| MM: Foreign talent is vital |
| Dangerous to shut off flow as Singapore's economy will decline by Clarissa Oon & Goh Chin Lian |
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MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew yesterday warned Singaporeans of the dangers of closing the country's door to foreign talent.
Without educated foreign residents, Singapore faces the threat of a declining economy with a shrinking labour force, he said in a speech stressing the importance of accepting and embracing them.
Immigrants make up for the children Singaporeans are not having, he said.
To shut them out is to risk an unwelcome scenario similar to that confronting Japan's greying population: 'They refuse to accept immigrants, so their economy is feeble and lacks vitality.'
However, MM Lee reassured Singaporeans that the Government is very conscious of protecting their interests.
The number of foreign residents would be carefully controlled to preserve the character and values of Singapore society, he told about 700 grassroots leaders and residents attending a National Day dinner in Tanjong Pagar GRC.
In his speech, he also highlighted the challenge of grooming a core of bilingual Chinese talent to engage China. But this will not be done at the expense of English, which will remain the common language of all Singaporeans, he said.
Singapore has about 1.68 million foreigners.
Mr Lee noted that 70 per cent are here temporarily, holding renewable passes, mainly the employment pass, S-pass for semi-skilled workers or work permits for the low-skilled. The rest are permanent residents, or PRs.
The large pool has led to growing discontent among Singaporeans.
'There are complaints about new citizens and PRs taking away jobs from our workers and that those in sales and service do not speak or understand English.'
But, he added: 'We accept only immigrants who increase the average level of competence of Singaporeans.' They must have skills and at least secondary, preferably tertiary education.
Mr Lee produced a string of figures to show why Singapore needs skilled workers and professionals from Malaysia, China, India and elsewhere in the region.
Without them, the labour force will shrink because Singaporeans are not replacing themselves.
More than 30 per cent of those aged between 25 and 40 remain single and childless. The total fertility rate is a low 1.28, way below the 2.1 rate for Singapore to replace itself.
By race, the rate is 1.91 for Malays, 1.19 for Indians and 1.14 for Chinese.
'If we continue this way without the new immigrants and PRs and their children doing national service, the composition of our SAF will change. So please remember that,' said the Minister Mentor.
To drive home the dangers of an ageing population, he cited immigration-averse Japan. Its population will drop, from 120 million to 90 million in 2055. Even four recent stimulus packages, totalling 25 trillion yen (S$378 billion), to combat the recession have led only to weak recovery.
It could be worse for Singapore where the fertility rate is even lower than Japan's 1.37. This will also weigh down the young. Nine years ago, 3.6 working adults supported one elderly person in Japan. This ratio will drop to 1.2 by 2055.
In Singapore, the burden will be too heavy for the young if there was no immigration. So, it is in Singapore's interest to have immigrants 'who can be integrated without upsetting the racial balance', Mr Lee said.
To safeguard the interest of native Singaporeans, he highlighted the Government's measures in education and policies favouring citizens over PRs.
For instance, public housing and hospital charges favour citizens.
These distinctions, however, should not be so off-putting that foreign talent choose not to come, he said.
He also said how fast they can integrate depends as much on how Singaporeans treat them as on their willingness to fit in.
'The new arrivals will need time to adapt and integrate into our society, and we should help them,' he added.
