Pls read Bye Bye Singapore hello China
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MM Lee: Will we be last of the Mohicans?
MM Lee: Will we be last of the Mohicans?
Without more babies, S’pore must take on new citizens, PRs and challenges that they bring
Leong Wee Keatand Lin Yanqin
[email protected]
EVEN after the millions spent on Baby Bonuses and other parenthood incentives, policy-makers are confounded by a problem that goes to the very heart of survival: Singaporeans are still not reproducing themselves.
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And on Friday, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew reflected on this challenge :at the National University of Singapore Society’s (NUSS) dialogue on “Singapore and Singaporeans: A Quarter Century From Now”.
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In Singapore, he said, it is becoming a “lifestyle choice” for women past the age of 30 to stay single as they are well-travelled and have no one to worry about.
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“My daughter is one of them. What can I do? When she was in her early 30s, my wife used to tell her, what you want is a ‘MRS’. She did not think it was funny.
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“Now she is 50-plus, her mother is bedridden, I’m on a pacemaker, I got this rambling house. Everything is looked after now. What happens if we are both not there?...
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“She says, “I’ll look after myself’. But we know she has not been looking after herself all these years. When she went to Boston for training, her cooking was to just to put her salmon into the microwave.”
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Mr Lee added: “But that’s life. It’s a choice that she has made, and a choice that 30 per cent of our women are making. Who am I to complain? Society lives with the consequences it is making.”
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The problem that this trend creates: “Without new citizens and permanent residents, we are going to be the last of the Mohicans. We are going to disappear”.
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But immigrants bring their own challenges to a society.
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Some Singaporean parents have complained about migrants entering schools and competing with local children. He urged parents: “Would you want them to compete against you or with you as part of the team? If you don’t have them with you as part of your team, they will be on the Chinese and Indian team.”
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Some of these migrant students, he acknowledged, use Singapore as a stepping stone to other countries. So “why are we so stupid” in allowing this?
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“Because more than half (of these students) do not make the grade to go to America, and the second tier is not bad for us.”
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Singapore needs to draw from a big talent pool beyond its own shores, “so that we can continue to punch above our weight. No other way”.
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“Would you want the pie to grow? You want a small pie with your children taking the last portion, or a big pie where you get a bigger portion, even though the talented person may get a bigger slice? That’s life. If you are afraid of talent, you will not succeed.”
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One catch he foresees: Even as the second generation of today’s immigrants become more Singaporean, one dubious habit they might also adopt, is to have only one child.
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“So we got to make this breakthrough, otherwise we are going to have a constant problem.
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“We got to get people to realise that if we don’t have 2.1 (babies) to replace ourselves, we are always dependent.”
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Earlier in the evening,Mr Lee officially opened the new NUS Alumni Complex, which comprises the redeveloped NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House and Shaw Foundation Alumni House.
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/308773.asp -
Over 40? Don’t send us your resume’
‘Over 40? Don’t send us your resume’
With weaker job prospects, older job hunters turn to entrepreneurship seminars
ESTHER Ng
[email protected]
EVEN in good times, discrimination against older job seekers exists. So what more now that it is an employers’ market?
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Some recruitment firms told Today the trend has picked up. Some employers do not want resumes from anyone above 40, said Ms Wendy Kwek, managing director of Career Express. Her firm has seen a “slight increase” in the number of such employers.
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Two other employment firms, JobPlus and MDK Personnel Resources, confirmed that their clients prefer younger applicants.
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“Some don’t even want to see resumes from those who are 35,” said Mr Kor Lai Hock, MDK’s managing director. The company’s clients include those in manufacturing, engineering, and food and beverage.
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The practice however is “nothing new”, said JobPlus’ director Alex Thong.
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On the other hand, firms such as Adecco, Manpower, JobStreet and JobsDb said they have never received such requests from their clients who include multinational and blue chip companies.
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Rather, would-be employers are now more demanding in terms of applicants having the relevant skills, said Adecco’s strategic accounts director Yue Yin Mun.
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With job prospects for older workers bleak, it is no surprise then that entrepreneurship seminars are doing a brisk business.
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On Tuesday, there were three such events with turnouts of 120 and 100 for the two that were held by Executive Directions at International Plaza. The third was organised by Harriet International Network.
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Those who were late — even if they had registered earlier — had to be turned away. It was standing room only.
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“Compared to last year, I would say there’s a 20- to 30-per-cent increase in the number of people attending,” said Ms Kwek of Career Express and a managing director of Executive Directions.
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For two to three hours, the participants listened to various speakers extol the benefits of being their own boss. However, many baulked at the cost of the courses which ranged from $5,000 to more than $7,000. More than half then left.
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Mr James Chua, chief executive of Harriet’s, said he was not surprised.
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“Most people over 40 want something more stable. Asking them to suddenly become an entrepreneur may be too risky. They should start a small business, something that would give them $3,000 a month and which they will be happy with.”
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One participant, Mr Sen — who only wanted to be known by his surname — was working in a bank before being laid off last year. He spent the past few months sending out resumes to no avail, so he decided to try the entrepreneurial route.
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“What else is there for a 55-year-old to do?” said the father of a 16-year-old. “It’s depressing being at home.”
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/309627.asp -
Jobless in Korea, Singapore welcomes you
Singapore offers alternative for parents, job-seekers
By Bae Hyun-jung ([email protected])
Korea Herald
March 12, 2009
To parents concerned about their children's language education and to graduate students unable to find jobs, Singapore offers an alternative.
"Singapore is more than just a No. 1 competitive country in Asia, but a compelling global hub for business, investment and talent," said Ng Siew Kiang, executive director of Contact Singapore, during an interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday.
Contact Singapore is a government-funded center mainly sponsored by the Economic Development Board of Singapore and the Ministry of Manpower. It aims to attract global manpower and investment to the country.
Singapore, though well-known and highly cosmopolitan, is sometimes underestimated in many aspects, Ng said.
The country is in fact balanced in its business categories, including a large proportion of manufacturing, service, transport, and others.
"Singapore is not just a geographical assembly area for renowned financial firms," she said. "Our firm bases in other industries and education stand relatively strong even amid the present economic crisis, and we intend to let other countries find out more about such aspects."
One of the main aspects that she highlighted is the bilingual international education offered in schools.
"The large foreign population in Singapore led to a diverse spectrum of foreign and international schools," the director said. "Not only do residents have a wide set of options for their children's education, but also parents are sending their children from overseas for learning experiences."
Local Singaporean schools are also similarly popular among Asian parents who expect their children to be bilingual in English and Chinese, she added.
"Singapore may be differentiated from other English-speaking countries as it retains the traditional Asian culture as well as its active bilingual backgrounds," she said.
For this reason, some enthusiastic parents tend to turn their eyes to this Asian country as an alternative to far-off and costly education in the West.
"Singapore is a relatively small country, where the present size and future potential of the industry usually exceeds the capacity of the local population, even though we are well provided with a large group of educated manpower," Ng said.
Despite the global recession, the recruiting movements are still quite active in Singapore, she explained.
"Of course, we have experienced a rise in the unemployment rate and a temporary fall in GDP," she said. "That, however, was mainly because of faltering export businesses overall, and not because we were heavily reliant on financial industries alone."
"In order to further boost our industries, we plan several recruiting sessions in various Asian countries," she said. "Korean university graduates with highly demanded skills, especially in the medical, engineering, digital and financial fields, may also benefit from such opportunities."
As most of the recruiting companies are branches of global enterprises, applicants are required to be fluent in English to a certain extent.
"International internships in Singapore tend to be focused on the financial firms," Ng said. "If engineering major students, for example, were given more chances of internship during their school years, they would be given a wider spectrum of career options in Singapore later." -
Review support for foreign students
SINGAPORE — Thus far, they appear to be two unrelated tragedies, though some coincidences have captured attention Mr Zhou Zheng had started work last Monday, the same day Mr David Hartanto Widjaja died, and both are said to have worked in the same laboratory at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (SEEE).
But the two deaths occuring within a week at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) — one an Indonesian final—year student, the other a project officer from China who had graduated from NTU a year ago — have underlined similar concerns.
Is enough support being given to students from overseas, including those pursuing post—graduate studies, who are feeling the pressure?
One SEEE Master of Science student from China told TODAY he felt more opportunities must be created, especially for post—graduate students, to “talk to someone else”.
“There are no opportunities to interact.We just sit in the lab all day,” said the 22—year—old, who declined to be named. And since post—graduate students stay off—campus or at campus apartments — which are unlike the livelier residence halls for undergraduates — there is less chance of abnormal behaviour being noticed by someone, he added.
It was at a Nanyang Heights staff apartment, late on Friday night, that Mr Zhou was found hanged.
The 24—year—old had graduated with a Second—class Upper Honours degree last July. But within two months of finding employment after graduation, he was laid off. He joined NTU on March 2.
Mr Ke Chang, a friend who knew him when he was an undergraduate, said Mr Zhou played tennis, had many friends and seemed a “kai lang” (Mandarin for cheerful) person. But staff who stayed at Nanyang Heights Block 101C — where Mr Zhou was bunking in temporarily with friends — kept mostly to themselves.
Said one resident “People move in and out a lot, they don’t stay for the long term. We live and work here, so you’d want to maintain a certain level of privacy.”
