English-iliterate foreigners flock to free CC language classes sponsored by Singapore taxpayers
January 14th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
Foreigners, PRs and new citizens are flocking to free language classes organized by Community Clubs sponsored generously by Singapore taxpayers to help them “integrate” into Singapore society.
In 2008, foreigners, permanent residents and new citizens made up 55 per cent of participants in English classes and 47 per cent in the Chinese ones, a People’s Association (PA) spokesman said.
Minister for Youth Development, Community and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan unveiled a $10-million Community Integration Fund in October last year to make new immigrants and PR feel “welcomed” and “happy” in Singapore.
The fund will be used to organize events for the newcomers as well as to provide free language classes for those who are unable to speak English and has already been tapped on by various grassroots organizations including a Residents’ Committee in Yew Tee, to hold free weekly conversational English lessons for new immigrants from China, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The Straits Times reported a Myanmar national Yin Yin Oo, 26, who has been an accounts executive in Singapore for more than a year, saying that she was at the ‘intermediate’ level in reading and writing, but needed help with spoken English, so she signed up for the classes at the community club.
It is not known how she managed to get a job in Singapore in the first place if she needs “help” with spoken English as there are more than qualified Singaporeans around to be “account executives”.
Unlike other countries like Australia and Canada which require prospective immigrants to pass an English proficiency test before they are even allowed to work there, Singapore has no such rules.
Due to the ruling party’s lax criteria for immigrants, even English iliterate PRC construction workers, masseurs and cleaners are given Singapore PRs and citizenships.
According to a Wall Street Journal article on 13 January 2010, the relentless influx of foreign workers ”has kept local blue-collar wages lower than they would be otherwise, exacerbating Singapore’s gap between rich and poor.”
Singapore has the highest income-gap among the thirty most developed countries in the world. Though it is the second richest nation in Asia after Japan, its citizens have a low domestic purchasing power comparable to other first world countries. (read UBS report here)
A recent report by the International Labor Organization revealed that Singaporeans work the longest hours among Asian countries, more than the Japanese, Koreans and Taiwanese, but are paid less than them.
The median monthly pay of an average Singaporean worker is only $2,600 compared to $180,000 for a Singapore minister. It has hardly increased over the lat decade.
Singapore’s octogenarian strongman Lee Kuan Yew dismissed the importance of the widening income gap at a ministerial forum last year on the grounds that it “matters little” so long the government continues to create jobs for Singaporeans.
Despite the increased competition faced by Singaporeans from foreigners in every sphere of life, the ruling party does not appear to care much as long as Singapore’s economy continues to grow. (A substantial portion of the PAP ministers’ multi-million pay package is pegged to Singapore’s GDP growth).
In a recent interview with National Geographic magazine, Lee said it is a “good idea” that Singapore has welcomed so many Chinese immigrants as they are more “hard-driving” and “hard-striving” than the locals.
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because “the spurs are not stuck into the hide,” that is their problem,” he was quoted as saying in the article “The Singapore Solution.” by Mark Jacobson.
[Source: National Geographic]
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25 Responses to “English-iliterate foreigners flock to free CC language classes sponsored by Singapore taxpayers”
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Lky team will use all the resources to make sure new citizen and pr stay as long as possible. 6.5 million population is not a dream in 5 years later.
“Singapore’s octogenarian strongman Lee Kuan Yew dismissed the importance of the widening income gap at a ministerial forum last year on the grounds that it “matters little” so long the government continues to create jobs for Singaporeans.” You create 1m jobs i still only can do one job. for what sia… “Real wages” got to increase in order for higher purchasing power in order for improving standards of living. Right now, both nominal wages and real wages are dropping. Jobs without purchasing power = slaves.
@Cpt
Apparantly, this scheme by PAP has already started.
I work in a company where a lot of them are PR. They are really very nice and hardworking people, and I am sorry for the many FT-haters here but I like them as colleagues and friends. Come on, blame the system, not the people who come here to work because the system opened the doors to them!
