Reply from Temasek Review to Courts CEO Terry O’ Connor’s letter

Mr Terry O’ Connor
Chief Executive Officer
Courts (Singapore) Limited

Dear Mr Terry O’ Connor,

We refer to your letter dated 18 January 2010 which we have published in full on our site on 20 January 2010 as requested by you. We have also removed all references to Courts in our articles.

You wrote that our articles are erroneous and we have misrepresented facts in relation to Courts Singapore’s recruitment policy. We beg to differ.

Our articles may be incomplete due to the lack of confidential information from Courts, but they are definitely not erroneous.

All we did is to present the facts as they are in the job ad we received from an anonymous reader on 15 January 2010:

1. Courts had held a mass recruitment exercise seeking Malaysians specifically in Johor Bahru on 18 January 2010.

2. The positions on offer includes cashiers, accounts executives and operation managers.

3. These vacancies can be easily filled by locals.

We followed up by asking the question on everybody’s mind: Why was Court recruiting from Malaysia instead of Singapore?

It was stated in your letter that “98% of Courts’ workforce in Singapore are Singaporeans or Singapore Permanent Residents.”

As we all know, there are many Malaysians working in Singapore who are Singapore PRs.

Can you give us a breakdown on the exact percentage of Courts’ workforce who are Singapore citizens and Singapore PRs?

You mentioned that Courts had “placed three advertisements in the Straits Times – on August 15th, 2009, September 3rd, 2009 and November 21st, 2009 – but the fill-rate was low.”

What are the possible reasons for the low take-up rate? Is it because of the salaries offered by Courts are too low?

Perhaps you may like to shed more light on this by revealing the exact salaries for each position Courts is offering for Singaporeans.

You also mentioned that “the drop-out rate of the Singaporean recruits is high.”

From your exit interviews, what were the common reasons given for Singaporean workers leaving Courts? Is it due to the long working hours or stressful working conditions?

Lastly, you claimed that “our articles have already aroused negative sentiments towards Courts.”

To be frank, we doubt this small blog of ours will have that big an impact and influence on consumer behavior. The best way for Courts to “reverse” the “damage” done, if any, will be to show its commitment to hire locals in its HR policy.

Some of our readers are still looking for a job and they will jump at any job opening offered by Courts.

As such, we will be keen to help Courts recruit Singapore workers by advertising any vacancies it has completely free of charge on our site for as long as it takes.

We sincerely hope Mr Terry O’ Connor will give due consideration to our humble proposal.

Editor
Temasek Review

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66 Responses to “Reply from Temasek Review to Courts CEO Terry O’ Connor’s letter”

  • TBS:

    Kudos, TR! I’m still boycotting Courts till we get some sensible reply from Terry O’Connor.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Viper:

    “As such, we will be keen to help Courts recruit Singapore workers by advertising any vacancies it has completely free of charge on our site for as long as it takes.”

    Thanks TR … for the efforts

    I am very touched by you guys in the TR , doing your part to help jobless Singaporeans to stand on their feet again.

    Jobless Singaporeans are sinking but some people choose to turn blind on them …

    I hereby urge my fellow Singaporeans help your countrymen first …

    Thank you.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Dr Syed Alwi:

    Dear TR,

    Excellent reply ! Nothing left to say.

    Regards
    Dr Syed Alwi

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Cpt:

    It a joke that courts claims their staffs are 98% singaporean.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • csl:

    Editor, not that I want to nitpick but you should be saying
    “As such, we will be keen to help Courts recruit Singapore Citizen workers by advertising any vacancies it has completely free of charge on our site for as long as it takes.”

    PR who are out of job are not considered human beings after all…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • dogpoo:

    Damn fine reply!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Weil Ng:

    This is not the only company guilty of such an act.

    We probably would have heard about many other companies as well.

    Many companies set up shop in Singapore to take advantage of the attractive tax structures as well as conducive work environment as well as excellent infrastructures. They will typically hire enough locals to meet the quota requirements and the rest will be made up of foreigners who travel down from Malaysia and PRs (who are able to take low pay for god-knows what reasons).

