Comments on: A nation of foreigners in 11 years

By: ak

ak — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:05:46 +0000

lowly paid,long hours..who would want to work in the singapore service industry.In developed countries they are paid 3 to 4 time more…and have more pride than us cheap labourers with no choice,except for the uneduacated,old singaporean.only foreigners from 3rd world countries hunger for these jobs…

By: Economist Magazine

Economist Magazine — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:52:39 +0000

Singapore’s PR problem in the Economist magazine:

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14859345

By: theforgottongeneration

theforgottongeneration — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:17:01 +0000

@225) George on October 22nd, 2009 5.01 pm

There is one main difference between S’pore’s foreign import policy and that of other countries. For UK, the foreign-born population = 9.7% (2005) while S’pore is 36% (2009). The ODEC countries usually see +/-2% max growth in the 1 DECADE; S’pore FWs/FTs increased by 1% of population from 2008 to 2009. Logically it is much easily to assimilate 1 foreigner with 9 locals; we are now dealing with nearly 3.6 foreigners to 6.4 locals.

So, whatever you see as “take-overs” of jobs, towns, homes, etc.. by foreigners in UK, Singapore is having 3x the effect.

By: George

George — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:01:36 +0000

Looking back on my own situation and the reason I left SinKapore, I realised it was education opportunity that attracted me to up root and travel far away from the land of my birth. with the inflood of FT/FW the job opportunities and education for the younger one will be more competitive. Whether it is a right policy or not it is too early to tell but the pressure is being felt by those who had to compete Being a third generation SinKaporean, sad to say I do not feel I belong to the country of my birth. UK offers more education opportunities beside generous education grant for students including overseas students. Just imagine, a guy with just 11 “O” level given a chance to study BSc in engineering. Most of us SinKaporean were channelled into educational stream from primary six onward and denied opportunity if one was a late developer. It was especially true if one ended up in a school called Gan Eng Seng. Those of us, who took the bold decision to up root and move out to seek a better life will be rewarded if one apply ourselves diligently. Importing large number of FT/FW is a short term solution but with potential long term consequences. UK had its fair share of problems with large inflood of migrant workers. Large town and city had been taken over by these migrants and ghetto were formed leading to racial disharmony. Hopefully, in the case of SinKapore, the negative aspect of this policy will not lead to racial problems in the future.

By: Anon

Anon — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:40:08 +0000

One questioin flitted into my mind with the population statistics. Did they measure the rate if Singapore citizens emigrating over the years?

I suspect the pace and rate has increased the past 5 years, and the number is growing higher each year.

Tell us something, doesn’t it?

By: dove

dove — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:29:09 +0000

i strongly feel this subject should be kept alive…MM is telling us now why we need the immigrants….i seem to remember when i was in my child bearing years, i was told i couldn’t have more than two children…this is the price we r paying today..we need the immigrants to make up the numbers!!
just how many immigrants are really here for the long haul? in the meantime, singaporeans are being treated like second class citizens (no cheap fares for the elderly!!), and once u reach ur forties, u r no longer of value to this country’s economy slave machine, so they bring in the whites, china nationals, india indians, malaysians to replace singaporeans who had done their bits for their country, and who are now considered worthless. i don’t wann a vibrant country, i wann our country men (singaporeans who had served their national service, singaporeans who r still loyal to this country, albeit not for long the way it is going) to have jobs so they can feed their families, not having to worry about where the hell they are going to get the money to pay their mortgages, to support their elderly parents…i m pretty sure singaporeans have lost their jobs to these immigrants, or foreign talents…we the common people are not stupid nor ignorant..we know people who know people who had lost their jobs to FTs….any reason why we should welcome them? i have india’s indians who do not integrate with us residents here in my estate, who look down on our own indian nationals..any reason why we should welcome them?
we should keep this subject alive!

By: centurion

centurion — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:12:49 +0000

I read western and eastern history. Both have common ground.
When the Monarchy feel threaten, they will create confusion
among the peasants. Let the peasants fight among themselves for
resources. As long as they are too busy fighting, the monarch
can step in as a middleman to comfort and rule.
Divide and rule.
They will.
Now, you know why there are so many immigrants in Singapore?
We are fighting the immigrants but I will suggest we fight the MONARCHY.

By: C0rnelius

C0rnelius — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:10:45 +0000

That is why in my crudest mind I sometimes wish for a war to hit Singapore. Only then will we see who are the people that will take arms to protect the country they hold so dear and the FTs running away back to their homeland

By: dove

dove — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:38:33 +0000

i agree with roy @5th july….my two cents’ worth of opinion may not matter the slightest to the gahmen, but if many of us keep this issue alive, contribute as actively as possible, we keep hammering at it, maybe the gahmen will take notice..i don’t understand why we need so many employment pass FTs in our country, surely we have just as capable singaporeans (those who were laid off in their late 40s and 50s, in top managerial posts?) who can do the job just as well? surely we are not a nation of goondus? do we really need a vibrant (the norm excuse given for employment white collared FTs) society? give me a less vibrant society, and more employment for our own people!