When contacted, Dr Lily Neo, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, agreed the two deaths have put the welfare of new foreign students in the spotlight. She said she would examine current measures to help them settle in their new environment.
Fellow MP Josephine Teo said with foreign students now coming from more countries like India and China, and with university life becoming more demanding, more can perhaps be done at the university level. “It would be an interesting issue to discuss in Parliament,” she said.
In response to TODAY’S queries, a varsity spokesman said its president Su Guaning had urged everyone in the NTU community to “work harder to help detect signs of trouble and to get help to where it is needed”.
The spokesman added that Prof Su “has also initiated a comprehensive review on the pastoral care and counselling service, to further enhance the system and process”.
Since Mr Widjaja fell to his death after allegedly stabbing a professor last Monday, there has been a five to seven per cent increase in the number of people visiting NTU’s counsellors. The counselling hotline number has been emailed to the NTU community. — TODAY/ar
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/2009030...s-231650b.html -
Jobless migrant workers protest in Singapore again
Reuters - Saturday, February 28
SINGAPORE, Feb 27 - A group of around 100 Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered outside Singapore's labour ministry on Friday, urging the government to give them work and retrieve overdue pay after they were laid off by shipping firms.
Protests are rare in Singapore, where public speeches and demonstrations are banned unless they are approved by the government, or take place at a designated place called Speaker's Corner.
A representative for the Bangladeshi workers said they were promised a monthly salary of at least S$400 and a work permit of 2 years. But with no work or pay for 4 months, they felt they were in danger of being deported.
"We don't want to go back to Bangladesh. We take loan, we cannot pay, we die," said Rahman, who gave up his farming job in Bangladesh and took a loan of S$7000 from money lenders back home to pay an agent fee to work in Singapore.
Fifty workers gathered at the ministry earlier this month.
Local advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too said such gatherings would become more common in Singapore as workers were not being fed enough and were just sitting in dormitories, amid Singapore's worst ever recession.
"The mood is that we are seeing a lot of people coming forward -- hundreds -- they don't have work," said the group's Shelley Thio. "We are going to see a lot more of it -- they are being shortchanged."
Singapore's shipyard, construction and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007. But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
"If developers can't get money to pay construction companies, subcontractors down the line will get affected too," said Chew Chin Hui, who heads a local building firm. (Reporting by Kash Cheong and Neil Chatterjee; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani) -
Chinese netizens slam Gong Li's new citizenship status
Chinese netizens slam Gong Li's new citizenship status
After raising the ire of some Singaporeans when Chinese actress Gong Li did not show up to collect her identity card in early Sep, her presence at last Saturday's citizenship ceremony has caused furore among Chinese netizens, in which a large handful unabashedly called her names and condemned her for foresaking her homeland.
The east Shandong actress, who propelled to international fame in her Oscar-nominated performance in "Raise the Red Lantern", has been the subject of personal attack in Chinese commmunity forums, all because she chose to renounce her Chinese citizenship.
Sohu, a popular Chinese portal, published poll results showing close to a thousand Chinese netizens who objected to her new citizenship status.
Other comments in portals such as Chinaren and Chinanews were not so kind, and have even called for other netizens to boycott her future movies.
"What's so great about a foreign citizenship? Boycott Gong Li! What kind of role model is she?", wrote one netizen.
Another netizen's comment read: "How do you think you managed to rise to fame if it wasn't because of your local fans and audience? Once you qualify as a citizen of another country, you abandon us. Are you trying to say that China is not as good as other countries? You claim that you love your country and that your roots are in China - it's all a load of rubbish!"
Snide remarks such as "fake Chinese", "traitor" and "celebrity brat" were just a few of the unkind comments left by netizens. Other remarks were not only harsh, but crude as well.
Although majority of the netizens left negative remarks, less than five netizens had left positive comments, respecting her decision and explaining that it is a matter of personal preference.
Bloggers have also picked up on the news of Gong Li's new citizenship status and their perceptions were mostly neutral.
One of the bloggers even went to the extent of listing three reasons as to why the actress chose to be a Singapore citizen - first, because of marriage and love (her husband, Ooi Hoe Seng, is a Singaporean); second, to look after her grandparents who are situated in Singapore; and last of all, because of career advancement in a country that has "international" appeal and is one of the four Asian tigers.
It is not certain as to whether these three reasons are true.
Such news of Chinese celebrities renouncing their citizenship is not new and Gong Li is definitely not the first to do so. As early as mid-2006, a list of more than 10 Chinese celebrities who had renounced their citizenship appeared on the Internet and caused a storm that has been brewing ever since.
Media reports confirmed that actor Jet Li, acclaimed director Chen Kaige and his actress wife Chen Hong, actress Jiang Liwen and her director husband Gu Changwei, and award-winning actress Joan Chen had become US citizens. Other celebrities are known to have opted for citizenships of other countries such as Canada, UK, Germany and Switzerland.
Zhang Ziyi, another Chinese actress who was involved in a few Hollywood films, has not renounced her citizenship although she is based in Hollywood and engaged to American tycoon Vivi Nevo.
In fact, she holds a Hong Kong passport and told Harper's Bazaar that she has never thought of becoming an American.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2...110-99549.html -
Is bond-free S'pore scholarship just 'a stepping stone' for China students?
Netizens upset when China scholar slips out of S'pore, allegedly for US varsity
By Liew Hanqing
November 19, 2008
A NETIZEN is calling it a free lunch for China scholars - at Singapore's expense.TNP PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KELVIN CHNG
Many are outraged that a China student, here on a Singapore scholarship, had slipped out of Singapore quietly without completing his studies.
They were responding to a blog post which claimed that a first-year Anderson Junior College (AJC) student, a Chinese national here on a bond-free scholarship, went missing after skipping school for several days.
It is understood that he had used Singapore as a launching pad to move on to study in a US university.
The New Paper asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) how much such a scholarship is worth, but MOE would not disclose this information.
A source from AJC said the student had left without a word.
When queried by The New Paper, AJC principal Susan Leong confirmed that the student had packed up and left in August.
But, in a statement issued jointly with the Education Ministry, Ms Leong said AJC had contacted the boy's family in China when he was found missing, and the family had claimed the boy was with them.
AJC, however, said it has yet to establish contact with the boy himself, or confirm for themselves whether he was indeed with his parents.
Ms Leong said the JC was only in contact with the boy's mother.
She added: 'The college understands that the student had left without permission as his father had taken ill in China and he was unable to contact his family.'
But how did he find out that his father was ill when he could not contact his family? The statement did not address this question.
'The college has maintained contact with his mother since the incident happened, and will continue to monitor the situation and encourage the student to return to Singapore to resume his studies.'
Ms Leong declined to say more.
But some netizens are incensed that the student left without a word.
Security deposit
One netizen wrote: 'It probably deprived a Singaporean student the chance to study at the JC.
'Perhaps, to deter such runaways, a security deposit should be introduced?'
Another added: 'These foreign students go on to university if they pass their A levels. Now with just O levels, they can apply to foreign universities. Who are the 'quitters'?'
It is not known how long the student was in Singapore before joining AJC earlier this year.
Yet another netizen attributed the student's departure to youthful immaturity.
'It should be no surprise that these students might view this (Singapore scholarship) as a stepping stone (free lunch) for other plans,' he wrote.
'They simply lack the maturity, experience and understanding of the world as they are still young. Of course they will make selfish decisions.'
Key personnel from the various JCs make regular trips to China to woo potential scholars, who are selected based on merit. The scholars' education and lodging are paid for, and they also receive a monthly stipend for daily expenses.
Since the blog entry appeared last week, the link to the website has been circulated on numerous popular forums and blog aggregators, and has been fodder for the blogosphere.
Blogger Aaron Peng wrote that he was not surprised that the scholar left without permission.
'After they finish studying, they can just pack and go anywhere in the world... with the world-class education that the Singapore Government has given them for free!
'Who says there is no free lunch? There is, just not for Singaporeans.'
Added blogger Warren Tan, an AJC student: 'If it is indeed true that after so much investment (which is controversial in the first place) in foreign students, by our Government, these students can come and go so easily, we need to reconsider our policies.'
Other China scholars The New Paper spoke to said they felt the student was irresponsible for leaving without a word.
The New Paper asked MOE whether this was the first such incident of a student leaving without a word, whether the ministry had any measures in place to prevent such incidents from happening, and how much the student's scholarship was worth.
But MOE did not respond to these questions, issuing only the joint response with AJC.
Feng Quan, 16, a Jurong Junior College student from China on scholarship here, said he felt the student displayed a lack of integrity.
'Since he had already accepted the scholarship, he shouldn't have left without a word, whatever his reasons. The least he should have done was to seek the approval of the authorities.'
Very good deal
He added that he values the scholarship he was awarded, because 'it was a very good deal'.
He said: 'In China, for us to get into top universities like Tsinghua University or Beijing University, we have to work really hard, and there's no guarantee we can even get in.
'In Singapore, as long as we study consistently, we can get a place in a top local university, and Singapore has one of the best education systems in the world.'
Added schoolmate and fellow China scholar Zhong Jicheng, 18: 'The proper thing to do would have been for the student to write a letter explaining his decision to leave. It isn't right to just leave quietly.'
