In his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong attempted to address Singaporeans’ concerns over the large influx of foreigners, both as workers and as new citizens and permanent residents (PRs).
The Prime Minister said he understood these sentiments which are, he said “legitimate concerns”. He said the government took these concerns “seriously”. Nonetheless, he admitted that the government had allowed “a larger inflow of foreign workers” in the last five years. Singapore had also “taken in more new citizens and PRs”.
A Department of Statistics (DOS) report, released two days after the PM’s Rally Speech, reported that Singapore’s population has risen to beyond 5 million.
“The city-state’s total population stood at 5.08 million people at the end of June,” the DOS report said.
Of these, more than a third are foreigners. (AFP)
PM Lee’s attempt at explaining the huge influx, however, doesn’t seem to have convinced anyone, including his own grassroots leaders. In a report by the mainstream Lianhe Zaobao paper, “60 out of the 100 grassroot leaders who attended the [National Day Rally] expressed their dissatisfaction on the Prime Minister’s reasons for foreign talent.” (Source)
This should come as no surprise, really, as such concerns among Singaporeans are not new. It goes as far back as 1998 when the Member of Parliament and now-Law Minister, Mr K Shanmugam, raised these concerns in a parliamentary speech.
“That initial “little bit cheesed off” feeling seems to have rubbed off on more and more Singaporeans,” Mr Shanmugam said then. “I believe that the disgruntlement lies more with the manner in which the question of foreign talent has been handled,” he added.
At the crux of the matter, Mr Shanmugam feels, are two factors:
- The definition of the term “foreign talent”.
- That these “foreign talent” only use S’pore as springboard to other countries.
The Prime Minister, in his NDR speech, did not seem to address these two issues squarely.
It’s been 12 years since Mr Shanmugam’s speech in Parliament, highlighting the concerns of S’poreans.
Has the Government listened?
Or is it hell-bent on pushing ahead with its open-door policy in the name of economic growth even as those like Mr Shanmugam and many others continue to raise a myriad of issues of concerns – conerns which the government does not seem to be addressing – or indeed, as the PM has shown, sidestepped altogether?
—————
Here is Mr Shanmugam’s 1998 speech as a backbench Member of Parliament.
Sir [The Speaker of Parliament], since the Prime Minister first spoke on the subject of attracting foreign talent at last year’s [1997] National Day Rally, the issue of foreign talent has become topical, prompting comments from many Singaporeans. Foreigners brought in under the talent scheme have now become a conspicuous presence in Singapore. We meet them everywhere. With their greater presence, the subject has increasingly and perhaps inevitably become a gut issue.
Voices of concern were already heard from the beginning when the Prime Minister called for a national effort to draw and embrace talent from abroad. There were questions about the implications of such a policy. Some were worried that more foreigners meant more intense competition for limited resources, be it jobs, schools, recreational facilities, or simply space. Others saw social problems that might rise as a result of in-rush of foreign influence or a clash of cultural values.
As NTUC Chief and Minister without Portfolio, Mr Lim Boon Heng, said last October [1997], our workers were a little cheesed off by the Government’s move to bring in more foreign talent. He had formed this impression after a dialogue session with some 200 union leaders. That initial “little bit cheesed off” feeling seems to have rubbed off on more and more Singaporeans, particularly in the light of the current regional crisis.
I talked to some people about foreign talent and the gut reaction is quite revealing. They question the perceived favourable treatment of foreigners over locals. They ask: Why is JTC subsidizing foreign talent by renting out flats to them at below market rates? Why is the Government still giving companies tax incentives to defray the costs of bringing in more foreigners at a time when the job security of Singaporeans is uncertain, and indeed a number of our citizens have actually been retrenched?
Some even ask: Why is the Government cheapening our relationship by making it so easily available to foreigners working here? Why do foreigners who have acquired our citizens and thus enjoy privileges not have to perform National Service, or at least a modified form of national service or any reservist service? These questions perhaps betray an acute and deep sense of frustration.
I do not think that such frustrations suggest that Singaporeans are becoming xenophobic. We have always been an open and cosmopolitan society which welcomes foreigners and immigrants. We are after all, a very young country built by immigrants. I believe that the disgruntlement lies more with the manner in which the question of foreign talent has been handled.
