Heng Sweet Keat warns that nativist tendencies will make Singapore society crumble and wither

[Valium]

He should speak consciously before another stroke strikes.

 

[Confuseous]

Singapore must act decisively against nativist tendencies: Heng Swee Keat


By Jalelah Abu Baker
20 Jan 2020 11:41AM
(Updated: 20 Jan 2020 12:01PM)


SINGAPORE: Some of the public discourse around foreigners show that Singapore is not immune to the same divisive forces that have swept across the world, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Monday (Jan 20).

Such "nativistic tendencies" must be acted on decisively, he said.



"If we allow these forces to creep up on us, our hopes and concerns can be exploited to create fear and anger. Our diversity can be turned against us. Our unity can fray, and our society can wither,” warned Mr Heng.



These include making sure that differences do not become entrenched and corrode social cohesion. Singapore should also guard against the danger of political parties using divisive rhetoric to gain support in a fractured landscape and falling prey to the pull of populism, he added.

With his nativistic talk cock and CCS with his existential cock talk, and aspiring to be LKY with his high falutin' Engrish, these are just double confirmation that
they have never been in touch with the ground.

 

[laksaboy]

Let's be honest: Heng would not speak on anything without the permission of his master Loong.

 

[blackmondy]

everytime he talk I must go google the meaning of the word?

Strokey Heng believes using elitist lingo will exude his elitist status and will silent naysayers.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Heng Swee Keat faces tough questions from SDP, PSP & PPP leaders at IPS conference
Bridge builders, travel adapters, GST.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat faced a round of questions from prominent members of local opposition parties at the Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) Singapore Perspectives Conference 2020 on Jan. 20.
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He fielded questions from Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Chairman Paul Tambyah, People’s Power Party (PPP) chief Goh Meng Seng and Leong Mun Wai, the newly-minted Assistant Secretary-General of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).
SDP asked whether GST alternatives were considered
Heng, who is also the Finance Minister, first addressed a query from Tambyah about whether the government had considered alternatives to the impending rise in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which Heng himself had announced during the 2018 Budget Statement.

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Tambyah asked:

“GST has been acknowledged universally as a regressive tax. In Singapore we pay GST on medications, we even pay GST on the water conservation tax, which is probably the only place in the world where you pay tax twice on something like water.
So my question is whether your government had considered alternatives to raising the GST for raising revenue? For example, returning the top corporate tax level to 20 per cent, which is what it was before year of assessment 2017. Or perhaps even taxing unearned income, such as the estate duty, where it was about 12 years ago.”

Heng’s reply on impending GST hike
In reply, Heng said that it was important to consider Singapore’s tax system as a whole, and not just to pick out one or two parts of it and label them as regressive.
He pointed out that GST is not just paid by Singaporeans, but also by everyone who lives in Singapore, including expatriates and foreign workers.
Heng also said that GST is not the biggest contributor to government revenue, nor is it personal or corporate income tax.
Instead the Net Investment Returns Contribution, sourced from investments on assets, contributes the most to the Budget.
Heng said that he wanted the audience to reflect on the fact that a country with no abundant natural resources like oil or gas could reach the point where taxes are not the biggest source of revenue, and the need to safeguard this state of affairs for future generations.
Government considered all other possibilities instead of raising GST
He then addressed Tambyah’s point about raising other taxes instead of GST. Heng said:

“And finally you ask why can’t we increase other taxes? Well, I have considered all possibilities before I raised (GST) because surely you know, we must consider all possible options.”

Heng pointed out that around the world, other countries were also reducing their corporate income tax rates in a bid to attract foreign investment.
Calling it “almost (like) a global tax competition”, Heng said it was easy to propose raising taxes on companies or certain individuals, but they could always move out of the country, which would ultimately backfire on Singaporeans.
Heng said: “So we must be very careful that what we do will not, in the end, harm our future.”
AdvertisementGoh Meng Seng: What about new citizens?
Goh Meng Seng took a different approach in his query.
He directly addressed a point that Heng had made in his speech earlier, on the need to remain vigilant against divisive forces that threaten to erode social cohesion in Singapore.
However, instead of populism or nativism, Goh had a somewhat different interpretation of a divisive force. Goh said:

“By statistics, if you look, even from 2007 up to recently, 2019, we are giving out about 20,000 new citizenship from different countries, especially Mainland China, and Malaysia, and Indian, and Philippines.”

Citing the “rise of China”, Goh said Singapore might face a situation where new citizens have to decide their stance when it came to “difficult decisions in geopolitics”. Said Goh:

“For example, you may give citizenship to people from Mainland China, but they will always have this, what we Chinese call, “Qíngyì jié, zhōngguó qíngyì jié.” Allegiance. Will not change overnight. Will this affect our policies? Our political direction and decision that we make?”

Foreigners become Singaporeans out of conviction
Before Heng replied, Director of the Institute of Policy Studies Janadas Devan, who was serving as the moderator, referred to a story that came out in the Straits Times about immigration figures.
Citing a United Nations report, it found that the largest source of immigrants in Singapore were from Southeast Asia, mostly from Malaysia, and not China.
Heng then said that the presence of new citizens can be a divisive force, only if Singaporeans exploit this and cast doubt on their loyalties.
He said that one in three marriages in Singapore involve a Singaporean and a foreigner, and that they in turn become Singaporeans out of conviction. Said Heng:

“You must bear in mind that for those people who have become Singapore citizens, they have become citizens by conviction. They have left their country and decided that Singapore is a better place for them and their children in the future.
So we should, as Singaporeans, make the best effort to integrate them. To integrate them into our society, to welcome them, so that they can be part of our team.”

