Comments on: Foreigners give back to Singapore society

By: foreigner

foreigner — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:27:41 +0000

Good site :The ONLINE CITIZEN,,

By: foreigner

foreigner — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:15:03 +0000

This is one of the most unbiased website in Singapore and further I find most of the members are marked by refinement in taste and manners,, please keep your high standard up Citizen online and Members.

By: Tang Li

Tang Li — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:40:52 +0000

I think we should not blame foreigners for everything. I mean if you were from a village in Myanmar you would jump at a chance to come and work slave like wages in a place where at the very least you know you would not get dragged out of your bed and tortured for the fun of it because some general had a bad day.
What we should question is why the government thinks it’s necessary to roll out the red carpet for foreigners. I mean if you look at things this way the main argument here is: “Foreigners bring in skills that locals do not have.”
So instead of focusing our anger on the foreigners, shouldn’t we be focusing it on why we need them so much as the government claims we do. I think if you were to ask questions like, “Why don’t Singaporeans have the skills to do the jobs we need the foreigners to do,” you’ll find that the government would be in a rather embarrassing position.

By: 2012

2012 — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 09:20:54 +0000

Yeah u r right, dumb and dumber.

By: theforgottongeneration

theforgottongeneration — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:54:09 +0000

@WTF

Sure, criticize the policies — all nations send “help” or assistance overseas as a political statement one way or other. Like S’pore (officially) only provided 50K for Haiti but was one of first to fly in teams into China and Indonesia (not sure status on Chile). But don’t think it is strictly due to the US; afterall we are under Dutch control in Afghan., right? So, are Dutch also a lackey for US? What about Malaysia and at least a dozen other countries with some sort of presence there?

Whatever the policies, let no one criticize our service personnel as yet. I think some people herein is like the anti-Vietnam/Peace Movement during 1960/70s’. Screaming baby-killers but not doing any of the real ground fighting. They belittled the servicemen who were simply doing their duties in an unpopular war. So it is in SIngapore now — trying to make bad policies into a Singaporeans vs Foreigners issue.

As such, I am in agreement with your later points.

By: WTF

WTF — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:01:26 +0000

@Incredulous
SAF sends troops over to those places because Singapore is an obedient lackey, ahem, partner of USA. It’ll be a cold day in hell if the SG govt grows a pair like Japan’s Hatoyama and asks the American troops to GTFO of Okinawa.
Nothing to shout about, it’s just business as usual in the defence industry.
Back to topic: no one begrudges foreigners worth their salt coming to Singapore to work and live. The fact is: right now, in 2010, more than one third of the population in SG are foreigners. The island is merely 700sq km. Ever considered how the born and bred SG citizens feel about being crowded out and squeezed like sardines in their very own country?
The PAP govt gives out PRs to foreigners like candies to children on Children’s Day. I known some foreigners who got their blue card within two years of arriving and working in Singapore. No application needed, the authorities will, without prompting, send a ‘PR invitation letter’ to that foreigner.
6+ million population, massive influx of foreigners, call to raise productivity etc. It should be crystal clear even to the most obtuse that the PAP govt only cares about economic growth at all costs, and you are merely a cog in the machinery, a digit, a tool for that objective.

By: theforgottongeneration

theforgottongeneration — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:13:45 +0000

@Dumb and dumber, Mar 3, 2010 11:19

Yeah right, MBT and HDB are other examples of BF’s (as in sotongs) about affordability issue……

By: theforgottongeneration

theforgottongeneration — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:08:47 +0000

@Harry, Mar 3, 2010 8:51

“…Theforgottengeneration compares foreigners with nazis now… What more is there to say?…”

First this person is confused of the sore point(s) Singaporeans are having about so many foreigners here. Then NS is like no big deal (like our National Pledge). Now can’t even tell a metaphor of his earlier logic & thinks the message is to equal foreigners with Nazis. By this reasoning, Singaporeans must be Anne Frank!?!

Agreed, what more is there to say….? I believe the NS/army jargon for this is BF.

By: angry reservist

angry reservist — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:42:09 +0000

I am ready for the idea of singapore being the first colony of PRC .At least their old and retired gets pensions.

By: Incredulous

Incredulous — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:12:03 +0000

By the way, Singapore IS at War. We have boys (and girls) in Afghanistan and Iraq to support the coalition troops there; NSmen and Regulars.
So, please don’t belittle or contributions to NS.

