Foreign Talent
Let’s be pragmatic, Singapore cannot function without any foreigners, we need the thousands of workers who labour in construction sites, cleaners, cooks, waiters, housekeepers, retail executives etc. These are mostly hard working people who want to earn enough and return home to their families.
What Singaporeans are indignant about is encapsulated in George Orwell’s Animal Farm quote, “All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Tommy also alluded to this in his article, “First, Singapore discovered that some so-called foreign talent was not very talented. Second, there was the discovery that, in some cases, when a foreign chief executive officer was hired, he or she discriminated against Singaporeans when hiring staff.” Singaporeans are sick of their leaders placing foreigners on a pedestal just because they come from a foreign land.
Before the bruising 2011 elections, the government was adamant that their consultants were correct, and that foreign talent were more talented rather than foreign. Many worthy and talented Singaporeans were sidelined or never given the opportunities in this xenophilic environment. They have now changed their tune with the National Jobs Bank where companies have to demonstrate that they cannot hire Singaporeans within a certain period before they can hire foreigners. Time will tell, if this is a charade to appease the electorate for the next elections or an effective tool to stem foreign workplace invasion. A first step is to acknowledge that they were wrong and not all foreigners are talented. We have yet to see this realization in official speeches.
- http://www.youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2014/03/tommy-kohs-st-article-hits-nail-on-head.html
Let’s be pragmatic, Singapore cannot function without any foreigners, we need the thousands of workers who labour in construction sites, cleaners, cooks, waiters, housekeepers, retail executives etc. These are mostly hard working people who want to earn enough and return home to their families.
What Singaporeans are indignant about is encapsulated in George Orwell’s Animal Farm quote, “All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Tommy also alluded to this in his article, “First, Singapore discovered that some so-called foreign talent was not very talented. Second, there was the discovery that, in some cases, when a foreign chief executive officer was hired, he or she discriminated against Singaporeans when hiring staff.” Singaporeans are sick of their leaders placing foreigners on a pedestal just because they come from a foreign land.
Before the bruising 2011 elections, the government was adamant that their consultants were correct, and that foreign talent were more talented rather than foreign. Many worthy and talented Singaporeans were sidelined or never given the opportunities in this xenophilic environment. They have now changed their tune with the National Jobs Bank where companies have to demonstrate that they cannot hire Singaporeans within a certain period before they can hire foreigners. Time will tell, if this is a charade to appease the electorate for the next elections or an effective tool to stem foreign workplace invasion. A first step is to acknowledge that they were wrong and not all foreigners are talented. We have yet to see this realization in official speeches.
- http://www.youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2014/03/tommy-kohs-st-article-hits-nail-on-head.html