Foreigners in our midst add to our strength
However, Heng added that he was troubled that others were willing to exploit these differences instead of trying to integrate them.
He said that in contrast to the refrain that bringing in new citizens means that the government is not taking care of Singaporeans, it is actually part of their efforts to grow the economy so that Singaporeans can benefit.
Heng said that business leaders have come up to him to gripe that it was difficult to expand their companies due to the tight restrictions on foreign workers. Heng added:

“All this is to ensure that we also take care of the interest of Singaporeans. And having the foreigners in our midst adds to our strength.”

Singaporeans, the multi-adapter plug
Heng then talked about how Singaporeans should be able to go out to other countries and be comfortable interacting with people of different cultures and backgrounds, using a unique analogy of the multi-adapter plug.
Heng said:

“Singaporeans should be like the adapter plug you carry all over; wherever we go to, we can plug in and draw energy…And I think that cultural sensitivity, that respect for people from all over the world, will give us a very, very special edge.
Especially in the world where people are turning inwards, and the world where people are less willing to cooperate, I think Singaporeans can extend a hand. We can be bridge builders in a more fragmented world.”

Leong Mun Wai from PSP: Proportional Representation, the Elected Presidency, & economic strategy
Leong Mun Wai, the new Assistant Secretary-General of the PSP, also stepped up to ask Heng to share his thoughts on the following issues:

• Would the government consider instituting Proportional Representation in Parliament.
• As the eligibility criteria to run for President has been tightened, there is a feeling that the effectiveness of the Elected Presidency as a check and balance on the Executive has been curtailed, as only a “handful of citizens” could run for President.
• Singapore has become a first-world country in economic terms, but how should we position ourselves in the next 10, 30 and 50 years, as it is still a mercantile nation.

Addressing the suggestion of Proportional Representation, Heng said that no political system in the world is perfect.
Instead, the focus needs to be on ensuring that different viewpoints are represented in public discourse.
However, Heng said that he did not “understand the basis” of the second question.
He said that the President still plays an important role in the Budget process to ensure that the Finance Minister does not draw from past reserves.
But Heng did not answer Leong’s point that he felt the new eligibility criteria of the Elected Presidency meant that fewer people could become a candidate.
Finally, Heng said that Singapore needed to remain a trading nation, because both parties benefited from trade.
Heng concluded: “I don’t think we can afford being selective on what we do.”
Related story
Top image by Lauren Choo and Angela Lim.

 

[Xisiqomelir]

Such "nativistic tendencies" must be acted on decisively, he said.

So we should chop his head like dayak?

 

[winnipegjets]

People can see for themselves how the influx of 3 million foreigners have killed the livelihood of millions of sinkees.

 

[winnipegjets]

Foreigners become SINKees by conviction is a lie.

AStar scholarships are given on the condition that the foreigners have to become naturalized sinkees. That's why the PAP can boast that most AStar scholarships go to sinkees (faked sinkees).

 

[eatshitndie]

multi-adapter plug means kena fucked in every hole from all sides.

 

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

What does nativist mean? Does nativist describe a mindset or behavior?and ownself see ownself no up as sgrean dont dare to use the word xenophobia?

 

[garlic]

Only N.S and reservist are exclusively "natives-only", everything else is fair game.... cue "multi-adapter" analogy... N.S and reservist, only one plug can fit, will fit, must fit... the Sinkie plug.

 

[eatshitndie]

What does nativist mean? Does nativist describe a mindset or behavior?and ownself see ownself no up as sgrean dont dare to use the word xenophobia?

it is attributed to the nativist theory that when babies are born they have the innate ability to learn languages on their own, thus the concept of "native" tongue. it has nothing to do with what this stroke patient has suka suka spewed. the correct phrase he should use is "true blue sinkie tendencies". then every sinkie will understand his highfalutin gobbledygook.

 

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

it is attributed to the nativist theory that when babies are born they have the innate ability to learn languages on their own, thus the concept of "native" tongue. it has nothing to do with what this stroke patient has suka suka spewed. the correct phrase he should use is "true blue sinkie tendencies". then every sinkie will understand his highfalutin gobbledygook.

So its different from naivety? Would naivety describe babies playing with their own poo poo?

 

[eatshitndie]

So its different from naivety? Would naivety describe babies playing with their own poo poo?

yes, naivety will have babies makaning their shit like tiongs dining on mala huokuo. nativity will have 3 wisemen bringing hello kitty toys to a baby in kk. and nativism will have babies speaking in hokkien tongue with “kanina” as the first word.

 

[LaoTze]

Maggots maggotess in white the greatest cause of fear by far in Stinkapore tiewing and kanning and fucking stinkaporeans with arseholes up high high while maggots maggotess go laffing and laffing all the way to their banks with their sons and daughters and uncles and aunties and cronies

VOTE ALL OF THEM OUT OUT OUT

 

[bobby]

Talk cock like sing song.....

Next thing we know....a law against nativism.

 

[tanwahtiu]

Dont take care of his health when young, too much good food cause heart problem.... what make him think he can take care of non heart problem people....

Hv u seen unhealthy animals in the jungle....

History has shown one polio victim leader dropped 2 nukes into Japan... shows that unhealthy people are not fit to lead...

 

[mojito]

Aiya xenophobia say xenophobia lah. What nativism? Do u see me put feathers on my ears cb leaves on my kuku? Carry blowpipe to hunt ferel cats?

 

[LaoTze]

VOTE ALL OF THEM OUT OUT OUT

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Singaporean for Singaporeans. NO?