Politics & Society
What is the source of Singapore’s “SH*T society”? Singaporeans or foreigners?
Something’s been bothering me for a long time… I am very curious as to why people who oppose the heavy influx of foreign workers into the Singaporean society are often viewed as closed-minded, racist/discriminating, xenophobic people who fail to see the economic benefits of having foreign workers here, or that foreign workers are taking up jobs that Singaporeans are not willing to do and thus we should be thankful, yada yada.
While I don’t disagree that there are certainly people like that, there are also people like myself who oppose the influx of foreign workers for more balanced reasons - such as the fact that besides “jobs that no Singaporeans want to do”. foreigners are also lowering the wages for professional positions, and taking up places at all levels of our society, enjoying privileges of working, living and studying in Singapore without having to deal with the responsibilities of being a Singaporean, or having to pay much more as foreigners.
Particularly at such times of economic turmoil, Singaporeans who are retrenched (or people like myself who are going onto the job market) need jobs. Foreigners are willing to take on jobs for lower pay than Singaporeans are willing to, because they don’t have as many financial obligations that we have (i.e. they have to deal with costs of living, yes… but they don’t have long-term obligations in Singapore - i.e. housing loans and bringing up children here). That’s unfair competition, if you ask me - foreigners from other parts of Asia where the cost of living is much lower do have strong advantages over us - they can and are willing to settle for lower pay, which, when converted back into their home currencies, still can come up to quite a lot. Which is why they just keep coming and we still see no end to the influx.
Coupled with the government’s open door policy to foreign workers, Singaporeans are truly an underprivileged lot compared to their foreign counterparts, who come here, compete with us at all levels of society, pollute our environment with their litter and spitting (I’m not saying that Singaporeans don’t litter or spit, but please visit places where foreign workers hang out, like the open space beside Jurong East MRT on weekends to see what I mean).
And we have seen recently in the media that, there are Chinese students that the Singapore Government had given scholarships to who left Singapore for greener pastures without fulfilling their bond obligations here. This is definitely not a new thing - it’s only just that it’s been recently highlighted in the press. It’s certainly a moral hazard for these people - they can just pack up and leave for greener pastures after enjoying the privileges that we accord to them. And going by what we see now, there is no way that the Government can track these defaulters down and demand compensation from them. The winners at the end of the day, are investors/businesses and the Government… which benefit from the lower cost labor.
This kind of policy (i.e. to lower the costs of doing business in Singapore due to the ability to hire lower wage foreign workers) is very short-sighted and not sustainable. Something will give way eventually, when Singaporeans can no longer tolerate the unfair competitive advantage that these foreign workers have.
Already we are seeing signs of unhappiness surfacing over the Internet, which is the media of choice for Singaporeans to voice their opinions on politics and societal matters… if nothing is being done to improve conditions for Singaporeans, there would come one day when we see exasperated people rising up against policy makers to assert their rights as citizens to be protected by the Government. I’m not advocating an overly-protectionist society - I just think that the current policy towards foreigners is TOO OPEN and will not be sustained and tolerated by SIngaporeans in the long term.
And now on Stomp we see an article about how a Chinese guy who used to study in Singapore is attacking Singapore as a SHIT society, when these foreigners themselves are the source of much of this shit. Recall that just this year alone, there are at least half a dozen murders involving Chinese nationals. And half the total number of murders involved foreigners. We also have news about foreign workers raping and outraging the modesty of our women. This guy also mentioned the prostitution in Geylang, where women from all over Asia stand by the streets to peddle themselves. Hey, that’s Singapore’s fault too? This guy is effectively hitting his own people - many of these prostitutes are from China, just like himself.
So is our shit society solely a product of Singapore, or a product of China… just like the melamine tainted milk and other food products?
I have to add a disclaimer here that I don’t think everything and everyone from China suck. I love traveling in China, enjoying Chinese TV shows and history… and I have lots of Chinese national friends myself. That was to point out that Singapore’s shit society may not necessarily be something intrinsic to Singapore, and that as much as some Singaporeans’ behaviour can be shitty, so can the Chinese nationals’ behaviour. Certainly, not all Singaporeans are saintly in their behavior. But I suspect a lot of our “kiasu” and “kiasi” behavior has been nurtured over time by governmental policies towards foreigners and competition. People have instincts to protect themselves from competition, be it at the workplace, in school or just in everyday life. Think about it - could it be possible that many Singaporean behaviors and habits were conditioned by the competitive environment and foreigners’ poor habits (leading to a monkey see monkey do attitude)?
