Understanding why Singaporeans accept importing cheap foreign workers policy...

[nayr69sg]

Hmm maybe PAP should promise to make it cheaper to hire maids for Hougang residents. No need cook, no need was your toilet anymore!

Sure win one!!

 

[Cruxx]

Yeah lor! NO CHOICE. Without maid many will die.

If I were PAP candidate I would tell the people.....WP say dowan to allow cheap foreign workers into Singapore. Want to institute minimum wage. Maybe $8/hr?

If WP become gahment, it means harder for you to have maid at home you know?

Maid work 24 hours, $8/hr = $192/day = $5760 a month! How many of us can afford? Even if pay half of that also cannot afford!

And you know these days life already so tough, NO MAID HOW TO SURVIVE?????

Be careful hor? Don't prey prey okey? Scali no more maid then you die!

If a domestic helper were paid $8/hr, Sinkies would demand higher standards. I doubt many have the option of getting their folks to do the housekeeping nor can any parent afford to be a full-time housewife in the 3rd most expensive cuntry in Asia. They would probably entrust their households to Sinkie housekeepers and nannies who can cook food more attuned to local taste, speak the local vernacular and bond more readily with their families without exposing their children to the influences of those from inferior cultures, all of which would advance the well-being of Sinkies, increase their output and productivity at work and mitigate the influx of foreign undesirables. Welfarism isn't a dirty word. It's necessary if Singapore wants to catch up with the more successful countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland.

" Between a good and a bad economist this constitutes the whole difference: the one takes account only of the visible effect; the other takes account of both the effects which are seen and those which it is necessary to foresee. " - Frédéric Bastiat

 

[nayr69sg]

If a domestic helper were paid $8/hr, Sinkies would demand higher standards. I doubt many have the option of getting their folks to do the housekeeping nor can any parent afford to be a full-time housewife in the 3rd most expensive cuntry in Asia.

Huh? Why must be full time housewife?

Actually when I was still in Singapore, me and my wife shared the housework. I would clean the toilets and mop the floor. She would wash and iron the clothes. We all fold the clothes together. It's not that "impossible" lah. And I was working till evenings 10-11pm weekdays and Saturdays mornings. She was a teacher doing marking into the wee hours of the morning.

Yes life is tough but to say that "no maid cannot survive" is ridiculous. Maybe as ridiculous as the businesses that say, cannot survive without hiring cheaper foreign workers.

 

[Zombie]

Yeah lor! NO CHOICE. Without maid many will die.
If I were PAP candidate I would tell the people.....WP say dowan to allow cheap foreign workers into Singapore. Want to institute minimum wage. Maybe $8/hr?
If WP become gahment, it means harder for you to have maid at home you know?
Maid work 24 hours, $8/hr = $192/day = $5760 a month! How many of us can afford? Even if pay half of that also cannot afford!
And you know these days life already so tough, NO MAID HOW TO SURVIVE?????
Be careful hor? Don't prey prey okey? Scali no more maid then you die!

exaggerating lah..
if using your calculation, govt no need to explain with sweat that with $1k pay sinky can buy hdb liao..

there are certain people who may have an overall net benefits with higher populations, for example doctors.... so not everyone got the same perspective or facing the same problems.. be kind to your fellow sinkies..

btw i mop my own floor, no maid I wont die

 

[Fook Seng]

So in your opinion maids are essential to Singapore? Without maids Singapore will not survive?

Of course and to make sure that maids are affordable, the first thing to do is get rid of the maid levy.

The key reason why the maid levy was imposed was that otherwise there would be a social cost - the cost of strain on our infrastructure - MRT, buses, hospitals etc.

But then see how the curb on maids have added to the stress on our life and how it has impacted our TFR which brought about the policy change to bring in other categories of FTs which brought about a social cost of a magnitude never imagined and may possibly lead to a loss of a government.

Definitely maids are essential to the survival of Singapore.

 

[Equalisation]

To all pinoys and pinays:

Matalek back to your chicken coops and 7th storey high garbage dumps where you come from !! :oIo:

 

[Fook Seng]

Actually when I was still in Singapore, me and my wife shared the housework. I would clean the toilets and mop the floor. She would wash and iron the clothes. We all fold the clothes together. It's not that "impossible" lah. And I was working till evenings 10-11pm weekdays and Saturdays mornings. She was a teacher doing marking into the wee hours of the morning.

Let's say you are one kind who likes to work until that way, most people don't and most people have other better things to do. I must agree that people who do not mind working long hours both in the office and at home wouldn't mind whatever shit the government threw at them.

 

[nayr69sg]

Thank you. I rest my case.