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • q:

    If Courts closes down, it is time for local SME, local businesses and local entrepreneurship to flourish.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • gm:

    Singaporeans will be keen to take up any reasonable job, but will definitely lose out to ever increasing influx of foreigners with much lower expectation

    Company need to seek government help further if really have problem finding locals to fill up jobs here, and not take easy way out to take advantage of pro-foreigner policy

    Government also need to seriously consider many better approaches available, and to do more to narrow down gap further to help citizens to cope with ever growing high cost of living

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Andrew Chen:

    > Can you give us a breakdown on the exact percentage of Courts’
    > workforce who are Singapore citizens and Singapore PRs?

    Whats the point of asking him this?
    (a) Even if his response is 51%, thats still “majority”
    (b) Is Courts bound by any legal terms to employee a specific number of Singaporeans, and if so, do you know what that is?
    (c) Specific details of employee breakdown numbers are generally corporate confidential information, there is no way he’s going to divulge it.

    Instead, ask him questions and focus on why he’s not solving the problems of hiring and retaining Singaporean employees!! Thats the problem that he needs to solve as a CEO operating in Singapore!! Not hiring foreign cheap labour.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Legend82:

    Great job TR.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • lalaland:

    Yes, great job, free advert offered to Courts for job vacancies!

    I think the communications agency hired by Courts must be staffed by PRs too who probably drafted the letter to TR for Terry’s approval. That explains the high & mighty attitude dished out to TR to cease & desist by the communications agency. Not to mention that CEO Terry O Connor is himself only a Spore PR.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Sawdust:

    What is the use of asking those pro foreigner companies to help birthright Singaporean? All they want is “cheap” labour. It will not change the situation. There are lots of foreigners on social passes waiting for those opportunities. The idea that Singaporean are choosy was exposed by our govt, so the companies are just following their lead to employ foreigners.

    Their are the “lions” and we are the “gentle lambs/sheep” for sacrifice. Do we want to carry on like this?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • sbkaslan:

    The problem is not retricted just to Courts. Its pervasive and as I have said before, employers prefer foreigners cos they will take these jobs for lower pay! And foreigners are prepared to work long hours and take the nonsenses dished to them.

    The recruitment culture and policy amongst singapore employers is to get cheap workers and some of them use the mechanism of “contract workers’ using agents and recruitment companies as placement fronts! Never mind if their productivity and quality of service is less than satisfactory…. you think I am talking nonsense, try calling Customers Service line of our three Telcos. You wonder if you living are in Singapore!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • tictactoe:

    time to buy your furniture from the hdb mom and pop shops. they are all struggling after taking huge loans to buy their shops years ago instead of just renting from hdb.

    guess who forced them into this arrangement?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • btan:

    This is the breakdown of an organisation I know (not Courts).

    Local Born Singaporean – 19%
    Naturalised Singaporean – 7%
    Permanent Resident – 60%
    Foreigner – 14%

    So the trick is in the mainstream media, or in replies like the one given by Mr O’Connor, we can say that this organisation employs 86% of Singaporeans and PR with only 14% foreigners.

    But the actual fact is, only 19% are Singapore-born. All others are foreign-born.

    So it would help if Mr O’Connor can do a breakdown like the above and then we can judge if Courts is practicing anti-Singapore-born policies.

    Also, due to our government’s dilution of our citizenship and permanent residencies, we should from now on change the term to Local-born or Singapore-born instead of Singaporeans since heaven knows how many “Singaporeans” are freshly minted ones.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • man:

    I had already informed 10 of my frens about the boycott and the TR blog. Each of them will in turn inform 10 others.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • This is one time I DIAGREEE with what TR had done. TR should NOT have removed Courts from their article if the facts stated are CORRECT because of some ‘request’ from Courts.

    TR is SO naive to think that if TR remove any mention of Courts in the article, the CEO of Courts would ‘grace’ TR by replying to the queries put forth in this article.

