I really do not understand... in my industry there are too many FT ... as a result our pay has dropped because the FT are willing to take a lower pay and us local are competing with FT for jobs.... try to get a job now there are so many unemployed ....

In cetain sector it is true we are short of labour such as cleaner can you survive on a $650 permonth pay.... to wash toilet in SG...

I really dun understand now I have problem getting a job and they want to import more FT to compete with me...

Do you know in the industry now there are so much outsourcing and garment themselving are head freeze .... the garment want me to eat shit is it ...

I give 2.5 of my best year to the nation for $200 per month ... everyyear i give another 2 to 3 weeks ... I have to work extra hard before and after reservist to clear my bad log stay until 1 ,2 am in the morning ... I really dun understand FT do not have to go thru all these is it fair... during my reservist my boss blame me for not clearing my work before reservist get blast by customer for not attending to them ... $500 is all I get for prgressive ... the kind of recongnition garment give to me ...

I really dun understand !! really

Originally posted by seancannot:

I really do not understand... in my industry there are too many FT ... as a result our pay has dropped because the FT are willing to take a lower pay and us local are competing with FT for jobs.... try to get a job now there are so many unemployed ....

In cetain sector it is true we are short of labour such as cleaner can you survive on a $650 permonth pay.... to wash toilet in SG...

I really dun understand now I have problem getting a job and they want to import more FT to compete with me...

Do you know in the industry now there are so much outsourcing and garment themselving are head freeze .... the garment want me to eat shit is it ...

I give 2.5 of my best year to the nation for $200 per month ... everyyear i give another 2 to 3 weeks ... I have to work extra hard before and after reservist to clear my bad log stay until 1 ,2 am in the morning ... I really dun understand FT do not have to go thru all these is it fair... during my reservist my boss blame me for not clearing my work before reservist get blast by customer for not attending to them ... $500 is all I get for prgressive ... the kind of recongnition garment give to me ...

I really dun understand !! really

Fcuking the gov and their dogs,kill them if u are hungry!!!

Originally posted by seancannot:

I really do not understand... in my industry there are too many FT ... as a result our pay has dropped because the FT are willing to take a lower pay and us local are competing with FT for jobs.... try to get a job now there are so many unemployed ....

In cetain sector it is true we are short of labour such as cleaner can you survive on a $650 permonth pay.... to wash toilet in SG...

I really dun understand now I have problem getting a job and they want to import more FT to compete with me...

Do you know in the industry now there are so much outsourcing and garment themselving are head freeze .... the garment want me to eat shit is it ...

I give 2.5 of my best year to the nation for $200 per month ... everyyear i give another 2 to 3 weeks ... I have to work extra hard before and after reservist to clear my bad log stay until 1 ,2 am in the morning ... I really dun understand FT do not have to go thru all these is it fair... during my reservist my boss blame me for not clearing my work before reservist get blast by customer for not attending to them ... $500 is all I get for prgressive ... the kind of recongnition garment give to me ...

I really dun understand !! really

Which industry u in?

hello,

pls go n check with ur father, or ur father father... where are they from?

be a singaporean, i felt shame on u.

ft helped singaporean to build up this country, they also made a lots of efforts and achievements on this small country. like US, sg is a immigrant country. if u do not have broad mind, how u improve?

regards,
play_n_play

Labour shortage is a tried and true problem of Singapore, mainly because of our ageing population and low replacement level. The labour market works on the principle of demand and supply as well. Currently, our supply is predictably low, and couple this fact to the structural unemployment that we are facing and you get labour shortage. If FTs do not fill in the gap, who will?

Sure, you may argue that if we increase our labour supply, our wages will fall. But think in the long run, if our productivity remains unchanged, our friendly MNCs and local firms will start to face higher costs of production. Don't forget, we still have to compete with China and India who has the comparative advantage in cheap labour. Soon, our investors leave Singapore and we get more unemployment. Isn't this worse?

woOO…2 new clones…

Originally posted by mhcampboy:

woOO...2 new clones...