By: Incredulous

Incredulous — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:07:27 +0000

Didn’t realize there are people who are still stuck on this subject.
1. The article is about Foreigners giving back to society via Social Work
2. It is not about Foreigners giving back to society via their contribution to Singapore’s growth
Using Harry’s (Harry Mar 2, 2010 12:57) example of a Foreign Worker (Foreigners are an integral part of Singapore’s society, whether you like it or not. From the workers who built your roads and HDBs to the maid who cleans your house and takes care of your kids to the foreign companies that gives you a job to the foreign customer that buys what you produce. They are all part of Singapore’s success.)
You have missed the point. It is the companies that brought in the Foreign Workers (FW) that are part of Singapore’s success; the companies tendered for the projects, negotiated prices for supplies, watch over costs and so on, the FWs did not do all of those.
The FWs are there to plug in the jobs that the locals don’t wish to do. And the companies will always find innovative ways to find new sources of cheaper labour; instead of finding ways to innovate and redesign the jobs or increasing the wages of Singaporeans in tandem with the rising cost of living.
If you had mentioned about Foreign Talents that started or run companies that benefit to Singapore’s growth. I will not argue with you. People like Mr Bernie Utchenik of Botak Jones and Mr Jim Rogers of Quantum Fund do contribute to our Economic Growth.
But is saying that, they have yet to contribute to our Society by way of Social Work, which the above opinion piece was about. A better example than Ms Anne Bergen-Aurand is Ms Sarah Mavrinac of Aidha who initially started the organisation to help maids but now has expanded to help the locals also. But such Foreigners who help our society as a whole via Social Work are very very few.
And please don’t belittle our NS contributions. Men have died serving their country as a National Serviceman. I for one, have contributed my part in Timor Leste, and the Christmas Tsunami. The training we go through, are simulated as real as possible to actual warfare, and accidents and death do occur during such excercises.
Will the FWs/FTs stay to fight alongside of us if we go to war? I don’t think so.

By: Dumb and dumber

Dumb and dumber — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:19:21 +0000

To Harry,

What you’re saying is similar to HDB’s claim that flats are “affordable”; the people want to know the cost (cause) and HDB to fulfill it’s “OBLIGATIONS” of public housing.

By: Dumbodier

Dumbodier — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:19:30 +0000

Like I mentioned before, foreigners here should go home and do something for their own people. For example, there are many rich foreign Indians living here. Why don’t they go back to India and fix the power outage problem, water shortage problem, dirty streets problem, lack of proper toilet problem, traffic jam problem, rampant corruption problem, million homeless and poor problem, housing slum problem, etc, etc?

Or are these foreigners only interested in leeching and milking the Singapore system for their own benefit ?

Who need them for more, Singaporean society or their own country ??

i rest my case.

By: Harry

Harry — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:51:50 +0000

I am not missing the point, quite the contrary. Some people are so blinded by their obsession/hate of foreigners that they miss the genuine acts of kindness that these foreigners could commit. Theforgottengeneration compares foreigners with nazis now… What more is there to say?

By: cheaplaboursupplier

cheaplaboursupplier — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:08:35 +0000

that gives you a job to the foreign customer that buys what you produce. They are all part of Singapore’s success.

wow! singapoor is the ONLEE country to manufacture products that onLEE a foreigner can afford to buy…than again harry is right..singapooriums are too damn poor..beside being unemployed…

By: theforgottongeneration

theforgottongeneration — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:11:00 +0000

People like Harry simply loves to rubbishize the contribution of those that have done NS. They think 2.5 + 13 years is just like crossing the road, matter-of-factly, no opportunity costs involved, no pain. Perhaps our servicemen have all along been paid so lowly for those years that a mentality has grown that they can be taken for granted. That society only owe them cheap labour wages, and it is only out of kindness of heart that they are paid.

His line of argument is very interesting… and very flawed. Firstly, it is always the attempt to mislead everyone that it is a ”Singaporeans vs Foreigners” issue. GET INTO YOUR STUPID HEAD, it is about Singaporeans vs the govt policies.

Secondly, are the Nazis a major part of Anne Frank’s diary; do they contribute significantly to the storyline? After all without their atrocities, there wouldn’t a diary right? So, Harry gives praise to the Nazis!!!

What Harry’s is trying to say subtly is that Singaporean males should instead say: “I have done NS and Singapore don’t owe me a living.” Small wonder a f******* idiot of a minister can ask us to be cheaper, better, faster! Club of morons.

By: LOL

LOL — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:37:26 +0000

@Harry
Nobody denies their contribution to Singapore. It is about giving Singaporeans 1st to do jobs that foreigners do for lesser wages. Give the fact that most male Singaporeans have served their country in NS, I think they deserve the jobs more just based on this fact. Foreigners, well, their motives will always be dubious cos THEY are foreigners who can move out at their whim, unlike Singaporeans who will probably spend the rest of their lives here.

By: Dumb and dumber

Dumb and dumber — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:55:31 +0000

You missed the point, Harry.

By: Harry

Harry — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:57:19 +0000

We can see that this article attracted a lot of comments, with the usual “I have done NS and the world owns me a living” rants more common to xenophobic blog TR. To incredulous: “So have they really contributed to Singapore society as a whole?”. The answer is yes. Foreigners are an integral part of Singapore’s society, whether you like it or not. From the workers who built your roads and HDBs to the maid who cleans your house and takes care of your kids to the foreign companies that gives you a job to the foreign customer that buys what you produce. They are all part of Singapore’s success.

By: mice is nice

mice is nice — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:18:41 +0000

its the MIW & friends are the 1s who take more than they give…