    On the contrary, since Courts have been removed in the article, it is NO LONGER necessary to ‘grace’ TR any further since the intended ‘request’ had done the job.

    Typical PAPies Scare Tactics.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • HandToMouthSeniorCitizen:

    I second what Richard Lu says. It makes lots of sense.

    Since I don’t have much to spend to buy electronic goodies, I must spend wisely and it’s not only in the monetary sense. I would prefer to give my pittance to pro Singapore companies. I hope I can help fellow born and bred Singaporeans no matter how small my contribution.

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  • TR said: we will be keen to help Courts recruit Singapore workers by advertising any vacancies it has completely free of charge on our site for as long as it takes.

    I suggest Sinkaporeans needing job to attach a PDF Resume emailed to TR’s admin so that admin can forward it to Court’s CEO and let Courts walk the talk, for the openings as advertised, of course.

    Then we wait and see if they, the local Sinkaporeans are ‘hired’.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • citizenofSG:

    TR has made us proud by standing on his own and fully replied Courts explicitly. There is no need to add more as it is more than adequate.

    @ Richard Lu – You have summed it up beautifully.

    Singapore4Singaporean.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Sad:

    Asiaone online: SINGAPOREAN students studying in Australia can now attend a career forum – to be held here regularly just for them – that will help improve their chances of getting a job here(20 Jan 2010).
    Do they realise that when they reach 40, they can be easily replace by cheap F workers. Because sg workers are not hard drving. Time will tell. But it is happen to some now.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Lord Blackwood:

    Way to go TR!!!!! Standing up for the small guy! Everyday I look so forward to reading anything in this website.

    Keep it up!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Say no to nonsense:

    I support TR’s guts and stance…
    Well done TR.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Exposer:

    Whatever Courts do in response to TR, don’t behave like our Kangaroo Court ! OUr SinGov is beyond hope and we will do our best to kick them out. We Singaporeans will continue to embarrass any company who think that they can exploit the local because they can and have support of SinGov. Don’t be hopeless like SinGov because company’s reputation can take decade to built but take a minute to damage because of some stupid act.
    In the meantime, I will stop patronizing Courts. Even the Courts name remind me of Kangaroo Court.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Exposer:

    “This is one time I DIAGREEE with what TR had done. TR should NOT have removed Courts from their article if the facts stated are CORRECT because of some ‘request’ from Courts.”

    Give Courts some face lah. But if Courts don’t repent, Singaporeans will know how to boycott it. If embarrassing Courts make it repent and act on goodwill, at least they still have time to salvage its reputation. The Courts case will serve as warning to other companies who behave likewise.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Alan:

    Great job and kudos to TR. This is the corporate & social responsibilities that are seriously lacking in many companies operating in Singapore.

    All Singaporeans/Singapore citizen (esp. those who are in authority/management roles) should do our part to help our own true-born citizens.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • csl:

    @btan

    I am a naturalised citizen (2nd gen PR) served NS and does reservist. Both parents Malaysian who took PR, settled down here and has citizenship.

    I am a diluted citizen right? Please give me an affirmative answer as to whether I am considered a true blue singaporean or not.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Exposer:

    “Please give me an affirmative answer as to whether I am considered a true blue singaporean or not.”

    Wow lau… you already serve NS and old enough to judge and think for yourself. You don’t need others to tell you whether or not you are true blue Singaporean. Do you need LKY to kick your ass and mock you again because you can’t decide yourself ?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Exposer:

    “Please give me an affirmative answer as to whether I am considered a true blue singaporean or not.”

    I thought NS make you more independent and strong mind or are you a PES’E down-grader working in air-con office ?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Alan:

    Maybe TR can print T-shirts and sell online at a nominal price/fee to bring out AWARENESS of social & corporate responsibilities; contempt individuals or companies that practise or promote “exploitation” (in general aspect)!

    This will certainly create a local environment or atmosphere to deter/reduce such “exploitation”.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • csl:

    haha Exposer… thanks for the candid reply.