I will outline two factors which I believe contribute to that disgruntlement. First, a number of Singaporeans are puzzled over the definition of “foreign talent” itself. Few would object to bringing in what the Prime Minister described as the best and brightest to Singapore in the same way that the top brains are attracted to Silicon Valley. But the foreign talent that our citizens mingle within the HDB heartlands or in their workplaces are very much like the people who live next door.
They could be nurses, train operators, teachers, counter staff and so on. For the Singaporean who holds a similar job, it is incomprehensible why a foreigner doing the same job is labeled a talent and accorded privileges which one is born and bred here does not enjoy.
Secondly, there is a sense that the foreigner who is term “talented” takes maximum advantage of Singapore without the intention of making Singapore his or her home. The male foreign talent does not do national service nor reservist training. Our younger people feel this gives an unfair advantage to the foreign talent in the workplace. A foreigner starts work younger and employers prefer employees who have no disruptions.
There is also a feeling that a number of young foreign talents simply use Singapore as a springboard to take advantage of the system, get an education, live in cheap JTC rental flats, acquire skills and then leave for what they perceive to be greener pastures. That is why a number of our citizens appear to resent what they perceive to be the Government’s disregard for the feelings of Singaporeans in the all-out effort to lay the red carpet for foreigners.
It is now not uncommon to hear Singaporeans speak of emigration, and then returning as foreign talent to feel more welcome here.
I think it will be in the longer term interest of Singapore for the Government to ensure that it addresses these concerns. We have to do something to ensure that Singaporeans, in particular young Singaporeans, do not feel disadvantaged vis-à-vis foreign talent. The policy of attracting foreign talent is a sound one. Without it, our future must be that much less bright. I therefore speak as a strong supporter of the policy. But even sound policies have to be sold on the ground.
If the policy creates unease among younger Singaporeans, then this is a cause for legitimate concern. We cannot take younger Singaporeans for granted. They are, like the foreign talent, also mobile. We have to consider their views, perhaps relook at our definition of foreign talent and bear in mind that Singaporeans will be evaluating the quality of the foreigners and compare them with the privileges that are accorded. This is not a problem which will simply go away when the economy recovers and strong growth returns.
Nation building is not merely about keeping the country ahead of global competition or achieving higher per capita income. It is also a question about making sure that Singaporeans feel for Singapore with their hearts. The foreign talent question is a gut issue that concerns hearts and minds and the Government has to address the hearts and minds so that our younger Singaporeans will treat Singapore as a home, and not as a hotel.
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I am not so sure of what Shanmugam would say now about this foreign talent thingy, now that he is part of the cabinet. It will indeed be interesting to interview him now on his views. For all we know, his views now might concur with what LHL had said in his NDP rally.
LHL is a disgrace to singapore, please step down from office like 26 years ago.
This just shows that PM Lee has no talent. Can’t recognize talent and he is not suited for the post of PM. MM got rid of the smart people to let his daft son to sit on the throne. The throne room stinks and made Singapore into Stinkapoor.
I am proud to say I have not voted for the PAP once even when I can vote. I never created this problem.
I trust that those of you who find this FT problem to be a great issue facing Singapore who choose NOT to vote for the PAP come the next election.
His very peculiar NSRA scheme opened my eyes to how Singapore truly feels about me. I thought I was still reasonably useful but obviously, I’m already in the to-be-trashed group.
In a way, I have to thank him. I’ve finally reached a decision on where I would like to spend my future days.
that psyche probably that foreigners are better could well have permeated itself into the minds of our men & female folk.
why foreign brides are better?
they more “lady-like”, smile more?, more demure, less demanding, etc…
why foreign men are better?
no NS (army, police or civil defense) = no “extra nanny” to fight with, less petty (always “complain” about NS), treat women better compared to local males whom they grow up with, etc…
are both genders brought up too “equal”?
Would shanmugam now say that its now a problem because singapore is not a nation but only a city?
LHL and his team of cabinates has run out of ideas. Under his leadership during the last decades the lifes of Sgporeans has turn from bad to worst!
Its time for a change.
Calling foreigners “talent” is to tell Singaporeans we are not. As a matter of fact, this “talent” came to study from us, learned our skills, take our education and milked us dry before moving on elsewhere. Singaporeans are the true talent that draws foreigners in to learrned our skill. The intend of PAP is clear, they disregard Singaporeans because they win a lower margin in the previous election. Thus they harbour hate and called in foreigners and branded them “talent” in the hope to make us 2nd class. Now that election is drawning near, pap bended itself temporary to sooth our anger but not for long. Singaporeans spirit must be shown through our united effort – to vote the ruling party out or at least formed a 2-party state – for the sake of Singaporeans and for security reason that no single party should meddle with our CPF fund and locked us out from it at their whims and fancies.