He added that the student should not have taken up the scholarship if he had the intention of leaving.
Like many of his peers, Jicheng said he plans to stay in Singapore for his undergraduate education. He hopes to pursue a degree in hospitality management here.
'I like studying here because it isn't too stressful like it is in China, and the education system is more flexible,' he said.
Source: http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...83992,00.html? -
PM Lee: Don't over-rely on govt
Community should also chip in during this downturn says PM Lee
By Li Xueying, Political Correspondent
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave this reassuring message to Singaporeans facing a difficult ride ahead: 'So in our quiet way, we'll see through the year of the ox, and we'll come out of it alright, stronger than before and ready to grow and prosper.' -- ST PHOTO: EDWIN KOO
THE coming year on the lunar calendar is that of the ox - a strong animal, which while 'not very aggressive, is completely dependable'.
Noting this on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave this reassuring message to Singaporeans facing a difficult ride ahead: 'So in our quiet way, we'll see through the year of the ox, and we'll come out of it alright, stronger than before and ready to grow and prosper.'
But he also warned against an over-reliance on the Government for help in 'everything', urging the community to also chip in during this downturn.
This way, Singapore will also cohere as a stronger society.
Mr Lee struck this upbeat note at an off-the-cuff address in his constituency of Teck Ghee in Ang Mo Kio, where he and his grassroots leaders distributed ang pows, vouchers and mandarin oranges to 275 needy residents. He later toured the nearby market and hawker centre, shaking hands and signing autographs.
In a sign of the worsening times, the number of recipients had increased - from 220 last year. So too the amount of money in the red packet - from $80 to $100.
It is such ground-up community efforts that are especially necessary now, said Mr Lee.
The Government will do its part to help Singaporeans ride out the downturn, the Prime Minister promised, listing a litany of schemes from ComCare to GST offset packages.
'But if everything depends on government schemes and it becomes a matter of beaurcratic organisation, entitlement, I think we'll make this impersonal and we'll weaken ourselves as a society.
'And instead of having a sense of mutual support and warmth and comradeship, we'll cultivate a sense of reliance and ultimately a society which is not as strong as it should be.'
Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking...ry_324806.html -
When to let go of foreigners - NTUC chief explains how to handle foreign workers in a downturn
By Sue-Ann Chia
Low-skilled foreign workers are needed at all times, unless the situation gets so bad that Singaporeans are willing to do jobs paying around $500 to $600 a month. -- PHOTO: BUSINESS TIMES
THE labour movement has urged companies to let go of foreigners first during this downturn. But that call has caused concern to some bosses who can't fill jobs with local workers who have the right skills.
Two of them who spoke up at a dialogue on Friday morning, made the point that in their areas of operation, there was a need for foreigners with specialist skills such as speech therapists.
They can't find enough Singaporeans who have such skills. And it would take at least three years to train people for the job, said the two chiefs of volunteer welfare organisations which help children and adults with disabilities.
One is Dr Chey Chor Khoon, executive director of APSN and the other, Mr James Wong, executive director of the Spastic Children Association.
They were among 25 employers who shared their concerns with labour chief Lim Swee Say and other unionists at the dialogue organised by the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers Union.
Their appeal prompted Mr Lim to clear the air over remarks he made previously, that foreigners should be the first to go when companies cut jobs in this recession. This could be done by non-renewal of contracts or retrenchments, he had said at a tripartism forum last week.
On Friday morning, Mr Lim said there are three groups of foreigners and that not all should be treated the same way.
The first are those with specialised skills that Singaporeans lack. The second are low-skilled foreigners who do jobs in the construction and cleaning sector that Singaporeans shun.
And the third are those with similar skills as Singaporeans, who may be working as retail assistants or waiters.
'We should not lump all three together,' said Mr Lim.
It is the third group - which employers tap to fill vacancies during the boom times - who should be the 'buffer' during bad times and thus be let go first, Mr Lim explained.
As for the first and second groups, they are needed in good or bad times, unless the situation gets so bad that Singaporeans are willing to do jobs currently filled by low-skilled foreigners, who earn around $500 to $600 a month, he added.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking...ry_313578.html -
Accept sacrifices, cutbacks
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking...ry_300327.html
'We all have to accept some sacrifices and cutbacks,' Minister Mentor Lee said.
<TABLE class="georgia11 whiteBg" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=620 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=padlrt10>Nov 9, 2008</TD></TR><TR><TD class=padlrt10>Prepare for austerity
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=padlrt10>Sacrifices and cutbacks will be necessary until things improve: MM Lee</TD></TR><TR><TD class=padlrt10>By Lee Siew Hua SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT </TD></TR><TR><TD class="marginbottom8 padlrt10">
THE Government will not let any Singaporean fall below the poverty line as a result of the financial crisis - but it cannot restore people's living standards to what they were before the global crash.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew gave this assurance on Sunday evening, as he promised measures in next year's Budget to buffer lower-income earners and those without jobs from the impact of higher prices of food and other goods.
He did not provide details but said the Government would need to make a realistic assessment of how much it could afford to give out in additional utilities rebates, Workfare income supplements and other alleviating measures.
'Much depends on how long and how deep this recession will be,' he said.
Speaking to Tanjong Pagar GRC constituents during an event to mark Tree Planting Day, he also warned that everyone would have to put up with some austerity.
'To return to where we were before the crisis and enjoy the same standard of living, we have to wait until the recovery of the world economy,' he said.
'We all have to accept some sacrifices and cutbacks. But compared to our counterparts in neighbouring countries, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, our low income earners are much better off.'
He cited two reasons for confidence in Singapore's economy in the midst of the most severe world recession since the 1930s Great Depression.
First, its reserves accumulated over decades could see the country through the crisis without it going broke.
Second, jobs are still available at the two integrated resorts and from investments by high-end manufacturing companies.
These include solar cell producer Renewable Energy Corporation and maker of oil and gas equipment, Halliburton.
'There will be jobs, although different from the ones from factories that may close down,' he said.
Singapore was also fortunate in not having allowed speculation to drive up residential property prices to unrealistic levels, having learnt its lesson from the 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis.
This round, although the prices of high-end condominiums and office properties have fallen, 'HDB flat prices have remained steady, going down only slightly'.
That is because there is real demand for HDB homes from Singaporeans, including new citizens and permanent residents.
'Property values are bound to go up because the government is continuously building more infrastructure, and attracting higher value investments that provide higher wages to employees,' he said.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> -
Law minister says Singaporeans should welcome foreign workers
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 02 November 2008 1925 hrs
Mr K Shanmugam
SINGAPORE: Having foreign workers in Singapore is in the country's national interest, said Law Minister K Shanmugam on Sunday, in response to questions from some Singaporeans who felt that the country could do with fewer foreign workers.
The concerns were raised amidst a worsening economy, with greater competition expected for fewer jobs.
Mr Shanmugam, who took over the Ministry of Law six months ago, made his first community visit on Sunday to Queenstown – one of Singapore's oldest public housing estates.
Besides meeting him, residents there also took the opportunity to raise issues of concern at a dialogue session. Among the matters raised was the social cost of having more foreign workers in Singapore.
The law minister said: "Who builds our HDB flats? Where do we live? Who builds our roads? Can we really even have our basic infrastructure to continue to be upgraded, without foreign workers?
"There are some jobs that Singaporeans won't do, and then there are some jobs that Singaporeans cannot do... We need to be welcoming our guest workers; we need to be welcoming our expatriates, all of that in pursuit of our national interest."
Other issues raised included the recent hike in electricity tariffs and the need for electronic road pricing.
Mr Shanmugam also spoke on another current topic – whether investors who have bought Lehman Minibonds or Lehman-linked products can collectively sue the financial institutions for mis-selling.
He said lawyers can, in general, represent a group of people to sue on their behalf.
"We may not have the classic class action suits that are available in the US where an action can be brought on behalf of a group of people, whether or not they're parties to an action.
"We have representative action, that whoever needs to be benefiting from an action, needs to be a party to that action and lawyers might be signing up or may sign up a large number of people to commence action," said Mr Shanmugam.
But he hopes investors will consider lawsuits as a last resort, and instead go through the current channels put in place by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
The law minister said: "The government has set service standards for the various institutions involved – where there has been mis-selling, there has to be compensation. And how do you identify mis-selling?
"We have neutral evaluators and certain processes to follow. All complaints need to be acknowledged within two days. Any complaint should be dealt with in a matter of weeks, each to be looked at carefully."
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...387159/1/.html -
S'poreans come first
Minister said the government will always consider their interests above foreigners.
CURBING the number of foreign talents who are prepared to immigrate here would be counter-productive to Singapore's long-term interests, said Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng on Monday.
'In today's globalised world, human capital is extremely mobile, particularly the talented and driven. Our current economic and social conditions make us an attractive immigration destination for many nationalities around the world,' he said.
'It is important that we leverage on our strengths and continue to attract talented people to settle here, as we drive towards building a knowledge economy.'
Mr Wong, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, made this point in his written response to a question from Nominated MP Kalyani Mehta in Parliament on Monday.
Prof Mehta had asked if the Government would tighten future immigration policies in view of the need for a rooted local populace in Singapore, noting that citizens comprise only 65 per cent of the total population.