    What I am trying to achieve is to get some idea on what constitutes the “True blue Singaporean” tag that I read a lot about here. Its not that I am weak minded or anything. In case you want to know, my NS was served slogging as a storeman cos I just cannot pass BMT and now I am on PESC2L2. I still carry rifle, I still run around with my OC since I am his runner. thanks very much.

    I keep considering myself as one worthy of wearing the tag but then each time people bring up born n bred my heart bleeds. Because I have place of birth on my IC as Malaysia. Now even naturalized citizens are having their identities questioned, I did not get my citizenship by virtue of being born to my naturalized parents. I got citizenship because I was already here studying when my parents applied for it. I grew up on this land, drank its water and ate its food. Imagine the shock you get when your very roots are questioned just because your mother had to go across the causeway to give birth.

    now status amongst Singaporeans are so segregated, I know its not my fault but the government’s fault. I just want to know where people like me stand in the minds of people here who are against the immigration policies. (not I like it that much either)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • BarelyAlive:

    Well, if the workers are overworked and underpaid, that is Court’s HR department to resolve the issue. Workers’ welfare needs to be protected, not exploited. Sure, it is cheaper to epmloy malaysians. They take lower pay but can still afford to live comfortably as they rent rooms in JB where the expenses are lower. Why not they choose to work in courts Malaysia then? Is it cos they know the purchasing power that comes with SGD’s pay is higher?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • vege:

    TR, I think Courts is probably not the worst offender, but since there is a difficulty in rooting out names of companies that discriminate against Singaporeans, why not post a list of companies that give Singaporean citizens a priority in recruitment and have a humane HR policy in general so we can all patronise them?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • vege:

    Dear csl,
    In the past there wasn’t much distinction made between citizens and PRs because most PRs were from Malaysia anyway and we had very similar culture/language from historical reasons. It is because the government made it so easy to get a PR/citizenship now that there is a backlash. As you have grown up here I am sure you will be treated as one of us. We are just against companies who take the easy way out of recruiting instant PRs for jobs that people who are already here can fill easily..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • PAP On Decline:

    Singaporeans will never see better wages if companies like Courts relied on cheap foreign workers. In this current recession the Vietnamese government rejects foreign workers works permits application & insist that companies employ locals for the jobs.

    A 3rd world nation looks after & protect its own people in bad times. Whereas Singapore a 1st world city look after foreign workers & forsake its very own citizen.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • LeeKeeSee:

    1) Kindly break down in percentage between native singaporeans and PR.

    98% of Courts’ workforce in Courts’ Singapore are Singaporeans or Singapore Permanent Residents

    2) Don’t play with words, I am sure as a educated person you know the different between natives and permanent residents.

    We Need you to provide us with a right of reply.

    Regards,

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Pink Panther:

    Read somewhere that Dr Seet Ai Mee is the Chairman for Courts, wonder what is her views about companies who discriminate against Singaporeans on their job advertisements.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • jedimaster:

    Don’t pay lip service…if courts advertise big sale this weekend I still think all you guys who complain will be the first to queue up at 5am…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • HandToMouthSeniorCitizen:

    Those born in KK Hospital defintely true blue born and bred here 150% Singaputra.

    The others, depends on many factors not least of which is whether you can speak any Singlish.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Pink Panther:

    jedimaster

    Well if they are giving an 42 inch LCD for say $100 bucks then yes you will probably be correct very few will choose to stay away but if the prices are say just marginally better than say others like Best or Harvey then I suppose the number who will vote with their wallets will be much more.

    Bottom line this episode will cost them money which they thought they could have saved by discriminating against Singaporeans

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Myanmar NOT WELCOME IN SG:

    Ministry of Manpower has already become Ministry of Foreign Manpower. We have to help ourselves.

    TR did right, don’t burn bridges with Courts, if they are willing to hire Singaporeans (not Singapore PRs) we should give them a chance.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Ong Kah Chua:

    The worker’s union in Singapore is led by a cuckoo Lim.