By: Roy

Roy — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:18:28 +0000

Personally, I believe this is the most important thread online citizen has presented in her website. This issue would greatly determine the future of Singapore and the welfare of the next generation. Therefore, I hope the moderation can keep important issues like this alive in her website so that as many online citizens can get to view it, and continue to air their opinions. Now, this thread has only a few thousand views and it is already in the archive, slowly but surely, it would be swept under the carpet and the power of information would be lost if you do not search the archives, as it continues to move from one thread to the other. I suggest important issue like this should always remain on the homepage visible for all to see and continue to keep it alive and going. Unless we believe this is not important to me, my family, my country, my children’s future, then it would die a natural cause. Otherwise, you would begin to the see the power of the internet, creating a powerful force of information and public opinions of how we want things to happen for ourselves, family, and country. If this issue really matters to us, let it grow, you never know how many more online citizens would leave their opinions. i.e 1 million? Election would not be too far away, the only way we can change the system is through our rights to vote as citizen of Singapore, and it is through website like this that would help to build up awareness of the important issues of this country, and it also acts as information and education as we head towards the next election.

By: closing down sales Part II

closing down sales Part II — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:39:52 +0000

Damaged brain bargain hunters read ad wrongly thinking they can get pearls at closing down shops to resell at boss 2nd class jewelery shop. Recession lah, boss employed goondoos…or FTs/FWs… can’t even pass stupidity trait test.

By: SotongBall

SotongBall — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:41:30 +0000

“An economy that has a GDP growth rate of 4% and a population growth rate of 2% would have a per capita GDP growth rate of 2%. The per capita GDP growth rate is especially important because it indicates the actual increase in average income being experienced by the people of the country. If a country had a 2% GDP growth rate, but a 3% population growth rate, its per capita GDP growth rate would actually be negative, at -1%. The people would on average be getting poorer each year, even though the overall economy is growing. A more positive way of putting it is that, for people’s incomes on average to increase over time, the GDP growth rate must exceed the rate of population growth.”

Why do we need so many FT/FWs? Is it because Singapore is transforming from a highly scalable manufacturing based economy to a less scalable service based economy? Less scalable means you need more people to get the same amount of output or GDP. The nett result could be that GDP grows at a snail’s pace (after this recession) but because of a bigger population, the average Singaporean is poorer.

By: mice is nice

mice is nice — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:49:04 +0000

hi Dove,

i am not saying that all S’poreans are hostile & unfriendly lot, just that when 1 tried to approach the “culprit” in an amicable manner & has the door slammed in the face then its not your fault.

sometimes, some people can be quick on the draw without, realising 1’s own shortcomings, glad you are not like that. i am sorry you have to live with such un-neighbourly folks around you. there is little 1 can do to change them, i think any of your complains to (TCs, police) will be brushed off as there is a nation-wide effort to welcome them. civil servants will just toe the party line….

sorry if i have made it sound like you were at fault, i was not refering to you despite me posting after you. at times like this most true blue S’poreans can only grin & bear it. the threat to ricebowls, rising stress from inconsiderate FWs/FTs, PRs & newly converted citizens…

By: dove

dove — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:18:08 +0000

hello mice is nice..i have tried to talk in a polite friendly neighbourly way to my neighbours from china upstairs..no joy..i have no problems with foreigners living in my estate, but please do not turn our estate into dumping site! i have had door slammed in my face when i asked politely n in a friendly way if they could remove their drippy mop cos the i had laundry hanging out, my neighbour a few doors away has problems with the foreign national living above her throwing soiled napkins/tissue papers/nail clippingsonto her aircon condenser, these days she is just too afraid to have her window open! we tried to be reasonably with these foreigners, but they seem to think they have to right to throw their trash anywhere n everywhere. ..for every action, there is an equal reaction? sorree, i can’t see myself slamming my door into someone’s face! or throw dirty soiled napkins out of the window!

By: mice is nice

mice is nice — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:48:41 +0000

despite the stresses brought on by FTs/FWs, PRs & newly turned citizens, perhaps these are good opportunities to be forthcoming with people who may not know they are being inconsiderate.

thus far living in a HDB unit, i personally have not have to put up with wet dripping mops, laundry, or loud music late into the night. i could have be the “luckier” lot. that said i believe there are truely some bad eggs among those groups.

i urge all who approach those non S’poreans to be more amicable when letting them know that some of the way they do things are affecting others living in closed quarters. i have personally seen ugly S’poreans the hostile & aggressive way they approach others who have rubbed them the wrong way, intentionly or not.

for every action, there is an equal reaction. ;)

By: mice is nice

mice is nice — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:46:56 +0000

despite the stresses brought on by FTs/FWs, PRs & newly turned citizens, perhaps these are good opportunities to be forthcoming with people who may not know they are being inconsiderate.

for every action, there is an equal reaction.

