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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - SM Goh: NZ also opens its door to FT wat</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Apr-3 8:53 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 15) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>31072.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>SM Goh reassures immigrants that they are still “welcomed” in Singapore
April 4, 2010 by admin01
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http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/04/04/sm-goh-reassures-immigrants-that-they-are-still-welcomed-in-singapore/
Written by Our Correspondent
Following rising public discontent against the PAP’s liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies coupled with knee-jerk responses in the form of cosmetic policy changes to appease angry voters, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong now tried to reassure the immigrants that they are still “welcomed” in Singapore which has always been the case.
Speaking at a community event at Marine Parade yesterday, Mr Goh said:
“Our answer to this question as to whether we’re rolling back the welcome mat must be a clear ‘no’. But immigrants themselves must play a part.”
In 2003, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced his ambitious plan to increase Singapore’s population to 6.5 million people via immigration.
All of sudden, the floodgates were flung opened without warning and Singapore became swarmed by foreigners from all over the world, many of whom are unable to speak a single word of English.
Foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 percent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 percent who are “citizens”, an increasing number are born overseas.
As too many foreigners were allowed into Singapore within too short a period of time, Singapore now has a problem integrating them with the local population.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many do not known English, the lingua franca of Singaporeans and tend to congregate within their own community instead of reaching out to the larger population.
The PAP unveiled a mega $10 million dollar Community Integration Fund sponsored generously by Singapore taxpayers to make the newcomers feel “welcomed” and “accepted” in Singapore when the onus is on them to integrate themselves into Singapore society and not the other way round.
SM Goh reminded the audience that the search for talent was a global phenomenon, quoting the example of a pilot project by New Zealand to encourage Singaporeans to study, work or live there which has attracted some 4,500 Singaporeans to register their names so far.
It is most disingenious of SM Goh to compare New Zealand’s experience with Singapore. New Zealand has a very strict immigration policy unlike Singapore’s. All prospective workers and immigrants must pass a standard English test or IELTS before they are allowed to even step foot there. Many of Singapore’s China immigrants will fail the test, let alone able to obtain a work visa to work in New Zealand.
Furthermore, New Zealand only accepts immigrants to fill certain sectors with a chronic shortage of skilled labor such as doctors and nurses. Singapore allows foreigners to compete directly with locals for jobs which can otherwise be taken up by them.
To put it bluntly, the PAP has screwed up its immigration policies big time and it would have long been booted out of office in any other democratic nation.
Unless Singaporeans reclaim their rights as citizens of Singapore in the next general election, they will be the ones who need to “integrate” into a new Singapore dominated by these foreigners brought in by the PAP, or rather FAP (Foreigner Action Party) to supplant them so that it can perpetuate its political hegemony forever.
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April 4, 2010 by admin01
Filed under Headlines
Leave a comment
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/04/04/sm-goh-reassures-immigrants-that-they-are-still-welcomed-in-singapore/
Written by Our Correspondent
Following rising public discontent against the PAP’s liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies coupled with knee-jerk responses in the form of cosmetic policy changes to appease angry voters, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong now tried to reassure the immigrants that they are still “welcomed” in Singapore which has always been the case.
Speaking at a community event at Marine Parade yesterday, Mr Goh said:
“Our answer to this question as to whether we’re rolling back the welcome mat must be a clear ‘no’. But immigrants themselves must play a part.”
In 2003, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced his ambitious plan to increase Singapore’s population to 6.5 million people via immigration.
All of sudden, the floodgates were flung opened without warning and Singapore became swarmed by foreigners from all over the world, many of whom are unable to speak a single word of English.
Foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 percent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 percent who are “citizens”, an increasing number are born overseas.
As too many foreigners were allowed into Singapore within too short a period of time, Singapore now has a problem integrating them with the local population.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many do not known English, the lingua franca of Singaporeans and tend to congregate within their own community instead of reaching out to the larger population.
The PAP unveiled a mega $10 million dollar Community Integration Fund sponsored generously by Singapore taxpayers to make the newcomers feel “welcomed” and “accepted” in Singapore when the onus is on them to integrate themselves into Singapore society and not the other way round.
SM Goh reminded the audience that the search for talent was a global phenomenon, quoting the example of a pilot project by New Zealand to encourage Singaporeans to study, work or live there which has attracted some 4,500 Singaporeans to register their names so far.
It is most disingenious of SM Goh to compare New Zealand’s experience with Singapore. New Zealand has a very strict immigration policy unlike Singapore’s. All prospective workers and immigrants must pass a standard English test or IELTS before they are allowed to even step foot there. Many of Singapore’s China immigrants will fail the test, let alone able to obtain a work visa to work in New Zealand.
Furthermore, New Zealand only accepts immigrants to fill certain sectors with a chronic shortage of skilled labor such as doctors and nurses. Singapore allows foreigners to compete directly with locals for jobs which can otherwise be taken up by them.
To put it bluntly, the PAP has screwed up its immigration policies big time and it would have long been booted out of office in any other democratic nation.
Unless Singaporeans reclaim their rights as citizens of Singapore in the next general election, they will be the ones who need to “integrate” into a new Singapore dominated by these foreigners brought in by the PAP, or rather FAP (Foreigner Action Party) to supplant them so that it can perpetuate its political hegemony forever.
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