Foreign workers help create good jobs for S'poreans: PM Lee
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
How to trust a guy who promise to help the poor all these years through raising all the living cost to fatten his gang of croonies ?
Just a bunch of self-deceiving robbers to tell you to trust them with your money and to support them so that they can rob you for another four years.
What is being published about having foreign talent helping the place and the people and what REALLY happened is for every one to know and painful for those who have experienced the "foreign" flavour.
Are they really the servant ? Servant for who ? For more million salary years ?
It is just like robbers telling their victims they are gaining from their robbery.
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"Foreign workers help create good jobs for S'poreans MPs"
tats should be the headin
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But by allowing in a controlled number of foreign workers, far from disadvantaging Singaporean workers, we have created more good jobs for Singaporeans,' said Mr Lee.
He never bother to use the word controlled number or implement this controlled number until election time that he bothers to rephrase his words carefully. -
The PAP’s flawed immigration, foreign talent and foreign worker policies
The PAP Government has acknowledged that there is a need to slow down the rate of import of foreigners and concentrate on boosting productivity, but deep flaws remain in its labour and immigration policies.
Budget 2011 does not address these deep flaws. It merely sugarcoats them by raising the foreign worker levy, which makes it more expensive for companies to hire foreign workers. Companies will merely pass the increased costs to consumers. The problems will not be solved. In fact, they will only become worse.
The PAP’s immigration, foreign worker, and foreign talent policies are three distinct but related policies. Insufficient attention has been paid to the distinction between these policies. The purpose of this article is to make clear this distinction and point out where each policy gone wrong.
The PAP’s immigration policy
The PAP Government wants to attract foreigners to take up residence in Singapore and eventually become citizens. Their rationale is that the birth rate of the local population is too far below the replacement level, and consequently there is a need to constantly encourage foreigners to become new citizens.
However, the PAP has pushed the envelope too far on this policy. In order to generate a constant supply of new citizens, they have opened the floodgates and allowed foreigners in too fast.
The result has been rapid population expansion and a resultant strain on the social fabric. Singaporeans feel disenfranchised, even disturbed at what is happening around them. Will the foreigners and the new citizens be willing to embrace local customs and social norms?
Rapid population expansion artificially boosts GDP and allows public servants and ministers to justify astronomical salaries. But this model of economic growth is unsustainable because it is built not on the firm rock of increased productivity and innovation, but on the shifting sands of rapid population growth, which cannot continue indefinitely.
Singapore is a nation of immigrants, as we know from history. But we are no longer the sleepy fishing village of the early 19th century. The Government cannot justify exploding the population with foreigners on the basis that this was done in the early dawn of our nation’s history. We are a modern city with vastly different needs and social circumstances. Our economy has matured. The Government’s policy of rapid population expansion is flawed and can only end in tears if it is not reversed soon and fast enough.
The PAP’s foreign talent policy
The PAP claims that it wants to attract skilled labour to Singapore to complement the local workforce. In fact, this is done in conjunction with the immigration policy described above, because there is the hope that some of the skilled labour would eventually decide to make Singapore their permanent home.
The problem is that the PAP has been indiscriminate in their import of foreign talents. Although the PAP has claimed that skilled foreigners bring in expertise and experience that Singaporeans lack, in reality the situation is different.
Today, we see foreigners taking up administrative jobs, junior to middle management jobs in the private sector, both blue and white collar jobs across almost every industry, jobs in accounting, finance, engineering, and so on.
This is despite the fact that there are more than enough Singaporeans who have the same skills and can take up the same jobs. Why then is there is a need to import so many foreign talents to fill up these places which can be easily filled by locals?
The Government claims that there is a shortage of labour and that without foreign talents, the situation would be even worse. But how does this reconcile with the stories we hear of PMETs going out of work and facing difficulty securing employment once they are past the age of 40?
In reality, the rapid influx of foreign talents benefits businesses disproportionately. All too often, we hear of companies firing lower to middle management personnel and then immediately re-hiring batches of fresh foreign recruits who can be paid a lower salary. This happened, for example, in the last recession.
The PAP’s foreign talent policy keeps wages low and makes it harder for even educated Singaporeans to cope with the rising cost of living. GLCs and MNCs reap the most benefit from this policy, at the expense of heartland citizens who face an uncertain future.
The PAP’s foreign worker policy
The PAP’s foreign worker policy is about allowing companies to import cheap, low-skilled workers from abroad to work in the construction sector and certain service sectors that require mostly menial labour.
However, the PAP’s “growth at all cost” model of economic management has resulted in an extremely high demand for cheap foreign labour.
The PAP wants to do everything at once — build casinos, carry out massive infrastructure re-development, etc. Much of the infrastructure re-development needs in fact stem from the PAP’s immigration policies.
As such, there is a huge demand for low-skilled workers to fund these Government projects.
