Not counting sports, there is no real quantitative measure to verify this at an individual basis.  It doesn’t mean that LHL says so, then it must be true.. 

I would like to see LHL and his entire Cabinet replaced by foreign talent….  Put your money where your mouth is…

So, oh leader, why the productivity not enough?

Did someone told me that 30% or so are foreign-originate workers (white or blue collars or some collarless without portfolio )?

Suddenly so much more and Productivity no enough?

Oh dear, i wonder why?

However sports is a totally different thing. I am a sports fanatic but I still have to say this: Sports doesn’t make sense… it doesn’t make economic sense nor does it help solve any social ills on it’s own… and it costs a hell lot of money to maintain. So why is sports so important? Because it gels a community, a population and more importantly a country… it provides a sense of pride amongst it’s citizens and it makes them want to be part of the community and to see it excel!!

Yes the foreign talents may have won singapore’s first olympic medal in a long time, yes they have brought us many many medals at lower sporting events… now the singapore national table tennis team is a force to be reckon with on the world stage… seemed to be a success story doesn’t it… but no… if they do not inject the same euphoria and pride and joy in the nation then it has failed. The current singapore soccer national team is probably better then the legendary teams from the 1977 and 1994 malaysia cup… they no longer struggle to beat state teams in malaysia but those teams had a much larger impact on the people of singapore. They made everybody proud, nobody had anything bad to say, at most you are indifferent because sports is not your cup of tea… but now there are sports fans who would come up and show their displeasure at these ‘success’!! Why?

I think the sports bosses need to think what is the most important thing in sports… is it the winning of medals to add to their or our CV or to bind the nation together. I have nothing against the chinese table tennis players, and I do cheer them on and celebrate when they win… but somehow the feeling is different and it’s not something the government or anybody can change with just policies or sensible thoughts…

I hope the FT scheme will really help us to develop our own born and bred sports heroes but looking at the table tennis and soccer teams so far it doesn’t seemed that it has or is going to be BUT the worst thing is that the people who can make decisions don’t see it as a problem…

How many singaporeans report to a foreigner who has been granted a PR status who in turn report to another FT turned PR?? I am one of those singaporeans.

Clearly, I wouldnt say that my managers and boss are talents. Poor management style, poor technical knowledge, poor command of English, poor understanding of Singapore Standard English (English Language learnt in school; not Singlish), poor leadership, incapability to deliver the objective to subordinates, not-open minded to subordinates idea, everything is lousy… they should give up their PR status and go back their hometown to sleep…

So let him in, PM?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4766890.stm

“I have to wonder if Mr Tan Howe Liang won the medal for Singapore today, would people make issue with the fact that he came from China.”

“This is a very valid point;. Haven’t thought about it. But then Mr Tan come to Singapore for an entirely different purpose.”

Most probably not. With due respect to Mr Tan Howe Liang, he emigrated with his family from China in 1937. He won the silver medal 27 years later in 1960, by that time he should had been fully assimilated.

More importantly, he won the medal out of his love for the sport. In fact, he had to pay out of his own pocket to finance his training and expenses due to the lack of financial support.

Compare this to the present day, where imported athletes are promised a reward of S$1 million (S$1.5 for team event) for winning a gold medal at the Olympics, he did not receive any monetary rewards for his effort.

Lastly, there were no mass imports of foreigners, as opposed to the present, for people to make an issue of.

Think he will be welcomed? Got money and creative: a cut above the run-of-mill FTs. Juz like prince from Nepal.

And remember govmen policy of giving a second chance to convicts.

“Love for sport –

Would Singaporean parents support their children to spend hours and hours on certain sport just because of “Love for sport”?”

Yes. Living in Australia, I can see the how the parents emphsaize on sports. Also the government too. Every weekend, most aussie parents bring their kids to stadiums, football pitches, swimming pools, etc.

I don’t see how Singapore cannot be similiar.

“Will Singaporeans be happy that we just participate the Game without winning anything?”

Yes. What about those Australian athletes who came back home without winning a medal? They are still treated as heroes because they tried and did their best.

I remember I was cheering for Ang Peng Siong. Did he even qualify? Of course not, but I sure did feel patriotic that he is a Singaporean.

“No one repeated that history. If it were repeated, there might not be a need of Foreign Sport Talent program.”

Wrong. Because Singapore government doesn’t encourage local kids to have a life in sport. See how they treat Fandi Ahmad? Ask him now. He’ll tell you he regretted coming back when he could have lived his life out in Europe.

Because the government doesn’t value us and are willing to put in programmes which may or may not produce world class athletes.

They rather scout around in world and ‘purchase’ what other countries have already invested time and training on the youths for a particular sports.

“I have to wonder if Mr Tan Howe Liang won the medal for Singapore today, would people make issue with the fact that he came from China.”

This is a very valid point;. Haven’t thought about it. But then Mr Tan come to Singapore for an entirely different purpose.

Kaffein

FG

FG