Singaporean man beaten up by 14 PRCs. The PRCs’ boss told them not to worry and she’d solve the problem through ‘connections’.
http://tinyurl.com/27drxra
The FT problem needs to be solved before Singapore changes irreversibly. As seen from the incident above, they’re already bringing in their filthy culture of ‘guan xi’ and corruption. That goes against everything Singapore stands for.
“It’s been 12 years since Mr Shanmugam’s speech in Parliament, highlighting the concerns of S’poreans.
Has the Government listened?”
The obvious answer is the pap government did not listen. They’ve conveniently forgotten about it.
SENDING 40 OPPOSITION MPs TO PARLIAMENT WILL CURE THEM OF THEIR AMNESIA
What so new lah,same old lie after lie every time near election.”But what to do?It had happened.”
No cure liao because Sinkapooreans smart ones emigrate to better places,”daft”and “ignorant” ones stupidly wait for change without doing anything to oppose or protest.
One day when the FTs overtake us in numbers,it’s too late lor.Now only 1 in 3 is a local,soon 1 in 2,then what?
Die lor,Sinkapooreans deserve it for we refuse to stand up in numbers to protest mah!
He is clueless. He doesn’t know what he is doing.
It is time for change.
The primary duty of the elected government of the day is to take care of the interests of Singaporeans first and not foreigners. Charity begins at home.
You know, we live in SINGAPORE, not Stinkapoor or Sinkapoor or anything. If you call me a Stinkapoorean in my face I will punch you. How would anyone respect us when we use derogatory names to refer to our own country and countrymen?
No wonder the MIW have such a low opinion of us. We call each other names!
L1 -> D1 -> L2 -> D? -> L3-> ….
will it successfully ?
singaporeans are not coward but stupid and ignorant. they always think for themselves.
singaporeans will see class in each other before they mingle to be friends. they see class and deep pockets before they call in for relationships. more and more singapore girls are looking for foreign sugar daddy and money trees. singapore guys and talk very smart and knows how to debate and complain but ignorant and stupid. foreigners easy going and take whatever they can get and singaporeans choose choose so many times before they decide and nver get the complain and curse people. this is the mentality of singaporeans and when ask them to speak in public they go hide under girls panties but behind keyboard they are the general smart or maybe over smart.
singaporeans are asking for it not the government. complain so many about foreigners but you see sg girls walk along with foreigners. breed babies even. some singaporeans girls and guys go oversea and settle down. they left over are they arrogant and ignorant. this left over see colours before they want to talk to any singaporeans. they created this and they deserve it. singaporeans are they one that make this big door open to foreigners not they government. government see more singapore holding hands with foreigners and they think it is ok to bring more to let singaporeans hold more hand and become one. i see alot of singaporeans married to foreigners. alot of babies and now throw the blame on government. always it is the singaporeans that agree to it. singaporeans vote for it and now complain.
They were not bothered with feedback 12 years back even from an elected MP, do you think they will still bother listening? Perhaps it time to find someone else who may bother to listen, someone who is not deaf and blind. Time to cut loss on a lousy investment and switch to a better performing one, one that might pay dividends instead of calling for cash from SHAREHOLDERS.
LHL will go down in world history as dethroning George W Bush to be the WORST leader of any country, city, nation, company, amoeba…etc…zzzzzz :)
The reason our PM is not addressing the issue is he has no solution that will not affect his own rice bowl.
Better break our rice bowl than his own.
singaporeans are nuts. can’t be bothered to even see any of them. i see singaporeans i feel like they are trouble makers. always blame the government. look at singapore and see what quality life you are having now and thanks to our lee kuan yew of great founding father. he is the great leader in the world
The problem with single-party rule is pretty much sumed up by Lim Swee Say when he said “We are deaf to all criticism”
one party is good. too many hands spoil the cake. let PAP grow and we singaporeans can grow together. lee kuan yew had made many sacrifice and now it is time for him to earn it. it is not easy to build singapore as for today. no one can do better then him.