Ah, if you were referring to me, I am no clone. Unless.... there was a 6th Day violation...

Well, that will solve our economic woes, a sixth day violation. I'm certain PointBlue that many people vested with common sense see ur pt. As you quite subtly admitted, the governments' approach though addressing the shortage of labour problem, will in itself, create added competition for Singaporeans. That isn't a bad thing, in fact, comeptition breeds gowth as common sense will tell us.

While it takes common sense to address the root of an economic problem such as this, it certainly takes more than common sense to address the concerns of the people. I think why threads such as this have been created is because people are worried that they will be affected by this policy. It can be their pay pockets; the security of their jobs; the social consequances with the influx of foreign talent;etc. These are the issues which are close to the heart, in which people are concerned about and thus view the new initiative with a tinge of skepticism. In a nutshell, more has to be done to address these concerns, be it through an expansive yet objective PR and genuine policies to assure individuals that there will not be forgotten in the new Singapore.

Originally posted by Quincey:

Well, that will solve our economic woes, a sixth day violation. I'm certain PointBlue that many people vested with common sense see ur pt. As you quite subtly admitted, the governments' approach though addressing the shortage of labour problem, will in itself, create added competition for Singaporeans. That isn't a bad thing, in fact, comeptition breeds gowth as common sense will tell us.

While it takes common sense to address the root of an economic problem such as this, it certainly takes more than common sense to address the concerns of the people. I think why threads such as this have been created is because people are worried that they will be affected by this policy. It can be their pay pockets; the security of their jobs; the social consequances with the influx of foreign talent;etc. These are the issues which are close to the heart, in which people are concerned about and thus view the new initiative with a tinge of skepticism. In a nutshell, more has to be done to address these concerns, be it through an expansive yet objective PR and genuine policies to assure individuals that there will not be forgotten in the new Singapore.

agree... for some industry it reali needs talent but they need to control the areas that dun need talent(esp IT industry) and not jz a free for all competition.... but unfortunately they wun care...

Originally posted by play_n_play:

hello,

pls go n check with ur father, or ur father father... where are they from?

be a singaporean, i felt shame on u.

ft helped singaporean to build up this country, they also made a lots of efforts and achievements on this small country. like US, sg is a immigrant country. if u do not have broad mind, how u improve?

regards,
play_n_play

I think you should read this article by bluelantern, and then re-consider your stand on this issue:

==================================================

Mr Wang Bakes Good Karma

Pulling a Fast One
Is Mr Wang done with PM Lee's rally speech yet? Almost. First, let's recap two major trends/policies for Singapore:

(1) Singapore faces the challenge of an ageing population (or so we're told). Current projections show that one in five Singaporeans will be over the age of 65 by 2030. The government therefore wants to encourage Singaporeans to have more babies.

(2) Singapore's economy lacks skilled manpower (or so we're told). The government wants to import huge numbers of foreign talents, to keep the economy going strong.

PM Lee's rally speech is perhaps the first time that the Singapore government has tied Point (1) directly to Point (2). Let's look at the relevant passage:

"Two years ago, we introduced major policy changes to encourage couples to have more babies. So far the results have been very modest. I understand why some Singaporeans do not want to have more children. But I have not given up hope and will continue to think of ways to encourage couples to have more babies.

Let me explain why we need new immigrants. To maintain a population of 4 million, Singapore needs at least 50,000 babies a year. Last year, we had 36,000 babies. This means that we are short by 14,000 babies. No matter how hard we try, it would be hard to produce another 14,000 babies. Hence we need to attract more immigrants."
Something is very wrong with the above reasoning, and no one in the blogosphere seems to have pointed it out yet. So I guess I'll have to do the job again.

This is it - babies are not adults. Adults are not babies. Let's imagine that PM Lee's baby-making incentives had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams and Singaporeans produced 75,000 babies last year. That means we would have 75,000 one-year-old cute little chubbies in Singapore today.

But babies can't work. They don't contribute to the economy. They're not research scientists, engineers, bankers or teachers. That would take another 20 to 25 years to happen.

