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LoginBrain Drain; Who Else to Blamed? America/Au/Canada?
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S'pore loses 1,000 top talents yearly: MM LeeClarissa Oon
Wed, Feb 13, 2008
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE is losing about 1,000 of its best and brightest every year and the numbers are growing, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said, sounding the alarm on the severity of the brain drain.And the main magnet for these talents is not regional powerhouse China, but the United States and other developed English-speaking countries, he told the United Press International news agency in an interview earlier this month.
Citing figures of Singaporeans who gave up their citizenship and took out their savings and CPF funds, he said this meant 'losing about, at the top end, 1,000 a year, which is about - if you take the top 30 per cent of the population - about four or five per cent'.
Mr Lee believes this exodus could only grow because 'every year, there are more people going abroad for their first or second degree'.Some of these Singaporean talents head for China, but return eventually because, at the end of the day, they do not want to compete with the Chinese, he said.
'You go to China, you're going to compete against 1,300 million very bright fellows, hardworking, starving. Do you stand a chance to be on top of that pole? No.'
'But if you go there as a Singaporean with a different base, speaking English which they can't, with connections to the world, then you've got a different platform.'
In comparison, the pull of US is difficult to reverse, he said, noting that American firms recruited bright Singaporean students straight out of universities there.
After acclimatising to life and work in the US, 'if they decide to take the Green Card and settle in America, then I think we've lost them', said Mr Lee.
Singaporeans who do not want the stiff competition in the US go to Australia and Canada, he added.
The brain drain has been a regular issue addressed by MM Lee, who has repeatedly said that this is Singapore's Achilles heel.
To stem this loss of talent, Singapore has wooed many top professionals from China and India here, he said.
The draw for the Chinese is that their children can learn both English and Chinese, while the Indians like Singapore because it is close to home, yet a step up in terms of First World infrastructure.
'The trouble is many of the Chinese then use us as a stepping stone to go to America, where the grass is greener.'
'But even if we only keep 30 to 40 per cent and lose 60 to 70 per cent, we're a net gainer,' he said. He said, however, that the Chinese would cease to come in 20 to 30 years' time, when China's living standards rise to match Singapore's.
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lol. imagine that your sons and daughters are leaving u and instead of reasoning them to think twice, u go out and grab other people to be your children.
rather than admitting his mistakes and achieve reconciliation, he try to make up for the loss instead.
edited: im neither bright nor the best, so they can count me out from the lot mentioned above.
Edited by fishbuff 14 Feb `08, 7:31AM
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Originally posted by HyperFocal:
Citing figures of Singaporeans who gave up their citizenship and took out their savings and CPF funds, he said this meant 'losing about, at the top end, 1,000 a year, which is about - if you take the top 30 per cent of the population - about four or five per cent'.I tink our Chief Despot's main worry is this... ppl leaving giving up their citizenship and withdraw their CPF (which i am planning once i reach 40)... no more $$$ in Gahmen's blood bank (CPF) to splurge on oversea investments and fuel their absurd pay hikes...
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Originally posted by ulquiorra87:
The govt shouldnt just worry about the bright... I'm sure many more of the average people here would get out if they are not stuck in the artificial rat race. It just takes common sense to make that decision
... I'm afraid, it isn't just the bright who have set their sights abroad...... there's a growing trend of average people who are approaching their 40s to 60s who are or have been saving up to retire elsewhere...
... our "bright" "government" should worry about ending up with a Ghost Town island in decades to come... that... would be so hilarious...
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Originally posted by HyperFocal:
... I'm afraid, it isn't just the bright who have set their sights abroad...... there's a growing trend of average people who are approaching their 40s to 60s who are or have been saving up to retire elsewhere...
... our "bright" "government" should worry about ending up with a Ghost Town island in decades to come... that... would be so hilarious...