The minister said given Singapore's low fertility rate, the resident population and workforce would decline rapidly if the authorities shut out immigrants or substantially reduce inflows.
'This would have serious repercussions on our ability to maintain our standard of living. Encouraging immigration is therefore a key strategy which we must continue to pursue,' he said.
'Beyond population imperatives, immigrants inject new ideas and dynamism into society. Many countries, such as the United States and Australia, have benefited greatly from having absorbed a diverse group of immigrants. Singapore itself is an immigrant society and we would not be where we are today if not for the contributions of our immigrants over the years.'
Mr Wong acknowledged that some Singaporeans may feel threatened by the number of immigrants that Singapore is absorbing.
'This is a natural human response. However, Singaporeans should be assured that this Government will always consider the interests of Singaporeans first,' he assured.
'This is reflected in the way our policies are crafted, from healthcare and housing to education and other social policies. While we welcome immigrants to our shores, our own people are always closest to our hearts.
'We will ensure that there remains a sizeable group of Singaporeans which will form the core of our society - people who are here for the long haul, who will stand fast in times of difficulty, but who will also be first to enjoy the fruits of our success.'
Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) account for 75 per cent of the total population, with citizens making up 65 per cent, as at Jun. The remaining non-resident population comprises transient foreigners working, studying and living in Singapore.
Mr Wong said by far, foreign manpower accounts for the largest proportion of the non-resident population. These are foreigners who are here on a transient basis to take up jobs in sectors which Singaporeans are not able to fill.
'The size of our foreign workforce is not fixed. It depends on the state of our economy, and also on other global factors,' said the minister, explaining that over the last few years, there has been a strong demand for workers in sectors such as construction and marine, leading to an expanded foreign workforce here.
'Without them, our industries would have been handicapped and we would not have been able to achieve robust levels of growth,' he added.
'Overall, our flexible foreign workforce policies have enabled us to maintain a critical competitive edge over competing economies by allowing companies to expand their workforce quickly to capitalise on opportunities, at the same time creating more and better jobs for our citizens.'
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking...ry_292731.h -
Singapore students protest university censorship
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/200810...t-c3bb44c.html
<CITE class=auth>Reuters - 45 minutes ago</CITE>
<CITE class=auth></CITE>
SINGAPORE, Oct 5 - About 60 people gathered at a park in central Singapore on Sunday to protest against a university's decision to censor news stories in the school media related to a prominent opposition politician.
The group, about half were students and former students from the Nanyang Technological University, were upset the school had stopped a news article and halted the airing of a news bulletin about Chee Soon Juan, a vocal critic of the government.
"This is not the first time the school has interfered with the publication of articles. Why must the school dictate certain articles for certain issues? It is stifling," said Thaddaeus Wee, a second-year student from the university.
Protests are rare in Singapore, where public speeches and demonstrations are banned unless they are approved by the government, or take place at Speakers' Corner.
Sunday's protest was held at the Corner, modelled on London's Hyde Park haven of free speech. The group -- large by Singapore's standards -- clapped and cheered briefly after the four organisers spoke. A banner that said "Responsible press for the students" lay before the crowd.
Media in Singapore is tightly regulated, and the government says it is necessary to maintain social stability and help attract foreign investments to sustain economic growth.
But critics say the tight regulation is a way for the government to stifle critics.
"It's a historical thing to stand up publicly against our school. For the university to cancel the article, it is uncalled for," said Alexis Cheong, who was standing in the crowd.
The university's broadcast network had ran a news bulletin on Chee after he visited the school in late August to meet students and hand out fliers, said Clarence Chua, 25, a graduate from the university and one of the organisers of the protest.
But school officials pulled the bulletin off the airwaves after three days, and stopped a planned news article about Chee's visit, citing concerns school media were airing "unsolicited views" from an "uninvited" person, Chua said.
University officials were not available to comment.
Chee, who was at the protest, said he was glad the students were making themselves heard. "It always takes one to step forward and the rest will follow," he said.
<SCRIPT>YAHOO.EU.Messenger = new Messenger();var sStoryHeadline="Singapore students protest university censorship"+'%0A';var sStoryLink="http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20081005/tap-singapore-protest-c3bb44c.html"+'%0A';var sDefaultMsg = 'Check out this story on Yahoo! News:';</SCRIPT> -
Hold exit interviews for quitters? MP says move will give clearer idea of why people leave S'pore
By Benson Ang
September 17, 2008
SHOULD the Government hold exit interviews for Singaporeans who renounce their citizenship?Or should it just quietly respect their decision, since they have made up their minds to leave?
This was raised yesterday in Parliament by Mr Lim Biow Chuan, MP for Marine Parade GRC, who suggested that the Government consider conducting exit interviews for Singaporeans intending to emigrate to find out why they want to do so.
Mr Lim, 45, who has friends who are planning to migrate, said: 'I wanted to know in principle whether the Government cares why people are leaving the country... What can they do to make these people reconsider?'
Companies have exit interviews to find out why employees are leaving and to gather feedback to improve the working environment for existing employees.
Mr Lim said: 'An exit interview can provide a good feel of the reasons why some Singaporeans decide to renounce their citizenship. They are likely to be more honest about their gripes with living in Singapore.'
He said that an exit interview may help the Government find out which specific policies that people are unhappy with. It might also help them identify policies which they may wish to refine.
The Government's answer, delivered by Senior Minister of State Ho Peng Kee, is that it does ask why people want to renounce their citizenship. (See report at right.)
Mr Lim said he was 'reasonably satisfied' with this answer, adding: 'I don't have any concrete suggestions right now, but I just wish we could do more to encourage people not to renounce their citizenship.'
Most Singaporeans interviewed by The New Paper felt exit interviews would not help to find out why people choose to emigrate.
Unlike career switch
A human resources director, 41, who did not want to be named, said: 'Leaving a country permanently is a very different decision compared to changing careers or switching to another company.
'In a corporate situation, we can try to accommodate them, such as giving them more suitable working hours or putting them in a different department.'
'But people leaving the country would have already made up their minds, so there is no way to retain them.'
Mr Daryl See, a polytechnic lecturer in his 50s, said it might be difficult to interview people who want to leave.
He said: 'The decision to emigrate is a long-term one. Usually, a person only decides to renounce citizenship after living in another country. So it's difficult to interview them.'
Other Singaporeans criticised Mr Lim's proposal as taking the wrong approach to the issue of emigration.
Political observer and businessman Zulkifli Baharudin, 48, said: 'If people have made up their minds, let them be. I'm not going to try to convince them to stay.'
He said exit interviews would not help uncover the gripes of Singaporeans because 'they will just give a politically correct answer'.
'They probably will have discussed the real reasons with their friends and family. Those reasons are not something you can get from an interview.'
For Mr Baharudin, the battle is already lost once a Singaporean decides to renounce his or her citizenship.
'People shouldn't even think about leaving. You take Singapore for what it is. If you are unhappy with something, then stay and find a way to fix it.
'If you start rationalising and negotiating your loyalty, then I think the country will have no future,' he said.
'Citizenship is a privilege, and it should be treated with honour.'
Source: http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...76938,00.html? -
ant scholars, will pay dollars - A*Star offers cash for every new scholar referred
By Liew Hanqing
September 05, 2008
KNOW of a potential scholar?NEW SCHEME: A*Star says that this plan was introduced to reach out to a wide pool of local and foreign talent. PICTURE: AFP
Refer him to us, and if he is accepted, we'll give you $500.
A new scheme introduced last week by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) promises that to its current scholars.
It announced the scheme through notices sent out to its current scholars last week, urging them to refer qualified colleagues, friends or relatives to apply for A*Star's graduate scholarship programmes.
These programmes pay for the scholars' graduate education at top international universities, including Harvard University, the University of Cambridge and Stanford University.
One of the agency's scholarships, the National Science Scholarship (PhD), supports up to five years of a scholar's PhD studies.
A spokesman for A*Star said the referral scheme was introduced to reach out to a wider pool of talent, both local and foreign.
'This will ensure that our scientific talent base continues to be diverse, international and world class,' she said.
She added that the referral fee was to reward their scholars' efforts in recommending their peers and to defray any costs they incur in communicating with them.
The scheme is currently open only to A*Star scholars. Those who make referrals are required to direct the potential candidate to the A*Star website to fill in an online application form.
They must then notify their respective scholarship officers about the referral.
The referrer will receive the referral fee once the candidate accepts the scholarship and formally begins the A*Star scholarship PhD programme.
The scheme has received mixed responses from A*Star staff The New Paper spoke to, and from netizens who posted on an online forum thread about the scheme.
A researcher at A*Star, who declined to be named, said she felt the scheme was not a good idea.
Said the researcher, who is not an A*Star scholar: 'It cheapens the whole system, and makes it sound like what some bank would do.
'Choosing to become an academic is a very individual thing. I don't understand why somebody else should profit from it.'
Sceptical
A netizen, who posted a copy of the A*Star notice sent out to scholars on a popular online forum, was sceptical about the scheme.
He wrote: 'Given this information, would anyone now believe any A*Star scholar who says good things about A*Star's scholarships?'
Others, however, welcomed the scheme.