Anyway, over lunch today one of my Pinoy colleagues was complaining that a lot of his friends now are facing problems renewing their PR. They say that immigration told them to either take up citizenship or go home, and only give temporary 6-month renewal.
My simpleton belief is that the government’s scheme is now in Phase 2 – After opening the gates, shut it and lock from the outside!
PAP knows many local born Singaporeans have finally seen through their true colours.
As such, they needed the new citizens to swing votes to their direction. Apparently, their wayang shows took 40 years to be realised.
Many Singaporeans are still lured by their wayang shows, unable to wake up.
* Please change to below
With PA members everywhere (in Singapore), PA can actually activate big pool of highly-educated, volunteer members to do really free language classes to those willing to learn English
Then PA members can proudly do big service to community (and PAP) for once, and show everyone that they really care for social integration for both newcomers and locals
Devoran,
You are being “Simplistic”, the Pinoys are nice to you b’cos they need to learn more.
Continue to be ‘naive” and “innocent”…you will know the outcome soon.
Would someone “leave a home so far away, jus to be prepared to be your subordinate or colleague? If the chance for promo comes…( and it affects yr position )….do you think yr Pinoy frens will say..no…NOT FAIR TO YOU ?
Think abt it….deeper…5 yrs dwn the road..what will happen?
CP,
The scheme started way back in the 2001.
Back then only a small number were recruited into Institutions of higher learning and maybe Gov’t sectors.
Now..private sector also being “Flooded”
On the surface..this may look good and seem to be solving our population shortfall problem.
But I think…given another 5 yrs..when these F/ts are “stucked” by their “Folly and commited to SGCZ”..another set of problem will come…you wait and see…would the BIGGER Grumblers will be…True Sg or New Citizens !
I still didn’t see any BIG EFFORT or CARROT to promote ‘ Procreation”……..guess they have abandon this ideal…its better the Cheaper, Faster way..no need to produce…jus replace.
What a Betrayal! For selfish gains definitely!
actually if i am a FT, i will take up Singapore Citizenship and after making enough money and learnt enough, leave this forsaken place. Good deal and the biggest loser is Native Singaporean. What a big joke..HAHAHA
Devoran on Thu, 14th Jan 2010 5:37 pm
Pinoys are the worst. They pretend to be nice so that they can milk you of your worth. You will never hear of them again once they found a better country.
How does the government consider persons that are unable to converse in standard English a foreign talent, and to then grant Permanent Residency to them?
The bulk of these people are the s-pass holders. The flood gates were opened the moment this category of foreigners were allowed to come to Singapore, and granted PR within 6 – 24 months of working here…..
Businesses dubiously claimed that the Singapore worker were choosy and were not willing to take up jobs in some industries.
This was not true… It was in fact because of the rapid rise in cost of living that made it necessary for blue collar Singaporean to demand a higher salary which businesses did not want to pay.
A proactive workers’ union would have made businesses bear the cost of the higher salary required to engage a Singaporean, and then find ways, leveraging of IT and other cost saving methods to control costs and maintain profitability.
Instead the government decided to choose the easier option and bend in favour of companies to allow them to employ foreign workers to replace Singaporean and this allowed wages of the blue collar Singaporean to be depressed.
Without Singaporeans support as the days go by, PAP is now turning to suck foreigner’s balls in the hope to turn them into citizen and become grassroot members. When election comes, expect to see all these foreigners carrying PAP flat and speak to you in broken languages. Anyway, PAP is already doomed and sunk deeper with such news about helping and giving foreigners everything they need with our Singaporean monies.
if the govt can close immigrant gates at will just to please voters before election, they can also open gates again after elections, there’s nothing to stop them.
only by having an opposition to check them will they think twice before opening gates too wide again.
pls wake up my kind-hearted singaporeans
What’s wrong with providing English lessons to foreigners who cannot speak the language? They’re here trying to feed their families like all everyone else, and I’m so proud that we can help them in our own little way, so that if they choose to return to their homelands or stay in Singapore, they’ll be able to speak some English.
