Is there room for more foreigners in Singapore?
October 7th, 2009 | 
Author: By Bhaskaran Kunju, Political Correspondent
On 15 September Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave a speech to NTU students as part of the NTU Student’s Union Ministerial Forum 2009. The theme of the event was ‘Is there room for more?” a rhetoric question on the capability of Singapore in the face of growth on the financial and social front.
With a significant slice of public debate being taken up by the issue of social integration in the run up to the speech, it was little surprise that a large portion of PM Lee’s speech was dedicated to this issue as well. Having already touched on the topic in his National Day Rally and the National Day Message, there was little else he could expound upon other than to provide assurance to Singaporeans that their positions were not being usurped
PM Lee started the speech with an update on the state of the economy, stating the relative state of recovery and the success of fresh graduates in finding employment, albeit gradually. But the focus of his speech was, as stated by him ‘on the long term’ effects on Singapore as whole.
The most recent statistics from the Department of Statistics indicates a rise in the nation’s population to 4.99 million, with foreigners (non-residents) comprising 1.25million of that figure compared to 1.2million the year before. Additionally there are 533,000 Permanent Residents (PRs) a rise of 55,000 from the year before.
In the wake of such staggering numbers one might question the sustainability of the country, physically, economically and socially as population figures rise, almost entirely due to the increase in foreigners and PRs.
It might even appear that a state of our size will have its resources stretched to the limit. While these worries seem logical and even justified with the various social problems that have been in the news, from increased competitions in public schools to crowded public transports, the Prime Minister provides some critical views on these.
In his speech PM Lee urged students not to be restrained by constraints and to create more room. In his opinion critical constraint is not physical but people, as we need good people who can provide creative ideas that will help in building the country.
Just as it happened decades ago when our forefathers migrated here. The immigration process is needed to cover labour needs and the low birth rates, which according to the latest statistics is at just 40,000 for 2008, far short of the required natural replacement number of 60,000.
While trying to justify the need for foreigners, he at the same time also concedes in the limit by acknowledging the failing economy. He cites this as a reason for the administration to scale back the admission of foreigners henceforth. With more than 100.000 new foreigners being admitted per year in recent years, that number is now expected to drop.
According to PM Lee, most of the foreigners comprise of transient workers. More than half (55%) of the non-citizens here are transient workers with 15% students and dependants and the remaining 30% PRs.
This group of transient workers is expected to stay only temporarily and for as long as they are required by the economy.
He also states that not taking in foreign workers will be a mistake as that would mean they could be absorbed by other competitor nations, much to our own hindrance. While this is true theoretically, the statistical figures for foreign workers are still unusually high with a 2007 estimate placing Singapore as having the highest proportion of foreign workers in Asia.
PM Lee stated 4 reasons that he believed stood as hurdles in the integration process, competition arising from new arrivals, differences in cultures, a change in the social landscape and the indifferent treatment of citizens and PRs.
While it is welcoming to see the administration being able to acknowledge reasons other than that of xenophobia for the lingering dilemma of social integration between locals and foreigners, it still falls short of practical solutions that are most definitely long overdue.
All 4 reasons are pretty much on target with the worries of the general public, and having known that, one could not help but wonder why relevant actions weren’t taken much earlier instead of just providing lip service over the years, or even worse no acknowledgement at all. After all these issues are not new and have been at the forefront of even the mainstream media for just under a decade now.
It would be wrong to deny that foreign workers are needed at all and as pointed out by the Prime Minister in his speech a number of them take up jobs that most Singaporeans refuse to do. Another key point he raised was the added competitiveness brought in by foreigners. He compared Singapore to the likes of New York and Shanghai and stated his desire for our city-state to be of a similar level. The worrying problem in this desire is that Singapore, unlike New York City or Shanghai cannot just function as a financial centre.
The notion that Singapore is first and foremost a home to millions of citizens and needs to fulfill its purpose as a residential hub for its citizens before anything else, seems to be lost on the government.
While it’ll be naïve to halt economic growth for these reasons, greater micro management must be in place to ensure that growth on the financial front does not mean the displacement of another, namely social. One example of an ill effect of this will be the rising housing costs, a similar trait in New York and Shanghai.
