Tan See Leng responds to WP's Jamus Lim on concerns over top foreign talent pass, says it will help ‘create good jobs’
SINGAPORE — Manpower Minister Tan See Leng on Friday (Sept 30) responded to Workers' Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) Jamus Lim's Facebook post on the anxieties Singaporean workers have over a new work pass for top foreign talent, stressing that "creating good jobs is not a zero-sum game".In a post last Friday, Associate Professor Lim shared the conversations he had with two residents during a house visit in Sengkang Group Representation Constituency where he is an MP. The chats touched on the new Overseas Networks and Expertise (One) Pass.
The One Pass, to be introduced next year in a bid to attract top talent to Singapore, is a five-year work pass targeted at foreigners earning at least S$30,000 a month. It will have several benefits over the regular Employment Pass.
One resident, who had just returned after a long stint in China, said that he had a difficult time getting a job here despite his extensive experience and skills.
The resident, whom Assoc Prof Lim did not name, was concerned that the One Pass would end up making it more difficult for Singapore residents to climb the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, “relegating” them to being trapped in middle management.
“This fear was further corroborated by his impression that many foreign nationals working here tended to favour their own countrymen, further alienating Singaporeans when they seek a job at home,” Assoc Prof Lim wrote.
A second resident spoke about how Singaporeans enjoyed few privileges in the domestic job market, the MP said.
The resident added that it was especially tough for Singaporean workers competing with foreigners willing to work for less, since these foreigners would be earning Singapore dollars, which are stronger than their home countries’ currencies.
Assoc Prof Lim said: “Without any special dispensation, many (of these Singaporean workers) would turn to alternatives like private-hire driving. For (the resident), this is an unbelievable state of affairs; in other countries, it is the migrants that drove the Ubers and Grabs, but it seems to be the other way round here.”
The MP added: “As someone who has felt that sense of discrimination as I competed with others as an expat abroad, it breaks my heart to hear that there are many workers who feel the same way, right at home.”
MORE ‘GOOD JOBS’
In response, Dr Tan repeated a point he had made that the objective of the One Pass is to bring in global talent who can create more opportunities for Singaporeans.More Singaporeans will have opportunities to work in leading firms alongside experts from around the world and advance their careers, Dr Tan said in his Facebook post.
"Companies invest in Singapore and create good jobs here because we have built up a strong talent pool," he wrote.
"Having the right complementary talent here will add to the number of opportunities available to us, and to future generations."
The Government also supports businesses here to grow the domestic talent pool through a wide range of programmes, including leadership development schemes, Dr Tan said.
He noted that domestic employment has continued to grow every year since 2020, and unemployment rates have since recovered to pre-Covid levels.
On Assoc Prof Lim’s points about discrimination against Singaporean workers, Dr Tan said that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes fair employment practices seriously and employers must practise fair consideration in their selection of candidates.
MOM will not hesitate to take action against employers found to be discriminatory, Dr Tan added, urging the public to report instances of discriminatory behaviour or unfair treatment to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices.
“MP Jamus acknowledges that Singaporeans are not instinctively anti-foreigner. Let’s keep it this way,” Dr Tan wrote.
“As MPs on the ground, we hear the anxieties that Singaporeans feel about competition in a globalised and fast-changing economy, especially from those who are themselves facing employment difficulties,” he added.
“Assure them that help is available.”
Dr Tan said that he had asked employees from government agency Workforce Singapore to offer job-matching support to the first resident mentioned in Assoc Prof Lim’s post and was “happy to learn” from the opposition MP that the resident had already found a job.
“I sincerely hope and believe colleagues on both sides of the House will agree that creating good jobs is not a zero-sum game,” Dr Tan added.
“Even as we highlight the concerns of our residents, we can explain to them why it is essential that we stay open.”