    BOYCOTT COURT!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • citizenofSG:

    @csl – Come on buddy, you and I, we are true blue citizens. You grew up in this island and now you kanna sabo. Need not feel for once that you are not Singaporean, you earn it by running around with your OC.

    I will never discriminate against you, for those PR, they actually know who are who. They only try to pretend and blur the line and get into our society. We are no fools.
    I will die protecting you as I would any Singaporean because you and I, we are sitting on the same boat.

    Count yourself in as Singaporean.

    Singapore4Singaporean.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Joyman:

    TR.. I am a PR myself.. but I go with you !!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • btan:

    @csl on Wed, 20th Jan 2010 2:01 pm

    “I am a naturalised citizen (2nd gen PR) served NS and does reservist. Both parents Malaysian who took PR, settled down here and has citizenship.

    I am a diluted citizen right? Please give me an affirmative answer as to whether I am considered a true blue singaporean or not.”

    Who can claim they are “true blue” Singaporeans? Even those born here and grew up here can one day leave this country. I guess the true blue Singaporeans are those who die here.

    We’re talking about statistics provided by government and HR of companies, so let’s not muddy the issue.

    Do you or do you not agree that our citizenship has been diluted? When I look at the list of that organisation I mentioned, I shake head. Even the so called “Singaporeans” are newly minted ones. I remember a PRC lady came to Singapore, became Singaporean and then a few years later, all migrated to USA, along with her earnings in flats.

    And here we are, having PAP and companies telling us they have XX% of Singaporeans and PR, hiding the truth behind statistics.

    This is one issue we need to shine a light on.

    BTW, if you want further segregation, by all means.

    Naturalised Singaporeans (X) where X is the number of years the person had been a Singaporean divided by his or her age expressed in percentage.

    So please tell me how many percent are you. :)

    (Note that NS is not mentioned here because females do not serve NS and some male natural born Singaporeans also do not serve NS)

    Just a digression, do you guys remember the shooting case in virginia tech? The shooter was a Korean-American. A citizen or maybe a PR of USA. He lived in USA since 8 years old, and at the time of shooting, he was perhaps 20+ years old. Yet, the Americans keep calling him Korean, instead of American. Also, in the US, it does not matter what age you went there, as long as you are not born there, you cannot run for the presidency, as in the case of Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of California.

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  • Get rid of f**kup singaporeans!!:

    BOYCOTT? WOW. HOW CHILDISH. JUST CAUSE OF A POLICY? COME ON! WHO WANTS TO WORK IN THE STINKING SERVICE INDUSTRY WHERE YOU GET SHIT FROM OTHERS DAY IN DAY OUT. TRIED IT AND HATED IT. THAT’S PARTLY WHY I HATE SINGAPOREANS NOW (MYSELF AND MY FAMILY EXCLUDED OF COURSE)

    ALL THIS WHINNYING IS JUST PLAIN SICK. PLEASE GET A LIFE. GO F**K A HORSE IF YOU HAVE SO MUCH TIME! STANDING UP FOR SINGAPOREANS? WATCH A DISASTER HAPPEN THEN SEE THE REACTION OF SINGAPOREANS. AND THEN TELL ME AGAIN YOU WILL STAND UP FOR FELLOW SINGAPOREANS. SINGAPOREANS ARE JUST SELFISH AND ARROGANT AND SICK BASTARDS. NO SYMPATHY FROM ME – GIVEN HOW MUCH SHIT I TOOK IN SERVICE INDUSTRY, ITS TIME FOR PAYBACK!

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  • reader:

    i consider anyone who carries a pink IC a singaporean regardless if he has done NS, born here or he got the pink IC yesterday.

    this is because he will understand the plight of citizenship under the MIWs. he (is unlikely) will not have the option of a alternative plan and will have to live with the MIWs policies.