Given such a scenario could the average Singaporean then continue to afford to live here? Could we continue to sacrifice the needs of the average citizen in favour of perpetual economic expansion? New York City and Shanghai could afford being financial centres as the respective country’s citizens could easily reside anywhere else in their vast country, away from the carry over effects of high costs. But given the physical limitations of Singapore these effects are felt throughout the country and are inescapable.
With the rapid population boom these fears are no longer unfounded. As mentioned in my previous article “A question of fairness: PRs competing with citizens for Primary 1 places,” I believe the issues of social integration are deeply rooted in the failure to account for these needs and wants of the citizens before any other. It is not too far off the mark to predict the demise of the lower and middle class strata in Singapore.
In fact the population displacement by foreigners is not an unlikely scenario either with many qualified young Singaporeans preferring to migrate instead.
The consolation from PM Lee’s speech is the detail in which he discussed the issue. For example, he pointed out the problems of service line staff who do not speak English and the difficulty in integration for International Students in local varsities. It is thus heartening to note that the most plebian of problems are still under the watchful eye of the government. But as mentioned before the issue being left unattended to in depth for so long does not bode well for the government at all.
The Prime Minister does however cite some miniscule examples of these issues being dealt with. In the case of non-English speaking staff, he mentioned SBS Transit’s intensive English course for its drivers from China. Regular patrons of SBS Transit may however beg to differ on the level of English of foreign drivers and the letters to Straits Times and STOMP and even news reports of incidents on public transports attest to this as well.
While this policy is at least in place with SBS Transit, it is still not a requirement for other companies. The Prime Minister did however mention the Ministry of Manpower’s decision to study the means of implementing a basic English course for all foreign service line personnel.
In addition to this he also mentions the National Integration Council, which was set up in April as an effort in integrating New Citizens and PRs and promises that more will be done.
However as mentioned before these problems aren’t new and have been at the forefront long enough. In fact so have the promises of distinction between PRs and Citizens and putting the needs of citizens first. In his speech PM Lee once again repeated this promise.
He said, “But in the midst of all this discussion about Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans, I think I should emphasize one point. And that is that in Singapore, the interests of citizens always have to come first…..I think it is right that we make a clear distinction between citizens and PRs and others. And we will make this differentiation sharper over time to reflect the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. But of course, we cannot make it so onerous for PRs and non-residents that nobody wants to come to Singapore.”
It is almost an exact match for a quote given by PM Lee some 3 years ago at the backend of the 2006 General Elections and I included it in my last article “A question of fairness: PRs competing with citizens for Primary 1 places” as well. Little concerted has been done and it seems only the declining economy has brought the matter to attention, given the possible social and economic repercussions that would arise.
The argumentation of the government on most socio-political topic has always been one based on false dichotomy. In other words if the solution isn’t Option A then it must be Option B with Option A being what’s already been implemented and Option B a radical alternative that could savage society and upset the carefully calibrated balance of the nation. But socio-political problems are far more complex and are not easily characterised by dual options. There are accessible middle-ground options that are just as compatible if not more.
In the case of justifying the need for foreigners it is no different either. It is true that immigration policies are needed to sustain the work force and in part also make up for the falling birth rates. But the extent of this policy is the biggest variable and the latest statistics are rather staggering.
The middle ground options include further boosts to encourage Singaporeans to have more children and providing avenues to Singaporeans to realise their dreams here without feeling hindered, to stop the outflow of our already diminished labour pool. For the former, while policies are already in place with little improvements, it must be noted that increases in birth rates do not occur overnight. Shifts in social attitudes are better measured in the long run.
In his speech the Prime Minister mentions policies to encourage and develop Singaporeans. A new university, the Singapore University of Tech and Design is in the pipeline. He also mentions plans to allow Singaporeans space to realise their dreams locally and to keep in touch with Singaporeans abroad in hopes of bringing them back in the near future.
The exodus of local talent as mentioned before is a worrying phenomenon and Mr Viswa Sadasivan mentioned this in his maiden speech in Parliament as well. He said,
“Look at the results of a scientific survey done in 2007 by the Singapore Polytechnic. 800 Singaporean youth – between the ages of 15 and 29 – were polled. They all went to Singapore schools and attended National Education sessions, as required. Thirty-seven percent of the youths polled said categorically that they are not patriotic. More than 50% said they would migrate if given a chance. The findings of this survey are not very different from many others conducted with youths, younger working adults, overseas Singaporeans and even National Servicemen.