I felt the govt failed to realize that many of the immigrant simply take up PR to get subsidy or citizenship as mean to go to other countries. The govt should ask themselves how come the talented locals refused to come back
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Originally posted by will4:
I felt the govt failed to realize that many of the immigrant simply take up PR to get subsidy or citizenship as mean to go to other countries. The govt should ask themselves how come the talented locals refused to come back
... I believe they know WHY, but they just refuse to admit it, or acknowledge publicly any flaws on their part as Policy Makers... & so called a "government"...... just look at the stupid Annuity scam; clearly, after shoving CPF policies down people's throats for decades, and when it didn't work out the way it was promised, they shifted blame to Longevity of Singaporeans...
... they will always try to look smart, but lately, they been looking dumber & dumber...
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Lee Kuan Yew says, Singapore is losing about 1,000 capable people every year.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the state owned and controlled newspaper, the Straits Times, with a picture of his looking very grim, in their report of Feb 14, 2008, Lee Kuan Yew, the dictator of the one party state of Singapore says " S'pore losing about 1,000 capable people every year".
For a small country of 3 million people, a loss of highly talented people at this rate and such numbers; emigrating to Western countries permanently; means nothing less than disaster for the island state.
I do not think Mr. Lee needs to be reminded of the reasons for educated Singaporeans wanting to flee the island, but let me do it anyway.
The primary reason is Lee Kuan Yew himself.Today Singaporeans look upon him as a thief who steals from his people no less than $3.7 million a year which he calls salary; five times more money than the President of the United States is paid.
This theft is perpetrated also by all his family members and his chosen ministers. This is bribery and corruption at unprecedented levels unknown in the world; sufficient even to exceed that of the criminal Suharto and Mobutu of the Congo who stole the country’s diamonds.
Singaporeans hate his arrogance. He goes around the world making speeches to heads of state and captains of industry who are unaware of the real tragedy that is Singapore; deceived into thinking that since it has such a fine waterfront resplendent with glass and crystal office towers; that Singapore is one great success and he is the one who has made it possible.
Little do they know that in Singapore almost 40 % of the people do not pay any income tax because their wages are too little? Little do they know that there is widespread poverty while only the top of society, well connected with the government enjoy unimaginable wealth?
Singaporeans see him as a cruel ruthless heartless unscrupulous person who eliminates his political opposition with not a single modicum of human decency. A totally ruthless unscrupulous person; that is how people see him. And they hate him. They look at him not as gentlemen, but more as gangster. Even some gangsters have some sense of decency about them. He has none.
Examples are of course what he does to people such as JB Jeyaretnam and Dr. Chee Soon Juan. He knows that these men have not broken any law whatsoever, not maligned him in any way whatsoever; but had just engaged in normal political activity.
But because he is unable and incapable of challenging them in a fair debate, he gets corrupted judges such as Judge Belinda Ang to award false judgments, crippling awards of hundreds of thousands of dollars against them; with the sole intent of bankrupting them so that they cannot contest elections as bankrupts; and has them bankrupted.
Not only that, as long as they continue in their political activity, he repeatedly strikes, attacks with repeated defamation actions, like a black mamba of the African plains, repeatedly attacking his victims using his corrupt judges such as Judge Belinda Ang as the snakes with the deadly venom.
And what do you think Singaporeans think of him after this? Nothing more than a plain and simple shameless bully.
And how do you think young capable educated Singaporeans look upon the vital institutions of the country itself, the judiciary, the civil service, the police force and the professions after he has dealt with them?
He, Lee Kuan Yew has managed to discredit each of these institutions resulting in their total loss of all credibility and respect. Singaporeans can plainly see corrupt judges, paid astronomically high salaries which is nothing less than corruption; routinely using the law to eliminate his opponents. They see the politicized civil service giving favors to Lee's friends and cronies and punishing non supporters.
Singaporeans can see now that the country has already been destroyed by this man. No self respecting honorable young man would want to be a lawyer in Singapore; since it is not ability but political connections that decide success and failure.
It is not possible to excel in the law by hard work, since there is no longer rule of law. The law is what pleases Lee Kuan Yew. It is the same in every other profession, all politicized, all neutralized; all brought under the heel of this demented power hungry tyrant.
It takes a very dishonest young man or woman to want to remain in Singapore and succeed in a professional career, because it means sucking up to this man and his policies no matter how repugnant to justice and fairness.