I’m not xenophobic or closed-minded. I appreciate the need for diversity and foreign workers, especially during economic boom times when we need the extra manpower. However, at this time when Singaporeans are having problems keeping our jobs, shouldn’t the Government look into some ways of limiting foreign workers here, such that Singaporeans can at least enjoy some benefits or protection from the Government in terms of securing our rice bowls?
Come to think of it, we’re not a very diverse culture anyway, even with the foreign workers factored in - look at the majority of the foreign worker population - mostly from China, India, and other south Asian countries… how diverse can that be, compared to other diverse cities like New York or Vancouver?
Also see:
“No resources” for Singaporeans; abundance for PRCs - “A gifted, even prodigious, Singaporean child is of less value to Singapore, than an imported PRC…”
Discussion
10 comments for “What is the source of Singapore’s “SH*T society”? Singaporeans or foreigners?”
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When cheaper goods flowed into the west many jobs were lost to the cheaper to employ Asian man. We adjusted and learned from this. The world does not owe you a living either, labour flow is a market like any, foreign talent equally is something you are purchasing. Now think this on the 200,000 Chinese workers
in your country, they have to go home sometime, so they have the same commitment to long-term housing and a retirement investment as you , only they have to pay for accommodation here in Singapore as well.
Shijia said:
“When cheaper goods flowed into the west many jobs were lost to the cheaper to employ Asian man. We adjusted and learned from this. The world does not owe you a living either, labour flow is a market like any, foreign talent equally is something you are purchasing. the 200,000 Chinese workers in your country, they have to go home sometime, so they have the same commitment to long-term housing and a retirement investment as you , only they have to pay for accommodation here in Singapore as well.”
I have some difficulties understanding your english language, but I’ll try to address your points anyway.
There is no talk about the world oweing us anything in the first place. The fact is that a government has the moral obligation to protect its people to a certain extent. As much as the Chinese government (and other governments around the world) have been limiting foreign investments and property ownership in mainland China, people in Singapore have the same rights to demand limits be set on unfair foreign competition.
Unfortunately you failed to address the issue of the cost of long-term obligations in China vs in Singapore. In Singapore, one can only buy a HDB flat with S$150k and above. In China, I believe depending on location, it can be very very very much lower. Furthermore, with regards to their accomodation while in Singapore, depending on the type of accomodation, it can be very cheap as well. Let’s just say rental for a HDB room is about $300+ a month upwards? An foreign engineer earning, say $2,500 can easily afford that and have lots of money left to save or remit back home after deducting living costs. A Singaporean won’t have much left after deducting costs of HDB mortgage, bills, saving up for children’s costly education here.
In short, you are unable to deny that costs back home in China is definitely much lesser than in Singapore and thus foreign workers do have competitive advantage to be able to settle for lower pay compared to Singaporeans.
Dear Mr Biao,
Good post. But I completely don’t agree with you.
To begin with an example, You walk into NTUC Fairprice. How much percentage of all the goods sold there are manufactured in Singapore? Very Very less. Singapore is a very very small country which doesn’t even have many basic natural resources within it. It *BUYS* them. The same way it BUYS manpower. It buys because it can’t sustain without it. One of the reasons all the multinational banks, IT companies, Finance companies of non-singapore origin have setup their branches here is not because Singapore graduates a very large number of engineers an year. It is because the Singapore Govt will get them in from other countries atleast. This is called “ekills Gap Filling” technically and you can read more about that by googling for eskills. If Singapore doesn’t buy Men from other countries like it buys water, electricity, food etc etc, then there is no good economy at the first place here forget about the economic slowdown and Singaporeans loosing jobs. That is called Trade. You give something and get something.
Just because you running out of jobs now and so you want to kick out other foreigners is not only “selfish” but poor thinking. What if in an year the US kicks off well again, companies here too want more experienced manpower suddenly. You don’t create them with a magic wand right?.
Why don’t you stop eating that yummy peanut butter because it is got into here from Australia. You don’t stop and shouldn’t. Because you buy it. The same way the other parties sell it.
European Commission is re-thinking about their stringent immigration into EU just because of their shortage in eskills. http://eskills.cedefop.europa.eu/conference2008/
They now want to loosen the immigration rules. Just to attract foreign talent. Not all countries produce such talent my brother. China graduates 600,000 Engineers per yr wheras India does 450,000 the US at 70,000.