Said a current A*Star scholar pursuing her PhD overseas: 'I don't think it's a bad idea; many companies do it. It's ultimately up to the candidate to decide for themselves.
'The scholarship board will presumably hold the candidate to the same standards as any other applicant.'
She added she felt it would be prudent to impose some type of limit on the number of referrals per person.
On whether she felt it would be a good idea to open the scheme to non-scholars as well, she said: 'Perhaps, if there are sufficient rules against A*Star decision-makers referring people, or staff referring family members, for example.'
Responding to the forum thread posted online this week, a netizen said there was 'nothing wrong' with the scheme.
'Many companies pay employees for referrals. Some are willing to pay up to thousands for key positions.'
Source: http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...75574,00.html? -
Employment worries of graduates
Tuesday, 23 December 2008, 7:49 am | 3,297 views
The writer of this article wishes to remain anonymous.
For the coming batch of fresh graduates, there will be no doubt that employment will be the biggest worry on their minds. With the financial crisis, companies will be facing serious cash flow problems due to stricter lending policies by the banks. Not only are the banks (one of the biggest employers in the past) cutting the number of graduate hires, corporations in other industries will also be doing the same. In addition, retrenched workers will inevitably be fighting for a smaller number of jobs with fresh graduates.
There are serious implications to the graduate glut this employment season. For one, we are sure that many graduates will be forced to take on temporary contract assignments. What about the graduates who fail to find any decent employment? Are they expected to work on temporary assignments for say, $6 – 7 dollars an hour? How will this pay enable them to pay for sustainable support for their retiring parents and their marriage plans?
A decision to take on an undergraduate degree programme is an expensive one. The opportunity cost is 3 to 4 years of experience and wages applicable to an A level holder or a diploma holder. Assuming the prospect works for $1500 a month for that 3 to 4 years (including a compounding rate of 4% to take into consideration inflation rate and real growth rate of money), the amount could be up to $73,000. Along with this opportunity cost, we add the tuition fees of approximately $30,000 for a 3 to 4 year course in a local institution and we discover that the real cost of undertaking a graduate programme is about $100,000 SGD. With this amount of investment, how do you expect any graduate to even consider marriage, child birth or taking care of retiring parents? To add to this amount, we know to consider that a tuition loan charges the graduate interest soon after his graduation, therefore the expected amount might increase even more!
As an undergraduate leaving school in the coming month of May, I worry about landing a job and facing the huge tuition loan ahead. At the age of 24, I also wonder how long before I can even start thinking about getting married and having my first child. In this light, I can confidently say that the birthrate will not increase. The quality of life, which is heavily dependent on job security, will be affected. With more stress and uncertainty, our work efficiency will also be affected.
The process of graduate recruitment is at best, at a crawling pace. The graduates and the retrenched are now fighting for a smaller pool of jobs. I wonder if the government will address this pressing issue soon. On a final note, finding employment, to a graduate, is not just about finding financial independence. It is the answer to one’s social and emotional security, the solution to retire their tuition loans and the only tool to start a family and to support their retiring parents.
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About the author
The writer is a first class honours student from a local university with double majors in Banking and Finance and Marketing. He remains jobless at the point of writing this essay. Graduate recruitments programmes usually end around November to early January period.
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University admissions, employment and help for the poor
Sunday, 15 June 2008, 11:06 pm | 548 views
I am somewhat puzzled by the statistics on university admissions.Surely, what is more important is the number of applicants, rather than the number of applications, since many may apply to all three universities.
What is the break-down of the applicants for Singaporeans, permanent residents (PRs) and foreigners?
Since 20 per cent of the three universities’ total offering of 14,700 places this year is reserved for foreigners, does it mean that the places for Singaporeans and PRs is 11,760?Therefore, what Singaporeans may like to know is what percentage of Singaporeans and PRs who apply, will be offered places?
This may be a more meaningful figure than saying that “25 per cent of the graduating cohort would be offered places, compared to 23 per cent last year”.
The Ministry of Education said in July last year that the actual number of foreign students admitted was 4,218.
Since the three local universities provided 14,685 places last year, dividing 4,218 by 14,685 gives a foreign students enrolment of 28.7 per cent.
So, was the foreign students admitted last year 20 or 28.7 per cent of the total intake?
What was the first-year intake percentage of Singaporeans after adjusting for PRs?
What is the break-down of the percentage of Singaporean and PR polytechnic graduate applicants, and foreigner applicants, who are admitted?
Is the admission success rate of Singaporean polytechnic graduates lower than foreigners?
So, I think in order to clear up the confusion on university admissions, what Singaporeans may really want to know is what is the actual percentage of Singaporeans, PRs, and foreigners admitted, instead of the number of applications, applicants or the number offered places ?
References:
Charlene Sng’s letter “Uni entry still hard for most poly graduates” (ST, May 26)
Khoo Lih-Han’s letter “Govt should subsidise private courses” (ST, May 16)
Patrick Sio’s letter “Universities should be clearer about entry criteria” (ST, May 16)
“Smaller cohort, but universities getting more applications” (ST, May 14)
“University education: Economics of choice” (ST, May 17).
Employment: Who actually get jobs?
I refer to the articles “More jobs created, but number of jobless still up” (ST, May 1) and “Jobs for Singaporeans: WP challenged to act on its words” (ST, May 2).
I would like to point out the following worrying employment trends :-
Another quarter of record employment growth – employment grew by 68,400 in the first quarter, but the seasonally adjusted resident (Singaporeans and PRs) unemployment rate increased from 2.4 per cent in the last quarter of 2007 to 2.9 per cent this quarter. This increase of 0.5 per cent is higher than the 0.3 per cent overall unemployment rate increase, from 1.7 in December to 2.0 in March.
Despite employment growing by 68,400, the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed residents grew to 54,400.
In 2006, 52 per cent of jobs created went to residents, of which 37 per cent went to citizens.
In 2007, the percentage of jobs created that went to residents declined to 38 per cent. Of this, what percentage went to Singaporeans ?
Has this trend of declining jobs for citizens persisted in the first quarter of 2008 ? What is the percentage of jobs to residents, and to citizens, for the first quarter ?
A record 46,900 became PRs, in the first nine months of 2007, and 7,300 became citizens in the first half of 2007. Has this trend persisted since 1 October 2007 for new PRs, and 1 July 2007 for new citizens, to the quarter ended 31 March 2008 ?
How many of the new jobs for residents, went to such new residents ?
Labour stakeholders like NTUC should analyse the cause of the above worrying trends for Singaporean workers, explore what can be done to reverse or slow down the trend, and how to mitigate the effect and implications on citizens?
In this connection, according to the Department of Statistics’ Monthly Digest of Statistics April 2008, the ratio of job seekers placed in employment to job seekers attended to at Career Link Centres, has declined from 29 per cent in 2006, to 28 and 24 per cent in 2007 and March 2008, respectively.
Also, the total population in Singapore is growing at it’s fastest rate since 1990, at 4.3 per cent, compared to the resident (citizens and PRs) population growing at only 1.6 per cent since 1990.
GST increase statistics
I refer to the article “An exclusive club to help the needy” (Today, May 24).
The North-West Community Development Council is asking companies and individuals to donate $100 or more each month towards the North-West Food Aid Fund, because demand for food packages from the needy has more than doubled since December, as inflation hit another 26-year high, at 7.5 per cent in April.
There have also been media reports of hospitals raising funds to help needy patients pay for their medical fees.
Since the reason given for raising the Goods and Services Tax (GST) by another two per cent, was to help the poor, aren’t the CDCs and hospitals getting more money to help the poor?
In this connection, I understand that GST collections after the two per cent increase is estimated to be $ 1.9 billion, which is more than the initial estimate of about $1.5 billion because of a booming economy.
Moreover, in addition, I understand that co-operatives in Singapore have had healthy surpluses, of which up to 20 per cent are contributed to the Central Co-operative Fund under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
Some of these funds are also available to help the needy.
What are the statistics on how the increased GST collections have been used to help the poor, on a comparative basis, before and after the GST hike?
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Level the playing field for locals and foreigners in employment
Tuesday, 25 August 2009, 11:10 pm | 6,144 views
Announcement:
We apologise for not updating this website the last couple of days. TOC is taking a few days’ break. We’ll be back soon.Leong Sze Hian was invited by BlogTV to pen an article for them. We publish it below.
Before we talk about whether Singaporeans deserve to have more privileges than PRs and foreigners, perhaps we could first ask whether there may be any areas whereby foreigners or PRs have “more privileges” than Singaporeans?Employers which employ foreigners, do not have to contribute CPF. So, the employer saves up to 14.5 per cent of the salary.
Employ a female on the S-Pass or work permit, you don’t have to worry about the four months maternity leave if you employ a Singaporean lady. As I understand it, the conditions of the S-Pass and work permit forbids them from becoming pregnant.
If you employ a Singaporean male, he has up to 40 days of reservist liability in a year. In contrast, employing a foreign or PR male, eliminates this problem.
Since those on say work permits are stuck with the same employer for up to three years, the employer may not have a turnover problem – Singaporean employees can resign anytime.
So, is the playing field level in employment, for Singaporeans, vis-à-vis foreigners?
In this regard, I think Singaporeans may not even be asking for “more privileges”, but just a more level playing field.