The problem is that the Government has failed to make adequate arrangements to house these foreign workers and ensure that their rights are protected while they work in Singapore.
Very often, we hear of foreign workers living in poor housing conditions or being exploited by employers.
Migrant rights in fact has become a hot topic for Singapore’s NGOs like Maruah, TWC2 and H.O.M.E. which have been lobbying the Government to uphold the rights of migrants to fair compensation, proper living conditions, and protection from abuse.
The PAP Government’s lack of attention to the human rights of foreign workers have attracted the attention of international observers. The Ministry of Manpower has not done enough to address this pressing issue and has often turned a blind eye to blatant human rights abuses, as detailed in the blog Yawning Bread.
Conclusion
There is a need to hold the PAP Government accountable for its poor governance and its flawed immigration, foreign talent and foreign worker policies.
This process of extracting accountability and transparency from the Government must be undertaken by both opposition parties as well as NGOs and civil society.
Only through a united effort on all fronts can this battle be won.
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I can tell a true experience.
This foreigner girl who came to Sinkapore, reconnect with his married old flame, found a job at a company doing work that is totally irrelevant to her field of study.
The job was unsuitable for her as it involves some heavy lifting and late night work. She took MCs, was grouped with more easy going guys combined with the old flame working as a supervisor. She lasted half a year and is transferred to work in an admin office at the same company to a high ranking ang mo.
They will do anything to come here, working in cahoots with their own kind.
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the voting ticket itself got problem already. there should be an option for people to vote neither, a neutral vote. so much for democracy. the last few posts well written.
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It is funny that one party keep insisting that they have a good track record and challenging the other party to show their record.
Their "good" track record are all the issues that they have created with their policies in which they are failed to resolve anything.
All the honest mistakes that they have commited throughout the last ten years with no proper accountability and explanation.
Not forgetting they have lower the service and immigration standard with their never-ending foreign "talent' policy.
Last of all, they do not even know what is happening at the ground and keep on living in self-denial mode.
The foolish thing is that they created the false illusion, speak the falsehood and believe that it is a fact.
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The foreigners' Countries will love PAP because they give their citizens jobs in Singapore. No more bashing of PAP in foreign countries.
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We can't void vote this election ? I thought this is the option not to take any side?
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What is the actual percentage of local Singapore Citizens (NOT Singapore residents which include PRs) working in foreign and local MNCs?
The report needs to be more transparent and provide the actual percentage of Singapore Citizens in the MNCs, especially the percentage of Singaporean in PMET. They should not simply categorize Singapore Citizens and PRs under the same group.
One might noticed that in some MNCs, the percentage of PRs is actually much higher than the local Singapore Citizens.
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Exactly, why lump Singaporeans and PRs under the same breath? Can we have more specific detailed breakdowns?
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
How to trust a guy who promise to help the poor all these years through raising all the living cost to fatten his gang of croonies ?
Just a bunch of self-deceiving robbers to tell you to trust them with your money and to support them so that they can rob you for another four years.
What is being published about having foreign talent helping the place and the people and what REALLY happened is for every one to know and painful for those who have experienced the "foreign" flavour.
Are they really the servant ? Servant for who ? For more million salary years ?
Don't complain.
They give you $10 for the taxi fare back.
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well, to the MIW, they are fasterer, betterer and most importantly, cheapererererererer
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Actually, I think the use of the words "foreigners creating jobs" by them repeatedly in the media is not to placate Singaporeans any more.
Rather, it is to convince new citizens and foreigners that the incumbent party is good to them.
Think they have given up on trying to persuade Singaporeans to be thankful to them.
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Those who read the article may have found this...
6 out of 10 jobs goes to Singaporeans and PRs, while 4 out of 10 jobs goes to foreigners.
PRs are not Singaporeans, they are foreigners living in Singapore! -
Originally posted by Junyang700:
Those who read the article may have found this...
6 out of 10 jobs goes to Singaporeans and PRs, while 4 out of 10 jobs goes to foreigners.
PRs are not Singaporeans, they are foreigners living in Singapore!Same lar.
If they say so.
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yar lor...it's the same. Permanent Resident is as good as local born Singaporeans. They are even better when they invest in HDB flats , jack up the HDB price , then sell to local to return home. They do so much for us. They pass us their flat when they return to their hometown to become local there again. Singaporeans how to compare with them?
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I am seeing more and more phil ladies working as a counter clerk....
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Originally posted by shanfan:
It is just like robbers telling their victims they are gaining from their robbery.
HAHAHA...good one shanfan!!:D
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Originally posted by shaun87:
HAHAHA...good one shanfan!!:D
its like Japanese Imperial Army in WW2 telling the people they were invading their countries, they are here to liberate them
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come on guys.. he is telling the truth what.... 6 out of 10 are singaporean or PR what..... only that out if this 6.. only 1 is singaporean while the rest are PR lor.....