@brilliant
I am sure Kim Jong Il and Castro agree with you as well.
Name ONE sacrifice LKY has made? His family is all in cushy positions, his wife got flown from London on a special B747 from Singapore Airlines and his house on Oxley Road is not exactly a 2 room HDB apartment in Jurong West, you know. Please, he is no Gandhi, Aquino or Mandela. He’s a tinpot little power-mad dictator who’s good at one thing: Micromanagement. That’s all. If only he was good at letting go.
brilliant,
you are so damn right! Without lky Singapore wouldn’t be where it is today! Did you see my middle finger?
Why don’t you ask him or his son to go another country such as Maldives and see if they could achieve the same success. Without the sacrifice made by Singaporeans old and younger, the father and son are nothing, you know?
Wayang confirmed!
The issues covered in Shanmugam’s speech is still very much alive and even more pronounced today because of the large scale of the problem now. theonlinecitzen should send a copy of Shanmugam’s speech to him copied to PM Lee and MM Lee and ask for his current take. Let’s see his sincerity or expose his hypocracy.
this same man, 11 years on, armed with new power, now declared that singapore isn’t even a country! lol.
http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/10/31/shanmugam-singapore-is-not-a-country/
Brilliant
Quote “let PAP grow and we singaporeans can grow together”
Why are all the dull, stupid & unconvinving statments coming from PAP advocates?
Thank goodness I got out of SG! Am living the life never achievable in Sg. There is time for family, time for play, good edn for my children & earning enough to own a house, car & holiday. No thanks to “grow together”.
I see the PAP’s internet brigade is around in this post. Pattern all the same one, bash Singaporeans, praise foreigners, praise PAP.
You guys have had so much control over the MSM that your internet propaganda skills suck. Hahaha.
the olden days lky don’t really flown with b747 or what so ever. he start from scrap to build singapore. singaporeans now only step in the platform which he created. it so easy. but for him he had struggles all the way back till now. if he let it go now, singapore will suffer, the gdp will fall and foreigners will lose jobs. this is not good for singaporeans. let him continue in power and we singaporeans can see the future and well taken care off. how can singaporeans expect 100% to be babysit?so we must work hard together towards success. created new singapore create new citizen and create new environment.
The only way to make PM hear (listen) since He is “deaf to Criticism (according to Min of Labour Lim swee say) is : TO VOTE THE PAP OUT in the next GE.
Let them SIT in the Opposition Benches for ONCE
brilliant 3 September 2010
it is not easy to build singapore as for today. no one can do better then him.
…………..
than what is nelson mandala bein doin? beside winnin the world ruby cup? diggin stones in the hotsun perhaps? and nelson mandala run the country WITHOUT experiences..yet he even won the noble prize..leekingyou win what? grc erections perhaps?
by the way STUPID..in the olden days b747 don’t exist..onLEE b52 bomber…
you wouldnt 1st mrs harrylee to be flown in a b52 would you? what happenned if the pilot pulled the wrong levers..you know dropbomb lever instead of the reverse gear level…
and nelson mandala start with a condo with inbuilt diamonds ghettos as well?
@ bobby
if you telling people to vote out PAP is not right and if in public will be caught. i will go see my PAP MP and tell them so many people want to vote them out.
In the old days Bill Gates didn’t fly pte jet, he started from scratch to build computers. Consumers now only step in the platform he created, its so easy, but for him, he had struggles….. If he let it go now, people will suffer,…
I’ve always dreamt how it would be like if the Brits continued to rule us. Would we be more vibrant, creative & successful like Hongkong? Would I have been a flourishing entrepreneur instead of an engineer?
If anyone says LKY is the one & only man who can do the best for SG, surely this person is dubious ’cause it is a flawed statement in itself. There is no contest (no fair ones anyway), no one before or after him to compare, not tested and he had a good team behind him in the 60s.
whatever it is. PAP is great and they are the outstanding people who work so hard. no one can do better than them, look at vivian bala who sacrifice at the YOG. look at his brilliant ideas and making YOG so fantastic for a small singapore.
Chiper & Bobby
Ya, show them who’s boss!
We want our money back!
the gdp will fall and foreigners will lose jobs.
——————
Voting out PAP will make foreigners lose jobs? Nothing will make me happier than to see the foreigners lose their jobs and get out.
Singapore for Singaporeans!