You speak as though foreigners are here to beg (a summary of your writing gives that impression- though you don’t directly say that). I am sorry my brother whether that foreigner is a CEO of an MNC or a construction worker from Bangladesh, remember the Govt wants him that the reason he is here. The world has appreciated Singapore’s Government for the way it provides a conducive environment for business growth. Pls. refer to world economic forum’s GITR rankings for more info.
Thanks. And I am falling on my keyboard. Should go get some good sleep. Adios.
Sun - thanks for the informative comments. I do agree with you that Singapore does need foreign manpower - but I am not convinced that it has to be done at all levels of society - from cleaners to CEOs.
I do not oppose foreign workers’ presence in Singapore indiscriminately… my view is that there should be a more balanced approach in ‘buying manpower’, that is, to consider welfare for Singaporeans besides considering the economic considerations.
And no, I do not think foreigners are all here to beg. This is a cognitive bias that you are basing your judgment on - an either/or polarity-based kind of thinking. I believe that there are definitely some foreigners who are here just to earn what they can and leave when they should… but there are also those who are able to appreciate that Singapore gave them opportunities and they would stay to contribute their skills to our society.
“The world has appreciated Singapore’s Government for the way it provides a conducive environment for business growth. Pls. refer to world economic forum’s GITR rankings for more info.” - you are coming from the mentality where being rated for conducive business growth means being good in other areas as well. That’s known as the halo effect. I have no doubt that Singapore is one of the best places to conduct business in, but unfortunately not as much effort is being done for Singaporeans welfare vs foreigners’ welfare. That is the main point of contention here.
Regarding the “Shit society” comment and the resulting backlash, I think it is the usual Singaporean oversensitivity at work.
If you look at it objectively, it is indeed shitty that peidu mamas are allowed into Singapore just to end up as prostitutes. If these peidu mamas and their children don’t have the means to live in Singapore, don’t let them in. As simple as that.
As for students becoming prostitutes, shouldn’t our government be more stringent about the people they let in?
If I am a genuine student like the comment writer, I will be pissed off too. Let’s say you went to Australia to study to find that many of your fellow Singaporean classmates becoming prostitutes, wouldn’t you be pissed at the Australian government for letting this happen? Wouldn’t this lower the value of your degree? Worse is that the locals will think all Singaporeans including you are desperate for money. This is what is happening to genuine Chinese students in Singapore.
That chinese blogger did not own a mirror and so cannot see how ugly his reflection is.
A lot of point you made are quite observant too.
JE MRT on weekend is…..
But the point is putting all the blame on us Singaporean only prove the point that they do not posses the magnitude and graciousness that we posses in tolerating their uncouth behaviors while they are here.
Just a food for thought I would like to add our police force motto, Low Crime doesn’t mean no crime.
As we all know (if not experienced), Some (not all) of our new imports like to “Borrow” stuff that they conveniently forget to return.
Our elderly had been “Free gamed cheat,con,seduce and trick out of their life savings” suffering.
How many families end up in divorce due to the massive influx of “Overstaying Tourist” who like to stay in Geylang with some even soliciting for business in Coffee shop and shopping centres.While spreading their favourite disease.
The massage palour and other places of vices gambling etc etc.
Heck there is even a FT female pinoy loan shark.
Do we, the citizens of Singapore, have to welcome these Talents with open arms so as not to be label “Xenophobic”?
If being So is xenophobic, Call me Xenophobic but I know what I’ll do to stamp this “Facade solution and cheap labour” addiction by our Elites.
Yes, We Can.
Jimmy: I do think Singapore is a shitty society. But I just wanted to point out that Singaporeans are not the only source of it.
And you are in essence agreeing that our shit society is in part due to peidu mamas who come here and engage in vice. Why don’t you look at it in another angle and say, hey, shouldn’t mothers be good examples to their children? So isn’t that a source of shit? If the mothers can become prostitutes just to earn money, what kind of things are they teaching to their children?
[...] quickly. Even HDB apartments are renting for $2-$3k per mth in choice locations. Under increasing immigration, the real demand for residential homes will be here. Therefore, buying your own home allows you to [...]
Two criteria.
1. Ability to support oneself
2. Willingness to integrate and settle down
If these are not met, why bother?
I know a Singaporean chinese guy working at the petrol kiosk nearest to my house. He is very friendly and whenever I’m at the petrol kiosk, we will chat for a couple of minutes. Just recently i learnt through his colleague that he and other Singaporeans were told to leave. The reason given was that they wanted to cut costs by hiring China workers. I felt that that was totally unfair. The fact that the poor guy was told to leave just because they want to cut costs by bringing in China workers, is ridiculous.