I read a July 2009 article in AsiaOne.com that quoted a major survey by Experiences 2009 (the organiser of an annual US education convention) that highlighted that of the 153 Singaporean students studying overseas polled, 79% prefer to work in the USA after they graduate. Earlier this year, at Chung Cheng High School’s 70th anniversary celebration, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong revealed that more than one-fifth of the students who performed well in their “A” level examination between 1996 and 1999 are no longer working in Singapore today, a decade later. Now even though these findings may not be surprising for some of us, they must certainly become a cause for concern.
To me, the biggest challenge we face, as a nation, is not so much the sluggish GDP growth or flight of capital. It is not about whether we have enough able bodies here to create economic prosperity, but whether we have enough hearts and souls committed enough to make this home, not just a convenient place to live, work and play.
At the heart of the matter the problems are a lot deeper than just the lack of social integration between locals and foreigners.
There is 1) The unattended needs, wants and concerns of citizens that spill over to other issues and 2) The failure to realise that immigration policies while serving their purpose bring with it its own set of problems that add to the pre-existing woes.
It is indeed of some comfort to note the Prime Minister’s pledge to alleviate the concerns of the citizens but as mentioned earlier the promises are long standing and are still not yet fully resolved. Perhaps with the General Elections right around the corner there could be some practical changes in the immediate timeline.
Other articles by Bhaskaran Kunju:
>> Why social cohesion is at the forefront of the Prime Minister’s National Day Rally
>> Changes in political system to allow more alternative voices
>> The untimely departure of Chip Goodyear
>> Should universities be re-politicized?
About Author:
Bhaskaran Kunju is a political science undergraduate in a local varsity. He is a regular contributor to the Straits Times Forum and TODAY Voices.
Posted in 
The current government is only interested in GDP figure and the rest is secondary. In such case, we can only defend ourselves by not giving them the vote to signal our dissatisfaction.
Irregardless of all those excuses given by the government, if foreign labours i.e. PRCs had causes so much job loses in Japan, America, Australia to name a few, I don’t see how good it can do to us. If the government still insist to run Singapore like a company and not a country, I am pretty sure I will have my child born in Australia.
I believe we should kick the PAPies out completely. No point just voicing our dissatisfaction. They are not going to change. Can a leopard change its spots?
We gave them 50 years to do something but they have made a mess of things. There are more poor in Singapore now than there were say 20 years ago.
While many Singaporeans struggle to put food on the table and many children go to school hungry, these ministers keep giving themselves pay increases.
The time for Change is now. Change has come to the rest of the world and Change will come to Singapore now.
Use your vote wisely. If you don’t vote for Change now, you will probably not get another chance to vote.
Practical changes or promised changes during election time is not a sincere deep rooted solution. This bunch of people can revert back to their same old mono color after they are voted in again. Do not believe or think too deep about what LHL told the uni students, sometime what is unsaid from him really said alot about the govt hidden agenda. Those rhetoric words that spewed out from his mouth, to appease the students, are nothing more than wayang scripts.
@time for change, how many poor people are there in singapore? and how does that compare to 20 years ago? Can you back up your comments with stats instead of rehashing the same govertment bashing rhetorics.
The stop at two policy was the biggest political blunder
the PAP govt. ever made! Now they are frantically trying
tofill up the lost numbers by uncontrolled influx of Ah Goos & Ah kows so as to reach the magic number of 6 and ahalf million population.The population shortfall didnot
happened over night.PAP implemented various policies- all
half-baked to encourage the people to give birth.Alas! they
failed miserably. Not only that, the reproductive index is
among the lowest in the world!
Now after so many years, the multi-million dollar ministers
are desperate.They opened the floodgate for the Goos & Kows
to come in. They have to do this inorder to create a broad
base of population to boost up the economy & to compete with
the rest of the world.All these at the expense of the true bred Singaporeans.We are paying for the mistakes they made
and the irony is that- THEY are getting millions for the mistakes!!!
