One of the biggest bugbears for Singaporeans has been the growing competition for jobs as a result of the long-standing "foreign talent" policy.
The policy was intended to supplement our local workforce with expatriate talents to sharpen and maintain Singapore's competitiveness in the new global economy. This policy initially saw an influx of British and European expatriates into our banking, financial and advertising sectors who had the relevant skills, expertise and network that made a real difference. Later, it developed into a fashion statement to have these expatriates working in the company, a reminder of our colonial mentality.
With an aging population and falling birth rate, the "foreign talent" policy took a twist and denigrated into what is generally perceived as "cheaper foreign talent" policy. Combined with the open door policy on immigration based on the white paper to expand our population to 6.9 million by year 2030, Singapore became the hot destination for PMTs (professionals, managers, executives and managers) coming from Europe, China, India, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.
With an aging population and falling birth rate, the "foreign talent" policy took a twist and denigrated into what is generally perceived as "cheaper foreign talent" policy. Combined with the open door policy on immigration based on the white paper to expand our population to 6.9 million by year 2030, Singapore became the hot destination for PMTs (professionals, managers, executives and managers) coming from Europe, China, India, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.
These foreign job-seekers were attracted by the strong Sing dollar and our favourable job climate for foreigners, fostered by constant refrains from the policy-makers that gave these PMETS the mistaken belief that we needed them more than they needed us. Whilst Singaporeans were answering to the calls to re-skill or upgrade their skills to improve their productivity, PMETs were recruited to fill job vacancies to avoid down-time. Contract appointments soon became more permanent appointments and younger PMETs with greater work-commitment were seen to be favoured over aging local PMETs.
The lower remuneration packages for foreign PMETs, as compared to Singaporeans, are attractive enough to make them leave their families and home countries and to work and live in Singapore. Apart from better pay packages and working conditions, housing schemes were introduced to provide them with affordable and comfortable accommodations. These schemes paved the way for permanent residents ("PR") to own HDB flats and to bring their families here to be with them. The number of PRs owning HDB flats run into the tens of thousands (Read HERE). Amongst these PR-owned flats, thousands are rented out by PRs who spend most of their time outside Singapore and there are also PRs who own also own private property at the same time. A diaspora of foreign communities quickly emerged in our local housing estates, giving rise to communal tensions due to cultural differences.
The lower remuneration packages for foreign PMETs, as compared to Singaporeans, are attractive enough to make them leave their families and home countries and to work and live in Singapore. Apart from better pay packages and working conditions, housing schemes were introduced to provide them with affordable and comfortable accommodations. These schemes paved the way for permanent residents ("PR") to own HDB flats and to bring their families here to be with them. The number of PRs owning HDB flats run into the tens of thousands (Read HERE). Amongst these PR-owned flats, thousands are rented out by PRs who spend most of their time outside Singapore and there are also PRs who own also own private property at the same time. A diaspora of foreign communities quickly emerged in our local housing estates, giving rise to communal tensions due to cultural differences.
According to the statistics in 2014 (Read HERE), there are now 3.343 million Singapore citizens and more than 527,000 permanent residents living in Singapore. An average of 18,500 foreigners are granted citizenship each year with 30,000 new permanent residency given out (Read HERE). Singaporeans are getting hot under their collars and many are feeling immense pressure competing for work, accommodation and transport in their own land from these new citizens and permanent residents. Singapore-born PMETs who have lost their jobs are attributing their unemployment to cheaper foreign and many are unable to find re-employment in the same line. PMETs.
From a warm and hospitable people that was always ready to embrace new arrivals onto our shores, Singaporeans are now generally perceived as being nationalistic and less tolerant of foreigners who live and work here. What can we do to help assuage the feelings of a people that has been hurt by a long period of "hands-off" approach in job competition without hurting the economic progress and stability of our nation?
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