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  • blackfeline:

    Clap Clap Clap!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • hello:

    Bravo TR! Right on the head.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Hum De Clock:

    ■Get rid of f**kup singaporeans!! on Wed, 20th Jan 2010 8:42 pm

    “WHO WANTS TO WORK IN THE STINKING SERVICE INDUSTRY WHERE YOU GET SHIT FROM OTHERS DAY IN DAY OUT. TRIED IT AND HATED IT. ”

    I think you have not seen the Ad?

    If you have, you would know that the jobs are not serving the customers only. The positions include, i quote from the Ad :

    1. Operations Executives: “…control of stock movement….ensuring the accuracy of stock levels….

    2. Assistant Accountant.

    3. Credit Officer

    Now answer me.

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  • Nervous dog jumps the wall:

    TR has nothing to fear but fear itself.
    TR reported based on FACTs.
    Period.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • rc:

    hmm… it would be interesting to find out the answers to the questions that TR has asked.

    if indeed the salaries offered in the Singapore ad that is fairly reasonable and commensurate to the roles and responsibilities of the jobs, then i think it would be indicativve of the attitudes of Singaporeans.

    “From your exit interviews, what were the common reasons given for Singaporean workers leaving Courts? Is it due to the long working hours or stressful working conditions?”

    i wonder though… if the long hours and stressful working conditions are indeed the result of the high dropout rate amongst Singaporeans, but the dropour rate amongst non-Singaporeans are lower than Singaporeans, what does that reflect about Singaporeans? wouldn’t that mean that we are indeed less resilient than non-Singaporeans? less willing to work to prove our worth?

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  • Myanmar NOT WELCOME IN SG:

    csl,

    Anyone who can empathize with the problems Singaporeans face under PAP is considered one of us. The term “true blue” Singaporean also means thinking and feeling like a Singaporean. I will prefer a naturalised Singaporean who is on our side over a PAP running dog even if the dog has lived here for decades longer.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • q:

    http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_479966.html

    Jan 20, 2010
    Discriminatory ads decline
    By Rachel Chang
    Discriminatory job advertisements are few and far between nowadays, according to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (Tafep). — ST PHOTO: MUNSHI AHMED

    A REPUTABLE preschool is seeking a teacher for English and in its newspaper advertisement, it specified ‘Caucasian’ as a criteria.

    Such discriminatory job advertisements are, however, few and far between nowadays, according to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (Tafep).

    Its monitoring of print advertisements found that last year, only 1 per cent specified race, age, gender or other preferred characteristics, without explaining why these were necessary for the job.

    In 2006, it was 19.7 per cent. The plunge is a feather in the cap for Tafep, which released its first progress report on Wednesday.

    Its general manager, Mr Andrew Fung, attributed it to heightened awareness among employers of the need to recruit on a fair, meritorious basis.

    For the unaware few, like the preschool, Tafep contacts them to explain the importance of using only relevant and objective job criteria in hiring.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • abs:

    The pap has been trying for years to hide the PR figures.. even using their state media to constantly use the term “Singaporean” for PRs quietly.. a form of subtle mind conditioning..

    Look at the comment from a UNESCO report.. the pap even “adjusted” past decade data to show only RESIDENT figures..

    Singaporeans.. the evil has been brewing for years.. so what are you going to do with your vote this time now ??

    [QUOTE]

    Statistics on immigration and emigration are published only rarely. Information on net migration can, however, be deduced from data on population growth and natural increase which are published annually. Time series data on the Singapore population have to be read carefully as a change in the reporting convention was made after the 1990 Census. Except for 1990, when the figures on both the resident and total population were made available publicly, subsequent estimates were published only for the resident population. Figures for the 1980s decade were also adjusted subsequently to show only the resident population whereas those prior to 1980 remained for the total population.

    http://www.unesco.org/most/apmrnw13.htm

    [UNQUOTE]

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  • john:

    Court should seriously consider hiring more Singaporean and do their part in social responsibility.

    I will stop buying anything from Courts and only buy from businesses that create jobs for Singaporean. Foreigner could go back home if they have no job in Sinagpore but Singaporean would have no place to go as they have young and old to look after. Worst still without job the family would be directly impacted and create a lot of social problem.

