Several options open to non-S'poreans (ST FORUM )

[Ah Hai]

I REFER to last Friday's letter by Mr Adrian Gopal, 'Pro-Singaporean policy in jobs, housing impractical'.

I agree that all Singaporeans, permanent residents (PRs), as well as foreign workers and professionals, contribute to the success of Singapore in one way or another. However, let us be realistic and acknowledge that any government in the world protects its citizens over non-citizens.

Those who are born Singaporeans have no choice but to stay and survive with the country. The only way out is to relocate to another country and face the same problems Mr Gopal faces now.

Non-Singaporeans have made a choice to leave their home countries and come to Singapore to live, work and start a family. Remember, the Singapore Government may give them a choice - to return to their home countries, remain a PR or become a Singaporean. Non-Singaporeans have more options than Singaporeans who decide to stay in Singapore.

Mr Gopal mentioned in his letter that he has a responsibility to take care of his parents, hence he has decided not to become a Singaporean. I respect his decision.

Lastly, I am also married to a Malaysian. My wife chose to remain a PR and has not enjoyed any pro-Singaporean benefits all these years. What can I say? This is her choice and we live by our choices.

Har Hoong Onn

 

[Ah Hai]

Don't penalise those who can't take up citizenship

I REFER to last Friday's letter by Mr Adrian Gopal, 'Pro-Singaporean policy in jobs, housing impractical'. I agree that non-Singaporeans should be encouraged to take up citizenship, but they should not be penalised if they cannot do so.

Singapore has no natural resources and thus, to compete successfully in the world, it has to rely on foreign talent to create jobs and bring diversity to the country.

Currently, Singapore is in a recession and it is during bad times that our belief in meritocracy is shaken. It is understandable for Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs) to feel threatened by foreign talent and for the latter to feel unwanted in Singapore.

I look forward to initiatives to help integrate foreign talent into Singapore, make them feel wanted and thus able to contribute to the economy with Singaporeans and PRs. I appeal to Singaporeans and PRs to work with foreign talent to tide over the recession and understand that meritocracy is the key to Singapore's success.

Dr Gary Ang Yee

 

[Ah Hai]

Latest comments

"yes all male PR are req to do NS but how many actually does?? but dont we all know how easy it is for them to skip NS

in the 60s, after SG got kicked out of the Federation, how much resources and S$ and how many people did SG have ?

how hard did EDB, MITI, MFA work to bring in the FDI in the last 40 years? how much $$ was brought in ? how many jobs have been created by FDI ? how much profit generated and retained and re-invested in SG ? and through all these how much reserves SG gahmen accumulated ?

how much was lost in the recent financial melt down ? how much $$ will it be if the tycoons and high networth individuals all repatriate their money back to Swiss and HK and elsewhere ? Some body sure have the number, how much ?

Can we ask all the MNCs to relocate from SG because we do not like them to bring in cheaper foreigners to work ?

Have we not learnt from the ripple effect of a single shipping company relocating from PSA to PTP and how much job was lost and how many supporting biz had to close ? Now Swissport is quiting Changi, how many biz supporting Swissport will have no biz ? And even before Swissport said good bye, CAAS and CIAS started merrily increasing their rates to the airlines, at least 20% ? Jobs will be lost with the departure of Swissport while travellers got to pay more using Changi. (Swissport is just an example)

while it is rightful to demand that gahmen must take care of citizens first, this must be counterbalanced with understanding of how $much$ SG is dependent on foreign money and foreign trade and foreign people.

if SG becomes protectionist, that is the end of SG. Airlines will overfly this island, some where else can wake up and replace Changi readily, PSA can close shop as Thailand can dig the Kra canal and every shipping company will be most happy. It is also cheaper to refine the oil at source than to lug all the way here, refine, then ship away. Anywhere else in the region has got abundant land and labour to replace SG - don't assume they don't ever wake up from their slumber. MNCs could, and will, abandon their set up notwithstanding millions $$ in facilities sunk in in SG, it is really a sunk cost anyway. Financial institutions is the easiest to pack and go.
Posted by: bumibumi at Tue Feb 17 11:40:43 SGT 2009
I'm always stunned that such discussion is so endemic in a city that boasts itself to be open-minded, welcoming, etc. etc.

The Singapore well being depends entirely on the presence of the "foreigners", 'cause when there are none, then there is no Singapore. Of the ~7000 multinational companies that have set up shop here, maybe 2-3 are local.

It is the foreigners who bring the money into the country, be it as tourists, or as workers or as investors or as students.

In any other civilized country, if you pay taxes, you have the same rights as anyone else- except voting. So- maybe people should first look where they are standing before make a comment.

The "Singapore-First" attitude is so similar to an attitude we were all hoping to go away elsewhere when crossing our fingers for Barak Obama.

But, of course- it's so easy to cross you fingers about other peoples affairs...
Posted by: cirkus at Tue Feb 17 11:38:25 SGT 2009
You can either penalise PR for not being Singaporean and foreigner for not being PR or you can reward PR to become Singaporean and reward foreigner to become PR.
Similarly u can either penalise Singaporean for giving up citizenship or reward them to retain their citizenship.

We can give feedback but ultimately I hope the government can do the pragmatic thing rather than the popular thing.
Posted by: Game1980 at Tue Feb 17 11:28:56 SGT 2009
Dear all fellow citizens,

The ferocious comments and views about Singaporeans' priority over and Permanent Residents (PRs) are indeed interesting, insightful and sometimes curt.

All I need is to remind my country folks, and for the PRs to reflect is that during a meeting between MM Lee and the SIA Pilot Association about 2 years ago, the former just pointed out to the then chairman, a Malaysian that in time of trouble he could go back to Malaysia or Austrialia where he had properties. Then turning to the vice-chairman who is a Singaporean whether he had any place to run away.

This sums up my point about Singaporeans and PRs.

Thank you

WAREMEST REGARDS

Raymond Lo Wan Mou