Of course, in any society you have those who will do anything for money, but these are few. Such men would stay behind, join his party and sing his tune, hoping that in the end the goodies will eventually come.
But thankfully, such dregs of society are few. The vast majority of upright men and women want to succeed by themselves under their own steam; without any need for Lee Kuan Yew. The vast majority want to experience life, not the sheltered quid pro quo of life that Lee Kuan Yew has to offer. Any young man with qualifications would want to see how good he is in the open world where people are judged by their abilities, not because they are card carrying members of Lee Kuan Yew's party.
Singapore is now seen today by Singaporeans as a country with an arrogant gangster at the top talking down to his subjects; bullying his political opponents and suing them using his corrupt judges such as Belinda Ang; a country which no longer has the rule of law; no respectable public institutions and which has become a laughing stock of the world.
A country that prohibits chewing gum penalizes pornography but allows prostitution. A country that hangs petty drug mules but metes out a lenient 10 year sentence for man who chopped up his wife with a meat cleaver in the public in Toa Payoh!
There are those, less fortunate without tertiary qualifications, unable to leave Singapore, even though they detest Lee Kuan Yew and his government. But why should an educated highly talented person remain in Singapore; when if he spoke his mind in criticism of Lee Kuan Yew; he will be sued for defamation of character with trumped up charges and bankrupted. There is no need for him to take such nonsense. He prefers to be free, so he leaves for the United States.
Lee Kuan Yew is fooling himself in thinking that Communist Chinese from China that he imports in large numbers and some Indians from India can replace those native born highly educated young Singaporeans who leave.
Young Singapore born and educated, young men and women are vastly superior to these imports from overseas.
Firstly foreigners who come have no idea of the history politics and social culture of the island. They are only able to do jobs that they are told without any background understanding of the country itself like native born Singaporeans.
Neither do they have the loyalty or roots in Singapore that native born Singaporeans have. Their culture and outlook to life are completely different from Singaporeans.
It would have made no difference to them had they gone to any other country other than Singapore.
These foreigners, lacking a true understanding of the country, will continue to erode the effectiveness of the administration, until after a time, with almost no Singaporean administrators at the top, Singapore will change completely to become another third world Philippines or another Peoples Republic of Communist China.
If Lee Kuan Yew is serious about the welfare of Singapore, then he should stop stealing $3.7 million from his people every year; stop filing defamation of character lawsuits against political opponents; replace Judge Belinda Ang with honest judges; reverse the judgments against Dr. Chee and JB Jeyaretnam and return their money illegally collected in defamation of character awards and allow Dr. Chee to speak freely.
If you do all this, Dr. Chee Soon Juan will perhaps become the Prime Minister and if that happens, educated Singaporeans from all over the world will return to help and work for the future of Singapore. When Singaporeans leave Singapore, it is not because they hate Singapore; it is because they hate Lee Kuan Yew.
If you allow educated Singaporeans to speak freely, to interact freely, to think and debate and discuss freely without the fear of defamation actions and bankruptcy, you will be surprised to see what educated Singaporeans can do for Singapore.
It is quite certain that with your arrogance and greed, you cannot allow Singapore to become a democracy.
As you are 85 years old, not only will you die soon, but your son whom you placed as Prime Minister will fail out of incompetence and Singapore will be seriously damaged.
Alas, this is the fate of countries when rulers become greedy, stubborn and unscrupulous all over the world and throughout history. But what is worse is that the fall will be all the more precipitous in a small country with only 3 million people, without natural resources, without sufficient land or without educated people. They are leaving at the rate of 1,000 per year and increasing by the day!
Gopalan Nairhttp://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/02/lee-kuan-yew-says-singapore-is-losing.html
Edited by Poh Ah Pak 15 Feb `08, 5:32PM
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Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:
Lee Kuan Yew says, Singapore is losing about 1,000 capable people every year.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the state owned and controlled newspaper, the Straits Times, with a picture of his looking very grim, in their report of Feb 14, 2008, Lee Kuan Yew, the dictator of the one party state of Singapore says " S'pore losing about 1,000 capable people every year".
For a small country of 3 million people, a loss of highly talented people at this rate and such numbers; emigrating to Western countries permanently; means nothing less than disaster for the island state.