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  • Sad:

    My bro leave Courts last year. No body wanna to stay because salaries cut. Due to low salaries and i guess no singaporean willing to join.

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  • csl:

    btan,

    regarding what you mentioned I do not totally agree with the immigration policy. Its applied at a level of discretion that I do not like. I do not think a total lock down is called for either. We need all the talent we can take (emphasis on real talent, I do not want to be mistaken for talking about something else).

    One reason why Australian Permanent Residency is harder to get is due to their social structure forcing the government to be cautious with their immigration policy. Skilled migration in Australia is taken seriously and will shift accordingly to what they need. In essence its a points based system where the number of points allocated to certain criteria changing from time to time. I still recall how once a visiting Australian colleague told me that if you are a baker or plumber you would get a PR easily. That is how their system works.

    I would like to see changes so that it is similar in function to the Australian model. We take what is needed at a given point in time.

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  • Sad 2b Singaporean:

    Profit from Singaporean to pay for foreiger. Brilliant move isn’t it? Sorry Sir, u just lost another customer for good.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • David Yeo:

    Can I have a look at the job ad?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • btan:

    @csl on Thu, 21st Jan 2010 10:29 pm

    I’m not advocating total lockdown either. I don’t think any rational minded Singaporeans will advocate that. Many just want PAP not to open their immigration gate so wide like a cheap whore’s legs.

    My original article is totally unrelated to this. It is meant to highlight, using an example of an organisation that I knew, that statistics can be hidden easily behind numbers but when you break down these numbers, the facts are far more revealing.

    As many people know, PAP and organisations like Courts like to use XX% of Singaporeans and PRs or “local” but when further broken down, the “locals” are really not so local.

    Unfortunately, there is no objective way to define Naturalised Singaporean, be it long-stayers like yourself or fresh off the boat. There are also PRs who have been in Singapore for very long, think and feel like a Singaporean but for some reasons did not convert to citizenship.

    Only when companies or the government’s statistics department reveal the numbers in a more explicit sense, can we really say how many jobs goes to Singaporean and so on.

    I have personally met many foreigners who converted to Singapore passport (i.e. take up citizenship) and quickly abandon it like last year’s fashion for greener pasture.

    We can say that we were immigration culture but at least our ancestors stayed and died here. Can’t say the same about the new immigrants.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • x12831:

    @csl on Thu, 21st Jan 2010 10:29 pm

    Also the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) requires Skilled visa applicant to have their skills assessed by a designated assessing authority before lodging his or her visa application; usually an peak body like the Australian Computer Society.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • btan:

    One more thing I want to add is it doesn’t matter what system is used. At the end of the day, it is in the heart of the government whether they want to open the floodgate of immigrate wide or close them and control the flow. Any system will work.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Lao Teo:

    Seriously speaking I will say what Courts is doing might not be the problem with just the CEO. It could be a stupid move from the HR Dept, maybe now he or she kena up down left right liao leh due to the voice out from the people here?

    And I think people here boycott will work as well. When courts advertise cheap deal like $1 deal, all FT then will flood to courts and que up. I have seen this kind of their crowd when opening and sad to say… I think even all people here seeing this posting all boycott… FT will go que up and buy… end of day…

    Job taken by Malaysian, good deal taken by FT… left nothing for Singaporean… I am beginning to feel unlucky that I am a Singaporean.

    Courts action have definitely make me feel sad as a fellow Singaporean…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  • Harry TomDick:

    >>#csl on Wed, 20th Jan 2010 11:21 am

    >>PR who are out of job are not considered human beings after all…
    >>
    >>

    The underying issue is that efforts should be made to give Singaporeans the priority they deserve in their own country.

    But on the other hand, which employer will not want to save money, by minimising their wages bill?

    Perhaps by saving on wages, Courts will be in a better position to provide more household goodies on offer prices to all. Just to be fair to Courts.

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