the ground at the rising number of foreigners which leads to direct competition for limited jobs, school places and opportunities, the ruling party is adamant that foreigners are essential for Singapore’s growth.
Mr Shanmugam made an open plea to Singaporeans to understand that the need for foreign talent comes against the backdrop of a global ‘war for talent’ by citing a YaleGlobal Online article published in The Straits Times yesterday on how India and China are wooing their talented nationals back from the United States.
‘To succeed, we need to get investments into Singapore, encourage local entrepreneurship, become a sophisticated service centre and ensure safety, security and stability. Achieving this, in turn, requires a government that thinks long term, a talented population and collective effort between the people and the Government to implement these policies,” he said.
While Singaporeans understand the need for a small country like Singapore without any natural resources of its own to rely heavily on foreign talent, what they don’t understand is some foreigners who are competing with them for mid-level or lower income jobs are considered as “talents” as well.
The Straits Times reported last week of a Singapore PR and Chinese national Liu Gui Ling who was jailed for nine weeks for throwing two lighted match sticks at her lover’s fish farm. She works as a cleaner.
Another PR, Song Jing was fined $1,000 for stalking a Singapore man who once patronized her for “special services”. Her occupation is a masseue.
How these non-English speaking foreigners who are not really considered as “talents” can become Singapore PRs is anybody’s guess.
Mr Shanmugam reassured Singaporeans that the government will ensure the system is not abused’, and that Singaporeans continue to benefit from the country’s progress, a point reiterated frequently by senior cabinet ministers as the next general election approaches.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew urged Singaporeans to bear with the “tide” of foreigners lately which has since become a “flood”.
At this rate the ruling party is mass importing foreigners from elsewhere to become new citizens, native Singaporeans will soon find themselves in the minority.
Not that they care much anyway since new citizens are usually pro-government and thereby will ensure their continued political hegemony for many years to come.
Due to the ruling party’s liberal immigration policies, the number of foreigners in Singapore has increased by more than 100,000 a year in recent years.
According to Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, there are more than 90,000 PRs and 20,000 new citizens in 2008 alone. Two out of every three PR applicants are successful.
Foreigners now make up 36 per cent of the population, up from 14 per cent in 1990.
Despite rising discomfort and resentment on the ground at the rising number of foreigners which leads to direct competition for limited jobs, school places and opportunities, the ruling party is adamant that foreigners are essential for Singapore’s growth.
Mr Shanmugam made an open plea to Singaporeans to understand that the need for foreign talent comes against the backdrop of a global ‘war for talent’ by citing a YaleGlobal Online article published in The Straits Times yesterday on how India and China are wooing their talented nationals back from the United States.
‘To succeed, we need to get investments into Singapore, encourage local entrepreneurship, become a sophisticated service centre and ensure safety, security and stability. Achieving this, in turn, requires a government that thinks long term, a talented population and collective effort between the people and the Government to implement these policies,” he said.
While Singaporeans understand the need for a small country like Singapore without any natural resources of its own to rely heavily on foreign talent, what they don’t understand is some foreigners who are competing with them for mid-level or lower income jobs are considered as “talents” as well.
The Straits Times reported last week of a Singapore PR and Chinese national Liu Gui Ling who was jailed for nine weeks for throwing two lighted match sticks at her lover’s fish farm. She works as a cleaner.
Another PR, Song Jing was fined $1,000 for stalking a Singapore man who once patronized her for “special services”. Her occupation is a masseue.
How these non-English speaking foreigners who are not really considered as “talents” can become Singapore PRs is anybody’s guess.
Mr Shanmugam reassured Singaporeans that the government will ensure the system is not abused’, and that Singaporeans continue to benefit from the country’s progress, a point reiterated frequently by senior cabinet ministers as the next general election approaches.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew urged Singaporeans to bear with the “tide” of foreigners lately which has since become a “flood”.
At this rate the ruling party is mass importing foreigners from elsewhere to become new citizens, native Singaporeans will soon find themselves in the minority.
Not that they care much anyway since new citizens are usually pro-government and thereby will ensure their continued political hegemony for many years to come.