I do not think Mr. Lee needs to be reminded of the reasons for educated Singaporeans wanting to flee the island, but let me do it anyway.
The primary reason is Lee Kuan Yew himself.Today Singaporeans look upon him as a thief who steals from his people no less than $3.7 million a year which he calls salary; five times more money than the President of the United States is paid.
This theft is perpetrated also by all his family members and his chosen ministers. This is bribery and corruption at unprecedented levels unknown in the world; sufficient even to exceed that of the criminal Suharto and Mobutu of the Congo who stole the country’s diamonds.
Singaporeans hate his arrogance. He goes around the world making speeches to heads of state and captains of industry who are unaware of the real tragedy that is Singapore; deceived into thinking that since it has such a fine waterfront resplendent with glass and crystal office towers; that Singapore is one great success and he is the one who has made it possible.
Little do they know that in Singapore almost 40 % of the people do not pay any income tax because their wages are too little? Little do they know that there is widespread poverty while only the top of society, well connected with the government enjoy unimaginable wealth?
Singaporeans see him as a cruel ruthless heartless unscrupulous person who eliminates his political opposition with not a single modicum of human decency. A totally ruthless unscrupulous person; that is how people see him. And they hate him. They look at him not as gentlemen, but more as gangster. Even some gangsters have some sense of decency about them. He has none.
Examples are of course what he does to people such as JB Jeyaretnam and Dr. Chee Soon Juan. He knows that these men have not broken any law whatsoever, not maligned him in any way whatsoever; but had just engaged in normal political activity.
But because he is unable and incapable of challenging them in a fair debate, he gets corrupted judges such as Judge Belinda Ang to award false judgments, crippling awards of hundreds of thousands of dollars against them; with the sole intent of bankrupting them so that they cannot contest elections as bankrupts; and has them bankrupted.
Not only that, as long as they continue in their political activity, he repeatedly strikes, attacks with repeated defamation actions, like a black mamba of the African plains, repeatedly attacking his victims using his corrupt judges such as Judge Belinda Ang as the snakes with the deadly venom.
And what do you think Singaporeans think of him after this? Nothing more than a plain and simple shameless bully.
And how do you think young capable educated Singaporeans look upon the vital institutions of the country itself, the judiciary, the civil service, the police force and the professions after he has dealt with them?
He, Lee Kuan Yew has managed to discredit each of these institutions resulting in their total loss of all credibility and respect. Singaporeans can plainly see corrupt judges, paid astronomically high salaries which is nothing less than corruption; routinely using the law to eliminate his opponents. They see the politicized civil service giving favors to Lee's friends and cronies and punishing non supporters.
Singaporeans can see now that the country has already been destroyed by this man. No self respecting honorable young man would want to be a lawyer in Singapore; since it is not ability but political connections that decide success and failure.
It is not possible to excel in the law by hard work, since there is no longer rule of law. The law is what pleases Lee Kuan Yew. It is the same in every other profession, all politicized, all neutralized; all brought under the heel of this demented power hungry tyrant.
It takes a very dishonest young man or woman to want to remain in Singapore and succeed in a professional career, because it means sucking up to this man and his policies no matter how repugnant to justice and fairness.
Of course, in any society you have those who will do anything for money, but these are few. Such men would stay behind, join his party and sing his tune, hoping that in the end the goodies will eventually come.
But thankfully, such dregs of society are few. The vast majority of upright men and women want to succeed by themselves under their own steam; without any need for Lee Kuan Yew. The vast majority want to experience life, not the sheltered quid pro quo of life that Lee Kuan Yew has to offer. Any young man with qualifications would want to see how good he is in the open world where people are judged by their abilities, not because they are card carrying members of Lee Kuan Yew's party.
Singapore is now seen today by Singaporeans as a country with an arrogant gangster at the top talking down to his subjects; bullying his political opponents and suing them using his corrupt judges such as Belinda Ang; a country which no longer has the rule of law; no respectable public institutions and which has become a laughing stock of the world.