@luke, maybe you can count the number who is richer now than 20 years ago and then you can refute @time for change.
If you cannot give me the exact numbers for both data point, you should shut up and sit down.
Don’t worry be HappY.
We’ll play our part reproducing for our fellow Singaporeans who are chasing their careers and homes. This is nevertheless the right thing to do when you are young.
Yes, we appreciate these people’s contribution to our tax revenues.
And for that we ask the government to give more perks, like children’s bonuses, longer childcare leave, etc. to us parents for the sacrifice we put in to having four or more kids for the country.
The true picture is the present garmen is losing vote and born singaporeans know their colour, the present migration is to increase the votes and nothing else. We must not let ot happen or else the country is ruin by the PRC and PAP which sold our country. I never respect the present PAP MP they are all admins staff. The PAP is selling these country to suck these country dry. they are killing the born singaporeans.
I don’t trust PM Lee to slow the intake of foreigners.
This is just a pre-election lie. Just check out what happened during the 2006 election.
There will be room if rich men like our ministers are willing to downsize their house to accommodate more foreigners into Singapore !
1. 7%GST… Then 10%GST after next GE!
2. As GST IS Open-Ended ChequeS…
3. Parents Pay-And-Pay GST even before mummy concieve their child while Practising Family Planning…
4. Then more GST when Baby IS in Mummy’s WOMB…
5. Then more GST Bringing Up Baby till Schooling IS OVER and starts working…
6. HDB prices increaseS Over-Shot even professional salaries in the last 25 years by 8 times!!!…
7. CarS ARE A NECESSITY FOR Pappies BUT NOT Working Class who NEED CARS for Catching-Up WITH TIME… AS everyone knows that working class mostly Leave Office OR Worksites 2-3 HOURS BEYOND OFFICIAL Closing Time!!!…
8. And SO… ARE Pappies stupid or something… AS they think THIS And THAT Subsidies WILL Entice Having CHILDREN???
9. The TWO LARGEST Expenditure in one’s life IS… First THE HOUSE and then the CAR AS NECESSITY!!!…
10. AND… CARS here COME WITH COEs of ONLY 10 YEARS License!!!…
11. SO… CARS… ARE… RECURING EXPENDITURES!!! By the FOURTH CAR… atypical working Singaporean would have paid out something like The COST Of AT LEAST a LATEST 4-RM HDB flat!!!
Pappies DON”T even know how to count… NOT THAT THEY DON”T REALLY KNOW HOW… BUT RATHER… ONLY FOR THEMSELVES!!!
QUOTE
Boo on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 10:16 pm
I don’t trust PM Lee to slow the intake of foreigners.
This is just a pre-election lie. Just check out what happened during the 2006 election.
UNQUOTE
IT IS A LIE!!!… AS I’ve quoted himsaying to Women Leaders from 25 Organisations here on the Job Credit Scheme, etc and HE SAID… HE WAS QUOTED BY TODAY Newspaper of Friday October 2, 2009, Page 3 ‘News’… AS SAYING…
“We can do more of these measures, BUT I CANNOT STOP BRING THE PEOPLE IN”!!!… DIDN”T HE say one thing somewhere and time… And THEN SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT On The Same Subject AT ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME!!!???
Compare… AND… CONTRAST!!!
“Is there room for more foreigners in Singapore?”
Let me answer this question with another question –
“Is there room for Singaporeans to lose more jobs to foreigners?”
Boo on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 10:16 pm
Boo said “I don’t trust PM Lee to slow the intake of foreigners.
This is just a pre-election lie. Just check out what happened during the 2006 election.”
Of course they are not going to slow the intake of foreigners. In fact they are probably going to increase the intake. The PAPies have run out of ideas on how to grow the economy. That is why they are now trying to compete based on cheap labour (very wrong move) and encouraging people to gamble (casinos).
If the global economy picks up, they will bring inn another 2 or 3 million foreigners. Look around you. There are many idle factories because of the recession. In woodlands there are probably 3 or 4 such factories waiting for the economy to pick up. You can be sure that the PAPies are just waiting to bring in more foreigners and suffocate us even more.
That is why I don’t believe anything they say and will vote for Change. Vote for opposition.