I URGE ALL OPPOSITION PARTIES TO UNITE AND COLLECTIVELY FIELD ALL CONSTITUENCIES.
The PAP MUST BE TAUGHT A LESSON THEY WILL NEVER FORGET…
Let the PAP sit in the Opposition Benches.
Only then they can REGAIN THEIR HEARING and LEARN TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE.
brilliant
I thought all people supporting PAP are much more brilliant minded than others. Is that the best you can do in your posts? What is so outstanding? Where is the hard work? What has changed for the better? Why is YOG so brilliant that Europe & US don’t give a damn in publicity, participation & pitching to be host? Pls, show us the meat, give us something more juicy. Is there really none, not even one you can think of?
brilliant 3 September 2010
whatever it is. PAP is great and they are the outstanding people who work so hard. no one can do better than them, look at vivian bala who sacrifice at the YOG. look at his brilliant ideas and making YOG so fantastic for a small singapore.
………….
fwah lau! how many feet did your nose grows? YOG successFOOL? dr balekampon is bein terkan as a FOOL a tool for the olympic committess to ayam us when no country would even 1s to host this YOG after russia in the late 90s…
Singaporeans have naively painted themselves to a corner lah. How is one ever going to hear what is really true or the claims made by the incumbents? No one knows lah – media useless nevermind but conniving lah, parliament – a media circus, Mps – all self-serving yes/man/woman.
In this instance it is immigration. Think of CPF, Health, Transporation, Education, Judiciary – the inequities in the policies,regulations and legislation are Himalayan lah.
We are done for by the opaque one-party rule. Need to go on is redundancy.
To Vote Pap out is one issue..however, it would be even more convincing if “something more than words can happen”
WE Singaporeans are well-reAd and well-travelled. nOT EASILY HOOKWINKED BY THE OPPOSITION.
This resourceless tiny red dot.
The envy of the ENTIRE world. Look at the other 10 ASEAN countries (abundantly rich in resourse and land) prodding in SHIT.
So Singaporeans continue to read and travel and find the truth.
nothing is PERFECT BUT sINGAPORE IS NEAR PERFECT.
those who think PAP is so great, why real income for most is on a steady decline, why is the low birthrate such a worry, why are our highly educated workforce having such a tough time in the job market competing with foreigners who recieved not so world-class education?
can the pro-PAP posters tell me S’pore’s Education Hub dreams have realised? with several high profile closures in the past, some with CaseTrust acreditation? how that blip of negativity can spread online & what can the pro-PAP supporters do if foreigners want to make a big fuzz out of it?
dun just come into local forums, the damage that will hurt S’pore’s image is those from overseas. what can the pro-PAP camp do in there? what i mention is just a pindrop of foreigners who got “burnt” trusting S’pore’s “great” reputation.
oh great (what’s next)…
*throws my hands in the air*
Bolton
You are definitely living in a different World to me. Pls stop using “WE Singaporeans” in your speech now that you know I, a fellow Sporean think the opposite of you.
This statement (with your caps), has just made you incredibly silly & really, really living in a well: “The envy of the ENTIRE world”. Where I am living, a developed 1st World country, some do not know SG exists, some thought it is part of China, and those who know thinks thank their lucky stars they are not living here.
Plsss, tell us something convincing, just one thing that they do, anything – that the current lot of PAP is great.
The problem with us is that we tend to overdo things, once we get started. We burnt ourselves eventually because we’re overzealous. The classic example of this is of course the stop at two policy.
Add to it is this really nasty characteristic of the ruling party that any criticism equates dissent. For all the good things MM Lee left behind, he also left this really detrimental legacy.
So things spiral and spiral and spiral and by the time the ruling party finally faces the music to do something, for all the sincerity, little much can be achieved.
Bolton, 4 September 2010
if our ministers say publicly & MSM print them in bold in the front page that “Bukit Timah is like Swiss Alps minus the snow” i will believe you!
i will even change my nick to Bolt-On!.. on arh!
^.^
It is nigh impossible to vote the PAP out. At least not for a generation or two. Nothing will really change until the MAN goes to the happy hunting ground.
No one really wants the PAP voted out, now.
Not yet anyway.
WE WANT STRONG OPPOSITION. Maybe if the PAP lose 10-15 seats, they will sit and listen to the people. Then too the ST will not just be the voice of the PAP. But that of the people.