Meanwhile, we import foreign talent. Let's say A*STAR finds a 40-year-old stem research scientist in the US and imports him into Singapore. He settles here, and because of his valuable skills, immediately starts contributing to the economy. However, he is not a baby.

In 20 or 25 years' time, he will be 60 or 65 years old and would have become one extra member in the senior citizen population for the Singapore government to worry about. In fact, the more we import foreign talent in their 30s and 40s, the greater our future "aging population" problem will become!

Of course, I have also oversimplified. The true dynamics are more complicated. For now, my point is just that PM Lee is talking nonsense here:

Last year, we had 36,000 babies. This means that we are short by 14,000 babies. No matter how hard we try, it would be hard to produce another 14,000 babies. Hence we need to attract more immigrants.
I see his attempt to tie the lack of babies to the immediate need for foreigners as just another sales strategy to convince the Singaporean public about his foreign talent schemes. Furthermore he gets to shift the blame ("See? YOU Singaporeans are not producing enough babies, so I, the Prime Minister need to import foreign talent".

The truth is - babies are not adults. Adults are not babies. PM Lee is surely smart enough to see that. I think that he thinks you're not. Here's another example of his quicksell tactics, from April 2006.

Meanwhile, Singaporeans are getting fooled. Look at poor Ms Lee Pai Ping, writing to the online ST Forum:

Aug 23, 2006
S'poreans have to pay a price for not heeding govt's plea for more babies

I missed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally Speech on television last Sunday.

When I read about it in The Straits Times the next day, a sudden sadness overwhelmed me.

The Singapore government has decided to be more aggressive in attracting immigrants with talents of all kinds to Singapore with the offer of Singapore permanent residence status, once purportedly aimed at graduates, professionals, bankers, lawyers and the like.

What a huge price Singaporeans have to pay for not heeding the government's persistent plea for higher birth rates among its people, and to be less picky about jobs.

I am for the Singapore government's move to import foreign talents to fill the gap and boost the economy by creating job opportunities as entrepreneurs.

But I shrug at the thought that some native Singaporeans, especially the young and educated of marrying age, do not think it their duty to marry and procreate as part of nation-building, and the unemployed who still fuss over jobs, choosing to remain jobless rather than accepting a job below their expectations.

Singaporeans should not be complacent. Nation-building is our utmost duty and responsibility.

Lee Pai Ping (Ms)
Ms Lee Pai Ping, try to understand this. If today we import skilled foreigners in their 30s because we lack Singaporean working adults, then our problem isn't with young, married, childless Singaporean couples today. The problem really happened 30 years ago - when the government was busy telling young couples then to "Stop At Two".

So no need to suffer all that guilt, Pai Ping. The government is to blame. That's what PM Lee doesn't want to tell you. He'd rather just blame you and make you feel bad instead.

Pai Ping isn't the only person who got suckered. Seems like a senior ST columnist also got suckered too. Click here to read the ST editorial of 22 August 2006. There he goes - putting the blame on "career-minded young couples" without kids. Or maybe the Straits Times guy does know the truth, but just wanted to perform one of those "nation-building-press" gymnastic tricks.

NAH! Here's your Foreigh Talents from China!

========================================

China woman to S';pore date on first meet:
Let's get married now
She offers another S'porean, a finance exec, 43, the same deal
August 27, 2006

WITH her silky-smooth complexion, long black hair and slim figure, Qili (not her real name) could have any man she wanted.

But she wanted more than 'any man'. The woman from Liaoning province in China wanted Singapore citizenship.

Like many of her peers, the diploma-holder wanted to strike it rich in what she saw as the land of opportunity.

So three years ago, Qili got herself a student pass and and a one-way air ticket to Singapore.

Once in the country, she ignored her student status and found herself a job as a cleaner.

She also approached a matchmaking agency to find her a husband. But the agency could not provide the kind of man she wanted.

Speaking to The New Paper on condition of anonymity because of confidentiality agreements with clients, the agency owner said: 'She had big eyes and gentle manners. Although she put down her age as 33, she looked like she was in her 20s. But she was also secretive about personal details and answered our questions carefully.