I support all of you.
No problem if opposition come in. becos opposition work well with our neighbours leaders. like obama said “change”
so unemployment also no problem in singapore anymore becos malaysia is big and have land. we can join and become one again. only opposition can give and take. so we can also work malays, chinese, indians in iskandar park – 6x singapore!
vote opposition.
To Time for change…
I recognize the need for reform but I have yet to see a Opposition party leader (even Chee, hell I can give him a chance if he makes sense to me) come up with an alternative economic model that will be sustainable and will not create an environment whereby jobs start leaving our shores at a rate that is faster than the current one. Sure we need to improve our social service programs and such but do we really want our tax payers (many many many of them are true blue Singaporeans) to be paying for it?
I know I sound selfish for saying that but ask yourself that question. Is it viable for a country so short on resources to implement heavy social programs with our current tax regime? I bet if the government ups the GST another percent people will really take to the streets and start riots and stuff. Let the blood run! not just ask for change.
According to you the incumbent is short or have ran out of ideas. I am sure you have many good ideas. Why not bring up some and see how others on this site feel about them? Again, I have yet to see a Opposition leader/member release a manifesto or propose economic models that make sense to me (or anyone). At least in the case of Japan (our flavor of the month country for sweeping political changes) the people taking over now have some sort of experience running an economy. They have convinced the voters that they can do something about the ailing economy as well.
Then there are other things, like more than 20% Singaporeans living below the poverty line. Link to a UN World Aid program report that states that or I will just say “98% statistics on the internet are produced on the fly”.
And its not a cardinal crime to question the statistics, its likewise not the questioner’s prerogative to produce figures reflecting both sides. Why? I need to “produce” another statistics to refute another?
All I ask for now is a Opposition party that makes proper sense to me to come to Hong Kah GRC. This six seater needs to be challenged.
For what its worth, I don’t buy the idea that foreigners coming to Singapore can bring new ideas and change as they integrate anongst us. It is a matter of dollars & cents, security and politics. If they were such an asset to their countries why on earth their government let them come here instead of keeping them there..tapping on their skills and ability.
Another term under LHL will see population size reaches 6.5m. By then, it will be too late and also your vote will count nothing as 99.9% of the new citizen will vote for PAP.
“becos opposition work well with our neighbours leaders. like obama said “change””
PAP works well too with both DS Anwar and PM Najib. For example Iskandar Park is a joint PAP/UMNO project.
It is one thing that opposition needs as well – better relations with our neighbors.
“Is there room for more foreigners”?
Of course!
Its just how cramped you want it to be. To be Cramped like sardines, there can be millions more.
The new Citizens created a different situation. Whereas foreigner workers can come and go, the new citizens more likely will stay for the mid to long term. This means, this additional population cannot be gone soon. In fact may be for another 50 years. This means, possibly more human related issues, problems like congestion, crowdedness, longer queues to get services and goods, higher probability of human-human diseases infection etc. The landspace, however seems to be limited and finite. This means orchard road , suntec, expos, mrts, roads, buses will all be more congested.
I do not like this kind of scenario. I do not have Confidence in this kind of system.
Even if gomin is changed, the new citizens population is here to stay. This can be good or bad depending on your analysis. Would these citizens compete for the same rice bowl as native citizens?
Good luck to retirement.
■Time for Change on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 12:16 pm
“I believe we should kick the PAPies out completely”
But would this indirectly cause new jobs to be created in msm?
If so, which is purely by coincidence, I worry if i would still get the same style of reporting.
True we have yet to see an opposition party that’s credible enough to form a govt. PAP has done more good than bad, but the bad is now hurting citizens the most (loss of jobs to foreigners, overpriced houses, cars, etc). Opposition in Parliament is good, they serve to check on the Govt and maybe our Govt would stop calling those who reject some HDB units for better one cos they are spending 30% of their income on a HDB, “ITS RIDICULOUS”,I mean its not the words a minister should use on people who are struggling out there.
Another issue I wish to highlight would be the recent announcement by the govt that the insurance premium for Domestic Workers (‘DW’) would increase comes 1/1/2010.
Reason for the increment is to enlarge the pool of funds available whereby huge hospitalisation expenses incurred by DW could be off-set from insurance coverage.