 

[Zombie]

I rest my case.

you are a great contributor...
dun disappear from this forum

 

[Fook Seng]

Thank you. I rest my case.

You rest nothing. Maids are what we need to import. Cleaners and rubbish collectors are what we need. But none these should be given PR status.

What we need out of here are those who are taking over local jobs, people who can buy houses, apartments, flats, cars and providing competition in demands for supplies. Only Pappies can't see the difference.

Don't use dirty tricks to horse trade what people want with getting rid of what people do not want. It does not work.

 

[singveld]

you got to be joking. how can this be possible. Dun they know if you make a law for min wages, it apply to all. LOL, pls show us the link to this discussion, i want to understand what kind of min wages they want.

A few days ago, there was a thread where everyone was asking for minimum wages to be implemented in Singapore. I asked whether this should apply to maids as well. As you can guess, the answer was an emphatic NO!

 

[Zombie]

Dun they know if you make a law for min wages, it apply to all.

not always the case.. eg HK min wage bill does not apply to domestic helpers ie maids..

 

[drifter]

A few days ago, there was a thread where everyone was asking for minimum wages to be implemented in Singapore. I asked whether this should apply to maids as well. As you can guess, the answer was an emphatic NO!

They want to be paid top dollar but they certainly aren't willing to extend the same high wages philosophy to those they hire.

These sinkies are a bunch of f**$$#@ hypocrites.

depends on where you stand . if you are a business owner you will not want minimum wages ...if you are just a employee of course you want minimum wages . that kind of mentality is very normal around the world ...not only in singapore . we are only human . nothing got to do with hypocrites .

 

[I_Hate_Pappies]

you got to be joking. how can this be possible. Dun they know if you make a law for min wages, it apply to all. LOL, pls show us the link to this discussion, i want to understand what kind of min wages they want.

I told him No!

 

[nayr69sg]

You rest nothing. Maids are what we need to import. Cleaners and rubbish collectors are what we need. But none these should be given PR status.

Low wage cheap foreign workers to do dirty jobs practically for free is what Singapore wants. Not what it needs. Isn't this the recent argument from that professor and Tommy Koh who said that relying on this strategy in the long term isn't going to be sustainable? Aren't the people who have low educational qualifications in Singapore complaining that they cannot survive in Singapore taking on jobs like cleaners and rubbish collectors because they compete with these imports?

Every job has its purpose. The fact is everywhere we need cleaners and rubbish collectors. The approach that Singapore has taken is to degrade these jobs by virtue of paying such low wages that it is impossible for locals to survive on them. The message sent is also to discriminate and look down on such jobs when they all serve society with purpose too.

This is not a government problem. It is the mindset of the people as well. Essentially, do to others as you would have them do to you. I find the Singaporean mindset very self centred and exploitative.

What we need out of here are those who are taking over local jobs, people who can buy houses, apartments, flats, cars and providing competition in demands for supplies. Only Pappies can't see the difference.

Don't use dirty tricks to horse trade what people want with getting rid of what people do not want. It does not work.

So the cheap imports who come here don't take away local jobs?

You only want super cheap workers who cannot buy houses, apartments, flats and cars?

So what you are selling to potential imports is to come to Singapore and be poor. But hope to bring back money to be "rich" in their home country.

Looking at your arguments, you do not want ANY PRs to be given out to anybody isn't it?

Honestly the ideal policy for Singapore would be to allow slavery. Think about it.

 

[I_Hate_Pappies]

Low wage cheap foreign workers to do dirty jobs practically for free is what Singapore wants. Not what it needs. Isn't this the recent argument from that professor and Tommy Koh who said that relying on this strategy in the long term isn't going to be sustainable? Aren't the people who have low educational qualifications in Singapore complaining that they cannot survive in Singapore taking on jobs like cleaners and rubbish collectors because they compete with these imports?

Every job has its purpose. The fact is everywhere we need cleaners and rubbish collectors. The approach that Singapore has taken is to degrade these jobs by virtue of paying such low wages that it is impossible for locals to survive on them. The message sent is also to discriminate and look down on such jobs when they all serve society with purpose too.

This is not a government problem. It is the mindset of the people as well. Essentially, do to others as you would have them do to you. I find the Singaporean mindset very self centred and exploitative.



So the cheap imports who come here don't take away local jobs?

You only want super cheap workers who cannot buy houses, apartments, flats and cars?

So what you are selling to potential imports is to come to Singapore and be poor. But hope to bring back money to be "rich" in their home country.

Looking at your arguments, you do not want ANY PRs to be given out to anybody isn't it?

Honestly the ideal policy for Singapore would be to allow slavery. Think about it.