'She specifically wanted men who were aged 50 and under, with a stable career and earning more than $3,000 a month.'

WANTED FAKE MARRIAGE

But one sentence she said put the owner off.

'She said she wanted a 'fake marriage' to get PR status here, and was willing to pay me and the man to do it. I told her I couldn't do that.'

Undaunted, Qili returned to the same agency a year later and told the owner that she was sincere about finding true love.

This time round, she would accept a man under 60 and did not specify a minimum salary.

'I accepted that her aims might have changed over the year, so I set her up with a 36-year-old auditor.

'But after their first date, he came back in a huff and scolded me for setting him up with a woman like that.

'He told me Qili offered him money to marry her immediately. I questioned her about it, and she said she was joking,' the agency owner recalled.

Believing her, the owner then set Qili up with a 43-year-old finance executive. But the same thing happened.

Qili was then told there would be no more matches.

Other agency owners said Qili's is a familiar story that they've heard time and time again.

Mr Jansen Ong, owner of Life Partner Matchmaker, said he knew of agencies that 'specialise' in setting up such unions.

He added that it was mostly ageing blue-collar workers, looking to earn easy money, who are roped in to seal the deal.

'I have turned down several girls who called my agency to say they are willing to pay me to find a man for this purpose. The practice is quite common,' Mr Ong said.

Ms Kelly Jiang, owner of Fate Marriage Agent, said she has also met a few women like that.

'They are quite honest about it and just ask 'Do you do quickie marriages?' They claim they are single or divorced, but when I ask them for their divorce papers, they say it's in China.

'I tell them the divorce certificate serial number or personal identification number is enough because we have a branch in China that can verify their marital status.

'And I never see them again,' said Ms Jiang.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 jailed in last 2 years for sham marriage corruption

TWELVE people have been jailed for between four and 12 months since 2004 for marriage scams, according to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau records.

At least four more sham marriage cases have been heard in court since then, including the one we reported on page 2:

A 58-year-old bankrupt arranged for a friend to marry his Myanmar girlfriend so she could stay here.

Lin Yami paid Ye Defu $200 to marry the woman, 33, who arrived on a fake passport.

But she lived with Lin. They were caught after two years on 8 Feb this year and all three were jailed and fined in June. Ye for three months and Lin for ten months.

The woman will be repatriated after serving her 16-month term and barred from returning here.

Painter Loh Jun Lee, 53, was jailed eight months and fined $10,000 in May for arranging a marriage for a China national karaoke hostess. He took $10,000 from Zheng Li, 32, for arranging to marry his friend on 18 Aug last year. He paid the friend $1,000. Zheng was jailed six months.

Cambodian Khuch Hay, 28, was jailed six months in April for arranging a sham marriage between her Vietnamese tenant, 24, and a Singaporean man.

Chia Kang Meng, 56, received $2,000 to marry Duong Thi Thuy Van in May 2003. Van also paid him $100 to $400 each time he accompanied her to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to extend her stay here.

Both were jailed 10 months in March.

More and more news on FT is featured on the newspaper everyday. It is a indeed a frustration to Singaporean who is unemployed or Singaporean who has beening slogging very hard,yet no pay rise.I am very worried for the Poor

yay!
singapore wants FTs..
but other countries don't want us..
yay!

On one hand, foreigners are here to take up really low paying jobs. Such as those done by bangalas and those construction works.

On the other hands, Singaporeans are also worried that the foreigners are seen as an alternative when they demanded far lower pay than Singaporean citizens. Singaporeans are thus deprived of jobs that should be prioritized to them at first.

This is a dilenma and the government should not rashly make decision to open the flood gates to foreigners.

Originally posted by NUS_Superst@r:

On one hand, foreigners are here to take up really low paying jobs. Such as those done by bangalas and those construction works.