By: dove

dove — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:58:00 +0000

the once clean estate i m living in is now a mini dumpsite; tissue papers, soiled napkins thrown out of the windows and landing on the aircon condenser, dirty mops hanging out the windows even after u ask them not to hang their dirty drippy mops out of the windows, they pretend they don’t understand what u are saying or politely asking.,the culprits? the china nationals living above u! half of the residents here are foreigners, mostly from india and china, the former are snobs cos they think they are better than us (high class? living in a rented hdb and they are high class? lol), the latter spits (pity the one walking behind!, i even saw one young china FT spit out of her five storey bedroom window one morning without checking to see if anyone was below!), in the wet market one market, i was waiting to be served by the vegetable stall holder, this china man walked to the stall and demanded aggressively to the old lady stallholder he wanted to be served right away..i told him to queue up, he gave me a dirty look, and walked away, i see china n india(or pakistan or bangladeshi, whatever!) nationals with the whole family in tow, FT worker, wife, young child, grand parents, just how do they all manage to get in so easily?..there is hardly enough space for us singaporeans! ..they also quarrel very loudly, the whole estate can hear their raised voices (this estate used to be quiet and peaceful..alas, all that is gone with the influx of FT living here), they congregrate in groups in the small park in our estate, then leave their litter behind, mostly beer bottles and cans, they pee in the void decks when they think no one is looking… the locals are fed up, i m fed up, my son is worried about job prospects after uni here (that is if he can get a place here, being a poly student), his peers feel the same, they are fed up n worried with so many foreign talents taking up precious few jobs here…singapore is just way too crowded for us now, i can’t walk on the streets without banging into a china or india or bangladeshi or pakistan national, not to mention the ang mohs, they are just everywhere these days! i can’t get the china lady manning the food stalls to understand i want my coffee black and strong, or that i want tau sa pow, not the chicken pow, not the char siew pow, but tau sa pow! i can’t make the china lady in the shop understand i want to pay using nets, i can’t make the india national lady understand please don’t spit in front of me while walking! when in the supermarket, if u r unfortunate enough to be queueing behind or in front of an ang moh lady, and happen to glance at her, she gives u this haughty i m superior than u look..than how come she is shopping in ntuc fairprice supermart leh, and not jason’s, or marketplace, or cold storage, huh? i heard once this ang moh lady telling her friend (i was in the loo, they thought they were alone, or they just didn’t care whether they were heard or not) that local women are crass, no class, don’t know how to dress, have small breasts, not sure if these ang moh cats were tourists or PRs..i m just so fed up! i have been a faithful PAP supporter all these days, but if nothing is done to stem the flow of these so called FT, i fear for my son’s job prospects after uni here (that is if he can get a place, being a poly student!), i might just consider voting for the oppo next election..someone got to speak for us common people leh! please, gahmen, listen to ur people, hor, not the foreigners u let in! i don’t mind letting in some foreigners, but please not sooooo many leh! and not the whole family in tow.

By: itchyears

itchyears — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:42:37 +0000

i think forums and blogs reveal a lot about the singaporean mind. kiasu and kiasi are just some of the unique traits they have inherited from their political masters. the other traits, too offensive to mention here. chop chop by these traits.

By: closing down sales

closing down sales — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:18:33 +0000

“If you know “A Few Good Men” out there, it will be good, etc….”

This catchy marketing tagline is only good for selling fake koyok to those goondoos who need it to cure their damaged brain cells. It is like big discounts for closing down sales in shops which never close.

By: theforgottongeneration

theforgottongeneration — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:11:10 +0000

@203) Homeless on July 1st, 2009 9.45 am

The worst thing is for Sporeans to be apathetic. That is why I think forums & blogs are good places to exchange views. This means we should really CONVINCE ourselves, and others, that the situation needs changing. Be honest and fair in our conviction, e.g. voting in opposition may just replace a bunch of clowns with another.

Then think how your VOICE (not necessarily VOTE) can be MADE to count, e.g. you have a choice to vote either ruling party, opposition, individual, no confidence, etc. If you know “A Few Good Men” out there, it will be good, etc…. This wouldn’t be easy questions for a common man-on-the street (we are not paid to think politically), but I believe when push comes to shove, people will be …. innovative!

Either that, or simply jump ship to another country, lah!