Moreover, since foreigners do not have to make their own employee’s CPF contribution of up to 20 per cent, their disposable income may be more than a Singaporean worker.
This may be one of the reasons why the wages of lower-income, lower-skilled jobs may have been declining over the years.
For example, cleaners that used to earn about $800 a month a few years ago, now only earn about $650.
As Singaporeans typically have families to feed, mortgages to service, relative to foreigners or PRs who may generally be here alone, Singaporeans may find it more difficult to accept lower paying jobs, for the simple fact that it may not be enough for their basic needs relative to foreigners and PRs.
The manpower regulations require employers to insure all foreign workers for at least $5,000 of medical insurance cover.
However, there is no such requirement for Singaporean workers.
So, in some companies, we have the abnormality of foreign workers being insured, whereas Singaporeans are not.
This is another example of “less privileges” rather than “more privileges”.
PR siblings (below age 35) qualify to buy resale HDB flats. However, Singaporean PR siblings (below age 35) do not. Why is it that in this aspect, even PRs may have “more privileges” than Singaporeans?
I think what may really irk Singaporeans, may not be so much about how much more or less privileges there are, but rather how many Singaporeans these “privileges” policies may be affecting.
In order to answer this question, we need for example, the break-down of the unemployment statistics into Singaporeans and PRs, instead of lumping them together as residents; HDB flats purchased by PRs relative to citizens, etc.
PRs who have no jobs may be able to more easily return to their home country, sell their HDB flats, etc, but Singaporeans generally have no choice but to find work and stay in Singapore.
We may also need to be more discerning in examining the statistics when we ask for more privileges, as sometimes, when say PRs and foreigners have to pay more for medical fees relative to Singaporeans, it may be Singaporean employers, Singaporean households, who may be bearing the brunt of the fees increase, as they are the ones paying for their foreign/PR employees, domestic maids, non-Singaporean spouses and relatives.
For example, when fees increase for foreigners and PRs, but remain the same for Singaporeans, it may not be “more privileges”.
Instead, it may be a greater financial burden for some Singaporeans, unless increase in fees for foreigners and PRs, means lower fees for Singaporeans.
An alumnus of Harvard University, Leong Sze Hian has authored 4 books, been quoted over 1000 times in the media , host of a radio show on money matters and a daily newspaper column, has been a Wharton Fellow and invited to speak more than 100 times in more than 20 countries on 5 continents. He has served as Honorary Consul of Jamaica, Chairman of the Institute of Administrative Management, and founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of Indonesia and Brunei.
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S’poreans and foreigners both paying the price
Tuesday, 9 December 2008, 8:01 am | 3,392 views
Gerald Giam / Senior Writer
On 4 December at a National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) forum for employers and unions, NTUC chief Lim Swee Say and Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong were both reduced to imploring employers to retrench foreign workers before Singaporean workers, in order to minimise job losses for the latter, who make up a sizeable bloc of voters in every general election. This is a truly sorry state of affairs in Singapore’s employment landscape.Firstly, it appears the government has taken a cold, utilitarian attitude towards foreign workers. It is as if these workers are soulless machines, who should be simply discarded when they are no longer needed. In fact, each of these workers is probably the sole breadwinner whose remittances support a large extended family back home.
Secondly and more importantly for Singaporeans is the fact that if the government has to beg employers to retrench foreigners first, it implies that their policies so steeply favour foreigners, such that if left to market forces, employers would naturally want to shed Singaporeans first.
Mr Lim said it “makes business sense” to release foreigners first during a downturn if a Singaporean could do the same job equally well. His reasoning is that when the economy recovers, it will be easier to source for foreign labour than compete for local talents with business rivals.
The Minister evidently has never been a business owner himself. If both can do the job equally well, it will make better business sense to axe the Singaporeans first, since they carry the extra loaded costs of reservist duty (for men), maternity leave (for women), employer CPF contributions and paid childcare leave (for both). In addition, family responsibilities and higher costs of living compel Singaporeans to ask for higher wages to meet their living expenses. They will also be less willing to work overtime or commute to far flung factory locations as this will take away time from their families (or their second jobs, in many cases). Foreign workers, who are here without their families, have less reason to make such demands. It should therefore be the government’s duty to its citizens to ensure that the total cost of hiring a foreign worker is not lower than the cost of hiring a Singaporean.
The government’s argument is that foreigner workers — referring to blue collar workers, not “foreign talent — provide low cost labour for our companies in good times, preventing these companies from uprooting and moving to lower cost countries like China and Vietnam, which will result in even more Singaporean job losses.
While this argument sounds good to the ears on the surface, it obscures the fact that no matter how lowly we pay our workers, the cost base of Singapore is still much higher than in China and Vietnam, or even Malaysia. Human resources firm ECA International Asia recently reported that Singapore has leapt 27 places up the global rankings of the world’s most expensive places to live in.
For most companies with operations here, the highest business expense after wages is office rentals. High rentals are caused in part by the government allowing “market forces” to run amok in the 1990s and property prices to rise so steeply that it has rendered our economy uncompetitive. Of course, the government will not admit that rentals make us uncompetitive — they will insist that our wages are the culprit. Nevertheless, even wages, while kept low for blue collar workers, have risen significantly over the past few years for senior managers and “foreign talent”, and this undoubtedly accounts for a large portion of companies’ wage bill.
The pittance paid to foreign workers has effectively suppressed the wages of Singaporean blue collar workers. At the end of the day, not only do Singaporeans lose out in wages and jobs, but so do foreign workers, whose living conditions and low salaries (after deducting the government levy) leave much to be desired for a developed country like Singapore which claims to uphold migrant worker rights.
The only ones who benefit are the corporations and their shareholders — and of course the people whose bonuses are tied to the country’s GDP growth rate, not the unemployment rate.
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Note: You can click on the writer’s name to access all previous articles by the same writer.
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S'pore event, why give to China charity?
By Benson Ang
September 03, 2008
CHARITY begins at home, they say. But should it also remain at home?
READY, SET, GO: SGX chief Hsieh Fu Hua (right) at the launch of Bull Charge 2008 in June. ST FILE PICTURE
That's the issue on the boil in the financial district after the Singapore Exchange (SGX) listed a foreign charity as one of its beneficiaries for its annual charity fun run this year.
SGX will, for the first time, allocate part of the funds raised by Bull Charge 2008 to the China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF), a government-affiliated welfare group in China.
The Charge, now in its fifth year, will be held at the Padang on 24Oct.
SGX, a public-listed entity, is the stock exchange in Singapore, which has more than 700 listed companies on it.
Last year's event, then called The Bull Run, raised $3.5 million, which benefitted 14 charities.
The CYDF introduces education to rural, poverty-stricken areas in China. It targets dropouts, poor children and children of poor migrants who have escaped the notice of the city government.
It launched Project Hope in 1989 to ensure that the children have the opportunity to attend school.
Why a China charity?
Said a SGX spokesman: 'The Bull Charge has benefited from the generosity of overseas listed companies over the last four years.
Chinese listed companies
'To date, Chinese companies have formed the most significant group of contributors. Thus, for our first overseas charity, we selected one from China.'
Li Heng Chemical Fibre Technologies, a Chinese company listed on SGX, contributed $100,000 to the event, according to The Business Times, one of the partners of Bull Charge 2008.
The other partners are Central Singapore Community Development Council, Channel NewsAsia and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
This year's run will also benefit 18 Singapore charities, such as the Autism Association and Sunlove Home.
Most people The New Paper spoke to were supportive of the decision to include the Chinese charity.
Mr Teo Cher Koon, managing director and president of ISDN Holdings, a public-listed engineering company, said: 'I believe that SGX may be trying to create more attention for Singapore businesses in the Chinese market.
'Although China might look rich, it is still poor in terms of its per capital income.'
Still, at least one has questioned SGX's decision.
A consultant, who only wanted to be known as Mr Yeo, is sceptical.
He said: 'The Chinese are so rich, and don't need the money. The old man in Telok Blangah might benefit from it a lot more.'
Other businesses, while supportive, are hesitant of SGX's decision.
Said Mr Clifford Tan, 55, a restaurant owner: 'I'd be supportive if I know the money is used for the right purpose. But behind the scenes, how do we know what's going on?
'It's just that China is so far away.'
Source: http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...75352,00.html? -
Migrating Singaporeans – help improve employment opportunities first
Tuesday, 30 June 2009, 11:58 am | 4,215 views
The following is a letter to the Straits Times forum page by Gilbert Goh.
I refer to the article “Migrating Singaporeans” (ST 27 June).
I am currently residing in Sydney Australia and felt that SM Goh Chok Tong’s speech needed a response from those who are living abroad.
Having work and live for the past two years abroad, let me reiterate that it is so much different from working back home.
I worked for about a year in China in 2007-2008 and has found the experience liberating. Though work has to be done, it is not the same as Singapore which is often stressful and taxing. Let me just say that thee is still a life after work when you are abroad. The same could not be same back home. Many laboured long hours at work and suffer the consequences of not spending enough time with their loved ones. Lax labour laws favouing the employers also do not give workers enough say on their job scope.
It is no secret that the lifestyle one leads back home is not very balanced and after a while, one begins to look for a better place to spend his life with. Many I know left Singapore in search of greener pasture both in terms of a more balanced lifestyle and better career opportunities.