Com’on guys! Show some compassion!!
Remember how Dr Vivian Balakrishnan says that our poor takes public’s money to eat in resturant? Now, he is willing to help the rich “foreigners” by giving them 10 million. Haizz…
Why is leader taking our money to improve FT English in-order for FT to take away our rice bowl?
So is there any free English course for Singaporeans like me who wants to improve my English further? Can someone from PAP answer this question?
In the first place, why do we allow FTs who can’t speak English to become PR? Shouldn’t it be a requirement before FT can become one?
Also, are there really a shortage of FTs out there that the gahmen can’t afford to screen and choose? Why settle for 2nd best if you can have the best?
If the FTs want so much to become PR and citizens, it is their responsibilities, to pay out of their own pockets to learn English on their own.
The gahmen is doing all these to make up for their stupid mistake in the first place – of allowing FTs of all sorts (without screening) into Singapore and granting them PRs and citizens. And they are making up for their stupid mistake by using taxpayers’ money.
I can’t believe the extent that they are sticking their asses out for the FTs.
PAP, if you don’t listen to the sentiments of your people, neither will they listen to your bullshit.
WHY NO FREE TUITION FOR SINGAPOREAN KIDS WHO CANT PASS ENGLISH?
Actually I dont really mind those PR who graduated from local polytechnic and university. Foreign students from PRC are huge now.
But what I fell funny is PRC cleaners, hawker helpers, clinic assistants are also granted PR. Are they called as FT?
If Spore wants to welcome so many chinese, I rather they are Malaysian or Indonesian Chinese.
Have our Ah Bah and Ah Bu, citizens, also been given such FREE English language?
Singapore signboards more and more if not almost all are not written in Chinese or Malayu or Hindi. Our elders slogged and built this country. Now, they are old and weak and going around they cannot understand these signboards. It can be dangerous when they do not understand these signs which are meant to , in some cases, caution the pedestrians or passengers or consumers.
I believe sg people are reasonable that if the FT or PR are skills and can contribute to the economy without taking away jobs that an sg can have. And they do not compete for public housing. Skills PR should be screen carefully for our benefits and jobs priority be given to sg first. Well at least i know some banking officer are PR. We are supposed to be a nation that speaks both English and Chinese. But i met a bus driver who do not knw any english or a salesgirl who ask a sg to speaks to her in chinese.
“Idiot on Fri, 15th Jan 2010 4:14 am
So is there any free English course for Singaporeans like me who wants to improve my English further? Can someone from PAP answer this question?”
Dear Idiot, u can attend the free CC language course. It was started to benefit singaporeans but was expanded to include foreigners.
To : Suniko Kam
Your ah Pah and ah Bu can attend the classes too. If they do not want to learn, force them.
Is this course open to Singaporeans? I cant find a link to the said course in the PA Website. Has anyone found it?
PAP has to resort to buying votes from foreign mercenaries just like they use foreign mercenaries (ie. Gurkhas) to oppress us
SINGAPOREANS IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP, RISE UP AND VOTE PAP OUT
Singapore is becoming a melting pot of the East. There are tons of foreigners in NYC that didn’t speak well English when they arrived neither. But these folks learnt the ways very fast & now, they are cab drivers & working in the restaurants. What is wrong with Singapore govt giving them a helping hand so that they can speak better English? These folks flock to Singapore not because of the free English lessons but because has great potential for economic gains. So, since they are already attracted to Singapore & these folks are already working in lower waged jobs that local Singapore will not do, why shouldn’t the Singapore Govt help improve the standard of the labor by providing proper English instruction? In the long run, the standard of service will improve in Singapore and Singapore will benefit as a tourist destination. It helps your GDP ! Do not be intimidated by the foreigners…there is a lot of brain power out there that Singapore can tap into.