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LHL Govt Has Failed the Mainstream Singaporeans
"Without the foreign workers, we would not have attracted this US$3 billion investment, and Intel and Micron would have built its wafer fab elsewhere," said PM Lee HL.The PM was talking through his hat just to score election points!!
The wafer fabrication industry is very technical. Hiring foreigners is understandable as there may be difficulty in getting enough qualified Singaporeans to do the job. I do not know the accuracy of the statistics he quoted for his own election ends. Has it been inflated?
The PM failed to touch on what all Singaporeans want to hear - ie, what is actually happening in MAINSTREAM SINGAPORE that affects most Singaporeans. Understandably so as this is not a good election move. But the fact is, as a PM, he can't walk the streets so he can't hear foreign accents everywhere - especially the Filipino and the Chinese ones. He can't walk into a company and meet the receptionist speaking in accented English or Mandarin and he won't call a company on the phone and hear an unfamiliar accent as people do that for him. He can't go to a restaurant or food court to eat so he won't know many of the service staff are foreigners. He can't walk into a retail shop, eg, Guardian pharmacy, and, therefore, won't see foreign salespersons - who also can't speak English. He can't go to Motorola at Cathay and discovers most of the counter staff are Filipinos. He also can't go to a bus terminal to take a bus so he won't know many drivers are foreigners from their accents. The list goes on...
IS THE PM SAYING JOBS ARE CREATED BY FOREIGNERS DOING THE ABOVE JOBS!! You don't need to be a genius to see that these foreigners have stolen our jobs. They have reduced greatly the number of jobs available to most Singaporeans - jobs that Singaporeans will give their right arm for.
Folks, the ridiculous PM is out of touch with exactly what is happening to our livelihood!! The implication in his tone is, if PAP wins by the same margin, he will do nothing about the foreign worker influx. Understandably so, for his post-election arrogant reaction will be: See, they complained vehemently about foreign workers and high cost of living yet they still voted us back to power. So why should we change anything.
VOTE OPPOSITION TO STOP ALL THIS NONSENSE THAT MAKES US 3RD WORLD CITIZENS IN A FIRST WORLD COUNTRY. WE WANT A TRUE FIRST WORLD GOVT WHICH IS CARING AS SEEN IN THE REAL
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Originally posted by Wiser:
We can't void vote this election ? I thought this is the option not to take any side?
If you want to void vote, I suggest you don't turn up to vote.You are not making any choice on the ballot paper, so why waste your time queueing up to vote? This will only make the queue longer.
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Originally posted by 4sg:
LHL Govt Has Failed the Mainstream Singaporeans
"Without the foreign workers, we would not have attracted this US$3 billion investment, and Intel and Micron would have built its wafer fab elsewhere," said PM Lee HL.The PM was talking through his hat just to score election points!!
The wafer fabrication industry is very technical. Hiring foreigners is understandable as there may be difficulty in getting enough qualified Singaporeans to do the job. I do not know the accuracy of the statistics he quoted for his own election ends. Has it been inflated?
The PM failed to touch on what all Singaporeans want to hear - ie, what is actually happening in MAINSTREAM SINGAPORE that affects most Singaporeans. Understandably so as this is not a good election move. But the fact is, as a PM, he can't walk the streets so he can't hear foreign accents everywhere - especially the Filipino and the Chinese ones. He can't walk into a company and meet the receptionist speaking in accented English or Mandarin and he won't call a company on the phone and hear an unfamiliar accent as people do that for him. He can't go to a restaurant or food court to eat so he won't know many of the service staff are foreigners. He can't walk into a retail shop, eg, Guardian pharmacy, and, therefore, won't see foreign salespersons - who also can't speak English. He can't go to Motorola at Cathay and discovers most of the counter staff are Filipinos. He also can't go to a bus terminal to take a bus so he won't know many drivers are foreigners from their accents. The list goes on...
IS THE PM SAYING JOBS ARE CREATED BY FOREIGNERS DOING THE ABOVE JOBS!! You don't need to be a genius to see that these foreigners have stolen our jobs. They have reduced greatly the number of jobs available to most Singaporeans - jobs that Singaporeans will give their right arm for.
Folks, the ridiculous PM is out of touch with exactly what is happening to our livelihood!! The implication in his tone is, if PAP wins by the same margin, he will do nothing about the foreign worker influx. Understandably so, for his post-election arrogant reaction will be: See, they complained vehemently about foreign workers and high cost of living yet they still voted us back to power. So why should we change anything.
VOTE OPPOSITION TO STOP ALL THIS NONSENSE THAT MAKES US 3RD WORLD CITIZENS IN A FIRST WORLD COUNTRY. WE WANT A TRUE FIRST WORLD GOVT WHICH IS CARING AS SEEN IN THE REAL
hey,,,,,i read indians and malaysians got the interviews n jobs.the sporeans doin the interview dumped their own comrades in time of their needs. -
Our president also tell us the same story if you read the other thread.