It is also well known that our employers are biased against older workers preferring them to be at least below forty years of age. The influx of foreigner workers competing for employment have also given Singaporeans the added incentive to search for work abroad. The job market during past few years has become an employer’s market pushing many more Singaporeans to look at alternatives.
Personally,I was unemployed for close to 1 1/2 years during the Sars period and during that period, I began to earnestly look for an alternate place to work and reside – one that does not discriminate against age. I realise that things will be very diffcult for someone who is above aged 40 years old and not very skilled. My family took the plunge last year when we were offered a 4-year work visa in Australia and have never look back. Many back home envy our so-called second chance at having a life again – abroad.
Though I appreciate SM Goh Chok Tong’s intention to try to help local Singaporeans settle down in their own country after graduation, i am afraid that his efforts will be in vain unless employment opportunities improve especially for those age above 40 years old. We also need to work less and play more.
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Why’re foreigners on social visit passes allowed to work in S’pore?
Tuesday, 7 July 2009, 8:17 am | 4,695 views
The following is a letter to the Manpower Minister, Mr Gan Kim Yong, by Mr De Souza Jose Socrates on the 6th of July. The minister has not replied to him. We thank Mr De Souza for allowing us to publish the letter here – without edit.
Dear Mr Gan,It is with much disappointment in the government’s and with your ruling party’s policies that I am writing to you.
When I was shopping around for clothes on this GSS at Suntec City’s Levi’s branch, to my surprise, I noticed that all but one staff working at the outlet were filipino nationals. So I decided to probe a little further and to my ultimate surprise, they were very open and proudly declared to me that they got this job while here on social visit passes.
They also further told me that most of them working in Levi’s other outlets also obtained this job (sales assistant) the same way and their sole purpose were to obtain permanent resident visas so they could bring their family over to live and work in S’pore. Some also said they were merely using S’pore as a stepping stone to migrate to other western first world nations! And this is just the tip of the iceberg as Levis is not the only company to have this pratice. Guardian Pharmacy, Watsons, Tenchi Digital Lifestyle and countless other deparmental stores also have large foreign labour on their ranks.
Which leads me to ponder on the current ongoing global economic crisis and the unemployment situation in S’pore. Your ministry just announced over the past week that the labour market here is still soft and that we can also expect more retrenchments to come. During this period of hardship for many S’poreans, why is your ministry still allowing more foreign labour (also desired by many of your fellow minister collegues) and especially those on social visit passes to easily obtain jobs in S’pore? Dosen’t the ICA also probe with each application made for work permits as to how they managed to get the jobs? Don’t tell me that these are jobs shun by fellow S’poreans? One will just find it hard to believe!
One also just need to take a stroll down Geylang especially along Lor 16 and 18 and find that most coffeeshop assistants working are chinese nationals and the porportion of S’porean workers supposed to be regulated by legislation just isn’t there and dosen’t tally up! Needless to mention the vices that are taking place there on a daily basis. Vietnamese women would be seen sitting at Lim Beng Coffeehouse harrassing male patrons aggrasively for their sexual services.
We, as the citizens of S’pore, really need to be asking ourselves whether we do indeed have a first world government who have a heart for our people? We are not asking for more welfare to be disbursed, (which in itself is not a dirty word) but for the government to be treating us in a more humane way which is expected of a first world government in the first place! Your party have lost interest in our people’s well-being while in pursuit of even more greedy economic development and ties with PRC, India etc. I am deeply saddened by what I see and would hope there would a change in the politcal situation which reflects the situation by and large that we are in today. I don’t think we would fall for the welfare payouts only during election time nor the nine more Non-constituency seats created for the oppostition. With this note, I end by hoping that a political tsunami like March 8th 2008 in Malaysia would take place here in S’pore to serve as a form of ‘punishment’ for the PAP government!
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MP had no empathy
Saturday, 16 May 2009, 12:03 am | 3,509 views
Have you been rudely treated at a Meet The People Session? Please write in to us. We’ll be happy to hear your views. Email us at : [email protected] .
The following is a letter by LAWRENCE LOH KIAH MUAN published in the online version of the Today newspaper, 13 May 2009, “MP had no empathy”.
It started with Member of Parliament (MP) Seng Han Thong being set on fire. Then came MP Denise Phua who was threatened by a rag-and-bone man. Recently, MP Cynthia Phua was subjected to a display of violence by a constituent.
Although these incidents are disturbing and a cause for concern, I wonder whether the constituents are solely to be blamed.
Allow me to relate my personal experience.
In February 2001, my older son died in a naval accident whilst serving National Service. In that year, my younger son was due for enlistment. A friend, a very active grassroots member, suggested that I approach my MP, for help in exploring the possibility of getting an exemption for my younger son. I was reluctant but he went ahead to fix an appointment for me at the Meet-The-People Session (MPS). I subsequently relented and he accompanied me there. It was in March 2001. That was my first appearance at a MPS, and it was to be my last.
I waited until midnight before I could meet the MP. Prior to this, he was given the case paper which detailed the objective of the meeting and the circumstances of my case.
When I entered the room, his first remark was “Yes, what can I do for you?”. There was no attempt at offering a word of sympathy or condolence. I then related my situation and said that both my wife and I were very traumatised.
His next remark “What traumatic, after two months, you won’t be traumatic?”. With that, I decided to end the meeting. And with that, my respect for him hit ground zero. I was too stunned and grief-stricken to react. Someone who was less-controlled and less-measured than me could have flown into a rage and become violent.
MPs are elected or appointed to serve the constituents. People who attend the MPS are those who have real problems and need help. In a lot of instances, they are stressed, distressed and troubled. What they need is a caring soul, a helping hand, a gentle voice, and words of hope and encouragement. To dispense these, MPs need good interpersonal skills and a high EQ. Arrogance, a patronizing, chiding and belittling attitude, aloofness and lack of empathy will only trigger acts of rashness and violence. Many of our politicians have a high IQ, some are scholars. However, a high IQ is not the only attribute needed in a political career. A high EQ is equally, if not more critical, especially when it comes to dealing with the constituents.
In my case, I would have felt good if my MP could have been a warm and caring person. If he could have been empathetic, consoling and helpful. All these qualities can only come from the heart, not from the mind.
How many of our MPs can stand up and be counted for this?
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“一天过一天，平平安安就好.”
Tuesday, 28 April 2009, 4:15 pm | 849 views
Deborah Choo
The title of this essay, in English, means: “Take each day as it comes, as long as everyone is safe.” They are the words of a fortune teller in Chinatown. I call him Uncle Fortune.A man in his seventies, Uncle Fortune sets up his makeshift stall outside the walkway of a World KTV club two or three times a week. From 12 noon to 2pm, he stands there and waits for customers at the junction between Smith Street and South Bridge Road.
His stall consists of a simple foldable table lined with a yellow-coloured cloth. The table is adorned with two statues of a Thai Buddha placed prominently in the middle against the green wall of the club. The deities’ many heads tower over the rest of the table’s ensemble: a deck of poker cards, a stack of geomancy books, a pile of 4D coupons on one side, and an incense holder on the other. Two short red stools are placed symmetrically on the floor on both sides of the table – one for himself, the other for his customer.
Uncle Fortune has been reading fortune for 30 years.
At S$3 per reading, he makes about ten dollars or slightly more each day.
“Caucasians sometimes give me S$20 per reading!” he exclaims gleefully, his straight face softening into a smile.
Any apprehension I have melts away as his gentle demeanor and honesty capture my attention. His sunken cheeks give rise to his conspicuous, protruding cheekbones. He has a high forehead, a tall sharp nose, and full, straight lips. Peeking out above the golden-rimmed tinted glasses perched on the bridge of his nose is his pair of hugely expressive eyes.
Bluish veins stand out beneath the papery skin on his thin arms. Clothed in a collar-tee with refreshing orange stripes, and baggy long pants, his bamboo-thin frame is easy to pick out from afar.
Uncle Fortune worked as a volunteer in a Thai temple in his younger days. It was there that he learnt the ways of the Buddha from the monks. And evidently, he holds the teachings close to his heart. “Everyone changes as time goes by, so does the world,” he says. “Just live simply.” He still visits the temple about two or three times a week.
In his 30 years as a fortune teller, he has seen people from all walks of life. His customers range from a police officer complaining about his superior at work, to a person dying of cancer.
“It is only when people are dying or faced with difficulties do they realize what is most important in their lives,” he says, as tourists and locals walk pass his stall. Some stop momentarily, attracted by the peculiar sight of Uncle’s small roadside set-up.
Besides telling fortunes, he also gets by with odd jobs such as delivering goods with his van. However, such opportunities are not frequent and are only ad hoc – whenever the subcontractor needs him.
Uncle Fortune’s wife works in a garment factory, earning approximately S$200 to S$300 a month. Together with what he makes through telling fortune, they have just enough to get by. His son, who is married and has his own family, does not give Uncle Fortune any monthly allowances. “He has a family of his own,” Uncle explains.
“As long as I have hands and legs, I will go and work. I don’t want to rely on the government either,” he says in Chinese.