My query is whether the relevant agency did any study to determine how many cases (per year)whereby DW were hospitalised and lead to huge medical expenses whereby all parties can’t afford.
In view of the recent economic crises whereby heartlanders were badly affected, it is not a good idea at all to pass additional cost to them.
If insurance premium has to go up due to a surge of such cases, maybe the related agency should work with the appointed insurance company to introduce a scheme whereby the employer is entitled to a premium refund (maybe 20% of premium paid) if no claim is made every year.
Needless to say, this is a win-win situation for all. We must not follow the path of depending 100% on ‘insurance coverage’ to solve problems. Look at the motor car insurance saga and you will understand the message which I am trying to send out.
Too small a space, too many a people… ’nuff said.
“csl on Thu, 8th Oct 2009 9:25 am
To Time for change.
I know I sound selfish for saying that but ask yourself that question. Is it viable for a country so short on resources to implement heavy social programs with our current tax regime?”.
“csl”… Do you know that incumbent gahmen actually has MUCH MUCH MORE than has be told to us what’s in TH and GIC??? Double? Triple?…
And even just at the levels we’ve been told…
1. Include Local AND Foreign Reserves of gahmen APART from TH & GIC SWF… WILL Automatically mean THAT gahmen ISN”T DOING Enough At All OFR “The New Poor” of Low Thia Khiang SPEAK IN PArliament!!!… WHY???… BECAUSE…
2. Have you OR anyone else notice these things???…
3. EVEN SINGAPORE WOMEN in their 50s-60s SELLING “3 Packs of Tissue Paper” FOR A DOLLAR!!!… Like their mostly younger Chinese Mainland China counterparts here as “Pei-Tu-Ma-Ma”!!! At “Heartland” kopitiams and near to NTUC SUPERmarkets and other crowded areas!!!… WHY???… And ISN’T THIS A VERY CLEAR SIGN OF “DESPARATION”!!!… AS which SINGAPOREAN WOULD… UNLESS…
4. THEY ARE THE “LATEST ADDED WAVE OF Low THIA KHIANG’s NEW POOR”… OF YEARS GONE By SAID AND REPEATED IN PARLIAMENT!!!… that FELL ON DEAF EARS…
5. BECAUSE LEE KUAN YEW… Though right about human nature … HAS STRETCHED “HIS” Imagination OF ABUSE OF CHARITY… TILL THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST… DO NOT GET IT!!!… Yet…
6. IT IS THE THE VERY Chiefs of CHARITIES like NKF and Renci… THAT HAS FALLEN FROM GRACE IN BIG WAYS!!!… AND THEY WERE SUPPORTED BY MEDIA CORP…. AND GRACED BY PAP GAHMEN’S MINISTERS TOO!!!…
7. NOW… THE QUESTUION IS… CHARITY FOR WHO???…
8. NTUC “FairPrice” CHARGES $3.45 for a 250g tube of Darlie’s Green box toothpaste…
9. And It IS ONLY $5.50 FOR 2 x 250g tubes PLUS 2 x Darlie tooth brushes!!!… AT… “Venus Beauty” with shops in… Boon Lay MRT…TP Central… Clementi Central… Hougang Mall… White Sands… AMK Central… Bedok Central!!!… Please work out the diffrence BY factoring $1.20 for the 2 toothbrushes at CHEAP YET GOOD SHOPS!!!… CHECK out for yourself HOW MUCH MORE the SAME 2 toothbrushes COSTS AT ?FairPrice?!!!
10. How about I responded to Jane Wong elsewhere in TR.WP blog… That “FairPrice”(???) charges $13.50 for Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo and $14.40 in “Fairprice eXtra” which IS the SAME as “Giant”!!!… Yet…
11. THIS IS SOLD AT $8.45 by VEnus Beauty… And at around $8.90 by… I repeated as written to Jane Wong… Swanton in Chinatown… People’s Park Hawker Centre Top Floors… and Seng Siong!!!… CHECK it out AND MORE!!!
Perhaps ADMIN MAY WISH TO setup a BLOG FOR “PRICE COMPARISONS”???