On the other hands, Singaporeans are also worried that the foreigners are seen as an alternative when they demanded far lower pay than Singaporean citizens. Singaporeans are thus deprived of jobs that should be prioritized to them at first.

are we talking about foreign TALENTS or foreign WORKERS down here?

we thorough-bred singaporeans are 2nd-class citizens

Countries like japan protect like citizens…it is very difficult to go japan to find a job and stay there

Originally posted by NUS_Superst@r:

On one hand, foreigners are here to take up really low paying jobs. Such as those done by bangalas and those construction works.

On the other hands, Singaporeans are also worried that the foreigners are seen as an alternative when they demanded far lower pay than Singaporean citizens. Singaporeans are thus deprived of jobs that should be prioritized to them at first.

This is a dilenma and the government should not rashly make decision to open the flood gates to foreigners.

u from NUS ah? hahah...the topic is about foreign Talent not foreign workers..its about workers doing white collar job!

I do not mind if they employ FT to be PM, minister or CEO if they are cheaper … not the lower level general skill level, just look around u … Sg now filled with Chinese in poly, U, workplace, if they also serve NS I do not mind, but they dun..

Originally posted by UandMe:

are we talking about foreign TALENTS or foreign WORKERS down here?

Our great sg gov has said that regardless of whether u r foreigners with the necessary qulifications but with the entreoreneurships all are termed as FTs.

If the foreigners can do blow jobs so good n open more shops of this nature,can she be called FTs ???.

the ft can come (frankly, majority are not really talented) but the citezens must be given more help...cheaper housing, medical, education and etc....we will be the core of the nation and while the ft will do saf as in serve and fark off once their contract is up. want more babies, solution is easy, if we need not slog so hard to pay for simple hdb unit, cheaper pre-school and etc..then we'll solve the farking problem, literally as in fark and have babies.....

Originally posted by play_n_play:

hello,

pls go n check with ur father, or ur father father... where are they from?

be a singaporean, i felt shame on u.

ft helped singaporean to build up this country, they also made a lots of efforts and achievements on this small country. like US, sg is a immigrant country. if u do not have broad mind, how u improve?

regards,
play_n_play

Cheap talk!

shame on u who blast without thinking

in the early days,FT was necessary bcuz singapore was only involved in entreport trade and to diversify her economy and while moving into new industries,there was a definite need to hire FT to set up the infrastrture and providing of knowledge for the start up!

But now,ppl are so much affluence and times have changed.
we no longer need to be overdependant on FT...else whats the purpsoe of govt stressing so much on education?

continue hiring FT whom the govt think are so much better than local brains and u see higher end industries being filled with the FT.
The Govt can hire FT to replace market exec,accountant,CEO and those in the high positions....[The govt thinks FT are better than local brains no mattter how much they're stressing on education rite?how ironic]
This leaves singaore talent jobless even in the establised industries.

And when the foreign workers who are willing to take the place of uneducated lot in sg for a lower pay,The uneducated ones are oso jobless.

notice the tread?
Govt hire FT to replace singapore brains bcuz they think FT are better no matetr what
Govt hiring cheap labour bcuz it can save them on cost

And they taught we're dumb to not see this

Work Permit Pass Holders are welcomed

Employment Pass Holders are unwelcomed

Originally posted by play_n_play:

hello,

pls go n check with ur father, or ur father father... where are they from?

be a singaporean, i felt shame on u.

ft helped singaporean to build up this country, they also made a lots of efforts and achievements on this small country. like US, sg is a immigrant country. if u do not have broad mind, how u improve?

regards,
play_n_play

Do U and these FTs go through NS n Rs to know who we r now?

We r not mainland chinese or Taiwan Chinese, We r Sporeans!!! whose roots might be associated with china,India ,Malay and others.

U can call us overseas chinese and be proud of PRC etc 's achievements but we are one Spore chinese and not China chinese.

I m really feeling ashame of being overseas chinese when some of the Mainland chinese ppls I met in overseas,their behaviour is so rude and $ minded, I cant blame them for they are still developing but the way they act is disgusting and put a lot of stress and shame on not only them but me as well.

go Aust