However, Uncle Fortune has good things to say about his Member of Parliament, Dr. Lily Neo. “She fought fiercely for the increment of Public Assistance from the government,” he explains. “Because of her, they have now increased it from S$260 to S$360.”
“She is a good person, and a caring doctor,” Uncle Fortune continues. He has seen Dr Neo several times, and had consulted her at her clinic long before she entered politics in 1996. “She sometimes foregoes her fees too for poor people,” he says. “She is a good person,” he repeats. Dr Neo often pays visits the old folks on the streets in Chinatown, Uncle informs us.
Uncle Fortune strikes a philosophical tone when we spoke about life in Singapore. “Money can always be earned again,” he says. “My health and my family are more important to me. Nothing else matters.”
The KTV club’s manager arrives. “He is here now,” Uncle Fortune tells us. It is time for him to leave as the club does not allow him to be there when it opens for business at 3pm.
Uncle Fortune cringes down to his table and starts to pack up for the day. Carefully, he picks up the statues, cleans them with a cloth and gently places them in his red duffle bag. He does the same for the stack of books. He removes the half-burning incense sticks and places them on the edge of the table as he empties the incense holder. He next picks up the yellow cloth, rid it of ash from the incense sticks, folds it and stores it away.
Asked what he would do if he can no longer ply his trade on the streets, Uncle Fortune smiles and says simply, “I will go live in an old folks’ home.”
Tomorrow, Uncle returns to the same spot – hoping to make his $10 or more.
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Picture from Tony Goh’s blog, unrelated to Uncle Fortune.
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Read also:
Gentle under the warmth of the sun
He is on the streets seven to eight hours everyday, starting from 4pm. “Now prices [for cardboards] aren’t that good,” he explains. “And when it rains, I cannot collect them.” Thus he also collects drink cans to supplement his income. He ends his day at 11pm and takes a taxi home. “It costs about fifteen dollars for the trip to and from my house,” he says. We guess that he takes the taxi because he has to bring his trolley along. Our curious eyes spot a bunch of keys hanging from his belt. They’re for locking up his trolley at night, we later learned. He hopes to sell it, because it is rusty and rickety, for four or five dollars and get a new one. It will make pushing it easier, he says. That would be a great help under such scorching conditions during the day.A key maker and his dying trade
Turning somewhat sombre, however, Uncle laments that key making is a dying trade in Singapore. The keys produced nowadays with sophisticated technology makes it difficult for traditional key makers to reproduce.“Some keys are made so delicate and complicated, I can’t produce them with my old machine,” Uncle bellows, adding that “it would also be too expensive to pay for the materials and machines required” if he wanted to keep up with the times.
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National service, national responsibilities
Thursday, 19 June 2008, 9:45 am | 2,030 views
There is a saying in my office: the job of the Military Medicine Institute is to prove that you don’t have what you say you have. It began as a joke, based on observations that we have made during our time in Basic Military Training. Unfortunately, it seems that the statement is truer by the day.I told my colleagues the story of a recruit in my company in Pulau Tekong. He suffered from severe flat feet. The arches of his feet would collapse after running for too long, making him highly unsuitable as a frontline soldier.
He demonstrated that he had flat foot during his medical check-up. He even went to a private specialist to confirm his condition. But he was sent for PES A/B training. It took over a month before he was officially downgraded and posted out – in the interim, he was pulled out of training and spent his days sitting in the company office and running simple errands.
Fiction? I wish. It is merely just another case of irresponsibility.
The price we pay
Every time a recruit is declared ‘Out of Training/Course’ in BMT because of a pre-existing medical condition that could have been detected but was not, he would have to be sent for the next BMT recourse that caters to his actual PES status. All the money heretofore spent on him, from food to utility bills to ammunition, would effectively be wasted – and that money comes from taxpayers’ wallets.
Pre-enlistees, too, have to bear the cost of a medical misdiagnosis. My former company mate scrambled to have a private specialist to diagnose him with flat foot, after realizing that the doctors at the Central Manpower Base would send him for PES A/B BMT. Armed with this documentation, he proved to his superiors that he should be medically downgraded, and was declared OOT from the third day.
Had he not consulted his specialist, there is a very high chance that he would have suffered feet injuries before the MMI realized its mistake. But it is absurd that he had to pay a private specialist to perform a service that a military doctor could, and ought to, have done just as competently, and for free. Private specialists charge steep prices; should a pre-enlistee with a medical condition be unable to afford a specialist, and be wrongly classified during his preliminary medical check-up, he would be in for a spell of bad luck and trouble. And the SAF would then have to pay for his treatment.
Worse still is the effect on the recruits’ health. One of my colleagues has scoliosis, curvature of the spine, and was sent for PES C BMT. The simple act of carrying his military and civilian clothing and equipment to his bunk injured his spine, and he had to be excused from carrying heavy loads. It should have been a given, considering his back problem, but nothing in the SAF seems to exist unless it is officially documented in triplicate.
A few months later, he was ordered to wear a fully loaded Load Bearing Vest to the live-firing range for nearly the whole day, further aggravating his injury. He now has to perform personal physiotherapy every other hour, courtesy of several slipped discs, and can only sleep on a waterbed because regular ones would aggravate his condition. Here, the SAF has to spend time to process his injury report – his case stretches back to December 2007, and has yet to be resolved – and determine if he was eligible for compensation. A medical board is being convened to determine if he should be downgraded to PES E9L9, the lowest grading a serviceman may get before being discharged on medical grounds. The result: even more time and money spent to rectify something that could have been prevented.
Perhaps the most debilitating of all is the effect on the morale of affected servicemen. My colleague now bears a grudge against his former commanders, refusing to refer to them without using unprintable vulgarities. Every serviceman who had had to turn to a private specialist because the military doctors have failed in their job would lose his faith in the MMI, because of that failure, and would have judged it rightly. Left unchecked, the negative attitude that emerges from each lapse would extend to embrace the SAF in its death grip. Indeed, to the disaffected, ‘SAF’ is an acronym for four words. The first two is ‘serve and’, and the last is ‘off’. I will leave you to speculate what ‘F’ means.
Should his ennui be entrenched by future incidents, the serviceman would lose any incentive to do his best while serving his National Service liability. The efficiency of his unit would then be compromised in the area he is currently responsible for, be it logistics or clerical work. From a macro perspective, compounding the negative effects of each disappointed soldier, the overall effectiveness of the SAF would be further compromised – and therefore, its ability to defend Singapore.
The price of every misdiagnosis and every act of negligence is in the currency of money, time, operational readiness, and blood. We, the people of Singapore, are the only people who can pay for it.
Duties and expectations
The military sees National Service through the paradigm of duty. The average citizen, however, sees it through the paradigm of compulsion. The SAF wants to instil a sense of loyalty in every serviceman, to have him understand that National Service is a duty imposed upon all male Singaporeans to provide for the common defence, because there are too few people to sustain an army of regular soldiers. But many Singaporeans simply see National Service as a mechanism that tears their sons, brothers, fathers, husbands and lovers away from them.
Neither side is wrong. But their perspectives are irreconcilable. The death of every serviceman attributed to a military lapse would heighten the tension between them, and eats away at the military’s core. The military, in turn, would want to play down the extent of any lapses, because it – and its political masters – have no desire to lose the public’s support, which was never significantly high to begin with. I would not be surprised if stories of cover-ups were to surface; after all, nobody, least of all a regular soldier, would want to lose face. Yet this is only a temporary solution at best. It does not at all resolve the situation.
What should be done is the recognition of responsibilities on both sides. The military must recognize that it is a public organization that is mostly staffed by people against their free will. This restriction of such a basic human right must be recompensed through a pledge of honour and professionalism, to develop each enlistee’s potential to the fullest.
In the event of a lapse, especially one so severe that it leads to death or injury, the SAF must spare no effort in investigating its cause and punishing the guilty, and it must be done as transparently as possible. The military must aim to minimise the cost of maintaining the SAF, especially the cost imposed by negligence and misdiagnoses. Nothing less will do, because the survival of the nation and the honour of the military rest on the SAF’s shoulders. It is the public’s duty to urge the government and the SAF to do so, to prevent bureaucratic inertia from suffocating the investigation, as it is the public that must bear the cost of military irresponsibility.
Recognising responsibilities
Civilians, in turn, ought to recognise that they must provide for and support the common defence. Pre-enlistees should realise that only they can defend their loved ones, because there are not and never will be enough regulars to do so for them. They should play their part by meeting the rigours of National Service – servicemen by doing their best, civilians by supporting them. The legal system assures us that anybody who chooses to renege on his national duty would be punished if caught. But it is education, public messages, and the attitude of the military towards servicemen that would influence what people truly think of National Service.
The ultimate objective of this exercise is to reduce the cost borne by the public caused by negligence and misdiagnoses. When the military recognises its responsibility and acts professionally, doctors would examine pre-enlistees more carefully, commanders would care more for their men, clerks would pay more attention to their work, and so on. The citizenry would support the military in its task, and take it to task when needed. This means less public money spent on recourses and resources, less time wasted for new postings, less blood spilt and hearts lost by trainees, and a lower chance that the SAF, should it be needed, would be found wanting.
In times of peace, sons bury their fathers. In times of war, fathers bury their sons.
Let us hope that it becomes so.
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The author wishes to remain anonymous.