I just don’t understand our government policy holders…
in the US there is a lot of patents and new products which lie fallow because of lack of financial support…
Instead of throwing money away in investment via TH/GIC…
Singapore should partnered equally [and it better be as true equals instead of being so bloody greedy] with the patent holders in the US….developed these patents which are selleable and manufactured them in singapore…
yah yah i know the bloody chinks will copy and mass produce them in china…
So…we are partners and shareholders with the US/US/Europe patent holders….i believe many folks in US/UK/Europe will rather buy our manufactured stuff [as long as we price it correctly without being too greedy] then china copy cat stuff [& u never know safe or not until too late]…
so there we have it…
Why is the bloody gov’t only idea is to take short cuts to the detriment of its own people….only very stupid and self serving gov’t will do such a thing!
Super Angry.
IF… she is so darn smart… she WON’T be SO SMUCK… and WOULDN”T have… A TRAIL and STRING OF FAILURES BEHIND HER Right or Not!!!…
Since she HAD The PrevilageS OF… FAILING… First SemCorp… Second ST Technology Including Chartered SemiConductor AND STATS… Third… Micropolis… Fourth Shim Corp… AND NOW Fifth Temasek Holdings too… PLUS… SIXTH… Having Mr. Chip ‘CHIPPED’… AND SEVENTH REPLACING Him Too!!! AND…
EIGHT… STILL COME OUT… TOTALLY… UNSCATHED…
By REPLACING MR. Chip Goodyear BEFORE HE Could BECOME CEO of TH!!!…
And NINTH… REPLACING THAT MAN TOO… SAID TO BE TOPS BY THEM ALL… TO BE SO GOOD AND EXTRAORDINARILY RIGHT FOR CEO OF TH…
DOESN”T THIS SAY SOMETHING ABOUT The FLAWS of the papieeeessss?
It HAS BAFFLE ME AND MANY OTHER THINKING-CAP GUYS…
“WHY… IT HAS TAKEN SINGAPOREANS… THIS LONG TO REALISE THAT THERE WAS… ABND SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG WITH them PAPpieeeesss???????????????????????????????????????????????…
AND What IS WORSE… IS THAT THERE ARE Citizens WHO STILL CANNOT SEE THAT… FOR ALL OGF THE GOOD PAP HAS DONE in the FIRST 25 years WITH THE First Generation Old Guards… WHOSE NAMESAKE Need NO Repeating here yet again…
THERE ARE STILL… MANY FLIP-FLOPing little minds out there… CHAMPIONING THE Lee KUAN YWE CAUSE.. AND COUNTER ARGUMENTS…
And YOU guys DESERVE what you foolishly went for… BUT NOt US WHo DIDN’T!!! As some SINKgaPOOReans CAN BE SO VERY GULLIBLE till they have infesting cancers HOSTING in their bodies’ minds… AND STILL THINK THAT they ARE HEALTHY in their… bodies… minds… and souls!!!…
SUCKERS… ARE JUST THAT…. SUCKERS!!!
Just thinking.. Isn’t the reason why all these FTs are on our land because we Singaporeans do not breed enough? Maybe it’s PAP’s solution for the FT question.
//PAP Forever on
That is the PAP reason but are they attracting the right people at the right rate.
PAP loves to blame S’poreans for everything.
That’s how they make their living.
People not breeding enough is a response to dictatorship.
PAP Forever on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 11:33 pm
Another running dog of the PAPies.
It’s true we have a shortfall of about 10,000 babies every year so why do the PAPies have to taken in 250,000 foreigners a year.
Use your brains instead of speaking through your a**e.
Hi fpc,
I’m sorry if you see it that way. The thing is Singapore is a very small country with little natural resources. As Minister Mentor mentioned countless times, People is the only resource or the #1 asset we have. If we still don’t have the people then how? I’m sure you’ll agree with me on this.
Government is not taking in Foreigners because they need more people in Singapore or more People to vote for them (again). It’s because our highly developed economy demands this. It’s because of our higher standard of living (well, in comparison with our ASEAN neighboors) need them. Let’s face it, how will Singapore fare if all these FTs leave. I mean RIGHT NOW. Not a pretty sight right?