A country that prohibits chewing gum penalizes pornography but allows prostitution. A country that hangs petty drug mules but metes out a lenient 10 year sentence for man who chopped up his wife with a meat cleaver in the public in Toa Payoh!
There are those, less fortunate without tertiary qualifications, unable to leave Singapore, even though they detest Lee Kuan Yew and his government. But why should an educated highly talented person remain in Singapore; when if he spoke his mind in criticism of Lee Kuan Yew; he will be sued for defamation of character with trumped up charges and bankrupted. There is no need for him to take such nonsense. He prefers to be free, so he leaves for the United States.
Lee Kuan Yew is fooling himself in thinking that Communist Chinese from China that he imports in large numbers and some Indians from India can replace those native born highly educated young Singaporeans who leave.
Young Singapore born and educated, young men and women are vastly superior to these imports from overseas.
Firstly foreigners who come have no idea of the history politics and social culture of the island. They are only able to do jobs that they are told without any background understanding of the country itself like native born Singaporeans.
Neither do they have the loyalty or roots in Singapore that native born Singaporeans have. Their culture and outlook to life are completely different from Singaporeans.
It would have made no difference to them had they gone to any other country other than Singapore.
These foreigners, lacking a true understanding of the country, will continue to erode the effectiveness of the administration, until after a time, with almost no Singaporean administrators at the top, Singapore will change completely to become another third world Philippines or another Peoples Republic of Communist China.
If Lee Kuan Yew is serious about the welfare of Singapore, then he should stop stealing $3.7 million from his people every year; stop filing defamation of character lawsuits against political opponents; replace Judge Belinda Ang with honest judges; reverse the judgments against Dr. Chee and JB Jeyaretnam and return their money illegally collected in defamation of character awards and allow Dr. Chee to speak freely.
If you do all this, Dr. Chee Soon Juan will perhaps become the Prime Minister and if that happens, educated Singaporeans from all over the world will return to help and work for the future of Singapore. When Singaporeans leave Singapore, it is not because they hate Singapore; it is because they hate Lee Kuan Yew.
If you allow educated Singaporeans to speak freely, to interact freely, to think and debate and discuss freely without the fear of defamation actions and bankruptcy, you will be surprised to see what educated Singaporeans can do for Singapore.
It is quite certain that with your arrogance and greed, you cannot allow Singapore to become a democracy.
As you are 85 years old, not only will you die soon, but your son whom you placed as Prime Minister will fail out of incompetence and Singapore will be seriously damaged.
Alas, this is the fate of countries when rulers become greedy, stubborn and unscrupulous all over the world and throughout history. But what is worse is that the fall will be all the more precipitous in a small country with only 3 million people, without natural resources, without sufficient land or without educated people. They are leaving at the rate of 1,000 per year and increasing by the day!
Gopalan Nairhttp://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/02/lee-kuan-yew-says-singapore-is-losing.html
Goodness, although we dont like certain things in SG that compell us to move overseas, i do not concur with what Gopalan had written.,
He has an axe to grind with LKY so be it. Just dont jump on the bandwagon of this subject and take a cheat shot at LKY.
i wont support Gopalan in this aspect.
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Originally posted by leilan84:
He, Who once said that Singapore has got no talent, that's why he's importing foreign talent. Yet now worried about the talent drain?
PM Lee once mentioed during a National day rally speech saying 800 locals migrated to other countries each year. This time round, MM Lee said 1000 migrated to other countries each year n the trend is worrying considering the fact that he admitted the immgrants using here as a stwpping stone to US or other countries.
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I don't know about 'oversized' brain, but don't we have 'overpriced' brains...
Gopalan: "... Dr. Chee Soon Juan will perhaps become the Prime Minister and if that happens, educated Singaporeans from all over the world will return to help and work for the future of Singapore." I am definitely do not agree and/or convince by this statement. A 'equals' B, therefore A is C???
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To answer the topic directly, the government has to take part of the blame.
To address brain drain issue - import more foreign talent. Frankly, I've never seen a better answer than this.
Does this address the brain drain issue? Yes.
But does this address the main issue of Singapore losing her citizens? I doubt so.
And I think part of the answer lies with us. Do we exactly see Singapore as our home?
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