"Think about it". Yes, i am thinking about it. It being your Mother Phua Chee Bye.

20-30years ago, these jobs you mentioned are being handled by Locals and these Local are not badly paid. Consider their income can cover the essential needs of daily life. They can afford for housing and kids education.
How many FTs are there in SG 20yrs ago? One of my classmate's father is a rubbish collector, collecting the rubbish from my old house chute. He's one of my best bud, we play soccer together, we whacked the lao lan kia together, we hide in a corner smoke together, we prank on streetwalkers together and we got punished in school together. They were never discriminated by me be it their job or as a person. His Father was the sole breadwinner. Mother housewife, a granny and a younger brother.

Looking forward 20yrs later, these jobs no longer command an salary that can support even a simple standard of living in SG. Why? What Fook Seng said wasn't wrong. Quote "What we need out of here are those who are taking over local jobs, people who can buy houses, apartments, flats, cars and providing competition in demands for supplies." The middle income FT, i would say, these group of FTs are suppressing the Local middle income earners wages, and also because of these group of people, prices of housings shot up. Inflation hits SG badly as compared to other countries. This group of FTs, are indirectly affecting the lower income earners' income because the middle income earner's income are affected. It's no longer proportional.

Likewise for the maids, 20-30years ago. How many people have maids at home compared to now? What was the "Family Culture" of SG in the past? Father work, mother housewife, take care of kids and parents. Can it be achieved now? If not, why? Both parents have to work to support housing, support kids education, support their parent's medical fee. Why again?

If there's no FTs, we need no cheap foreigner workers. Think about it. Think of the chain of reactions, not your Mother's Phua Chee Bye. That is for me to think about!

 

[nayr69sg]

"Think about it". Yes, i am thinking about it. It being your Mother Phua Chee Bye.


Likewise for the maids, 20-30years ago. How many people have maids at home compared to now? What was the "Family Culture" of SG in the past? Father work, mother housewife, take care of kids and parents. Can it be achieved now? If not, why? Both parents have to work to support housing, support kids education, support their parent's medical fee. Why again?

If there's no FTs, we need no cheap foreigner workers. Think about it. Think of the chain of reactions, not your Mother's Phua Chee Bye. That is for me to think about!

Bingo! No maids then no need FTs no need cheap foreign workers. I share your sentiment. Could it be that the influx of maids caused all this problem in the first place? Remember that it was back in the 80s when there were few foreign workers that the maid thing was unleashed.

It's ok I understand Tourette's Syndrome. Cheers buddy!

 

[Fook Seng]

This is not a government problem. It is the mindset of the people as well. Essentially, do to others as you would have them do to you. I find the Singaporean mindset very self centred and exploitative.

So the cheap imports who come here don't take away local jobs?

You only want super cheap workers who cannot buy houses, apartments, flats and cars?

So what you are selling to potential imports is to come to Singapore and be poor. But hope to bring back money to be "rich" in their home country.

Looking at your arguments, you do not want ANY PRs to be given out to anybody isn't it?

Honestly the ideal policy for Singapore would be to allow slavery. Think about it.

When you can't even achieve a decent sense of equality of your own people, don't act charitable and demand equality for people who don't belong here. These people are perfectly happy with what they get here and when they take this money back home they are quite well off. Their lower cost is the reason you bring them in the first place. Don't have to tempt them with PR status. You would need a lot more to keep them in Singapore on the long term. Can't you see it is a self inflicted problem?

Over time, in line with international competition, you might have to pay more. Just pay the market rate, if you still need their services. Don't have to overdo it. For maids, Singapore's problem is not that the employers are not paying the market rate, it is the government that has taken off a big chunk of it through the maid levy.

I hear the Govt saying Singapore first but it looks like just lip service.

 

[Conqueror]

Getting a maid from the third world is like buying a cheap designed in China and made in China goods like your TV. Why people buy pirated goods instead ? No censorship ?

Poor people also have demand for certain service too. But, getting more FTs to replace Sinkies to help companies cut cost is really low down - immoral. We Are The Citizens Not Them !

 

[chonburifc]

A few days ago, there was a thread where everyone was asking for minimum wages to be implemented in Singapore. I asked whether this should apply to maids as well. As you can guess, the answer was an emphatic NO!

They want to be paid top dollar but they certainly aren't willing to extend the same high wages philosophy to those they hire.

These sinkies are a bunch of f**$$#@ hypocrites.

Domestic Maids already have minimum wages, which is the obscene levies paid by the employer to the pappies. Unfortunately, the domestic maids do not get any of these levies. Any Sinkees with a common sense will rather pay the maid the levies instead to the pappies robber. Name me a country that the employer need to pay levies to hire maids.