Regarding the RIGHT People at the RIGHT rate? Well, it’s bound to happen that sometimes the WRONG FTs get in since we’ve always opened our gates to anyone who can help our contry survive and grow. Any country who accepts FTs including USA do not always get it 100% correct when it comes to accepting qualified people. The important thing is there is someone (FT or Singaporean) who fills the job NOW. We can just make corrections (e.g. terminate/fire/replace) along the way. The right rate? Well, economy is volatile. Always is. Are we getting too much FTs? Probably. But is there somone to man the jobs / provide the services we Singaporeans need? yes.
If the Singapore-born Singaporean continue to dwindle, then is there an alternative solution to FT problem? We don’t always like the FTs who drive our buses, serve our coffees, repair our roads. But without them, who will?
Good Morning Time for Change,
The babies solution do not provide an INSTANT resolution to the FT problem. It will take YEARs before the expected result can be achieved or even felt. The government miscalculated the stop at 2 program years ago. Now, we are feeling the repercusions of this.
) BUT it’s the correct step to the right direction. What do you think?
Even if we produce 100,000 babies a year, FTs will remain. (Since babies cannot take over the jobs
Love and Peace,
PAP Forever
@PAP Forever
Letting in so many foreigners into Singapore to ease the low fertility rate of Singapore is at best a lame solution. Instead of tackling the lack of babies problem head-on, we can see the ruling party seeking other easier way to ’solve’ it. And these solutions they offered are like what the Chinese saying 治標不治本.
And we pay them the highest ministerial salary in the world to suffer under their wonderful policies. Boy am I proud to be a Singaporean.
Hey guys… Just FOUND OUT THAT… Some Non-’fAIRprICE Xtra” Emporium Stores… HAVE UP thier head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoos FROM my last posting of $13.50 TO $14.75!!!… happen to be in their main unit in Clementi you see!!!…
WOW… and THIS IS 35 Cents above ‘fAIRprICE’s Xtra in Jurong Point just a couple of weeks ago!!!
WATCH OUT SINGAPOREANS… YOU BEEN “TAKEN FOR RISES… AND THEN BEING STABBED… FAST & FURIOUSLY… YOUR Pockets WHERE IT HURTS MOST!!!…
STILL Wanna TRUST “TRIPARTRITE” Union???…
WHOSE superMARKET Chain Has Been “CHAINING ALL SINGAPOREANS PURSES AND WALLETS”… TO PAPISSEEEEESSSSS BANK ACCOUNTS…
AND WHOSE… Ministers and NOW Minister IN PMO… IS ALSO The NTUC “General SECTRETARY”!!!…
AND that last one IS… another LIm haw… IS NOW OSO… IN THE PMO HAW!!!…
ARE YOU… In THE HABIT… Of BELIEVING… MOST STEDFASTLY… SOMEONE… WHO “Self-ProCLAIM”… their OWN ‘HONESTY’???!!!…
Was it the late Sir Winston Churchill WHO LEAD Britain & it’s Allied Forces PLUS WAS Twice Britain’s PM… WHo SAID OF “BLIND-FAITH” as…
“IF you repeat something OFTEN ENOUGH to people… THEY WILL… BELIEVE IT…EVEN if it IS NOT TRUE”!!!
WISE UP singaporeans!!!…
“For out of the mouths of babes in innocence… come TRUTHS and WISDOM from HEAVEN”… and so too…
“Out of the mouths OF The IGNORANT (as opposed to “Innoncence!) And DECEITFUL come CONs and Porns from HELL”!!!…
WAKE UP SINGAPOREANS… THERE SHOULD BE MORE OF YOU SMARTER THAN we’ve been!!!
Greetings ahhui,
I agree with you that letting in foreigners to alleviate the fertility problem of Singapore is not the best solution (If not, “Lame”
). The population problem must be resolved internally and thru intensive grassroots involvement. But, the way I see it, the FT solution is NOT to address the population issue but to answer the economic demands of Singapore. We are taking in foreigners not because we need more neighboors, more seatmates at buses and MRTs (or vote for PAP 
) It’s because businesses in our country NEED them. Our homegrown corporations, foreign companies, even our coffeeshops need these foreigners. Whether we like or not, they will be here unless there is a Singaporean who can/will do the job that they do.
Love and Peace
PAP forever