Local SME looking for Singapore PR to be its Retail Operations Manager
February 11th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
An irate reader tipped us off about a discriminatory job advertisement against Singapore citizens in a local online job portal, Jobstreet, claiming he was told that the position on offer is reserved only for PRs after he called up to make inquiries about it.
He later realized that he had missed out the small print in the ad – requirement: Singapore PR holder:
He retorted angrily:
“I told them I am a local graduate with 5 years of experience in the retail industry, I can cook and I do not mind working night shifts during the weekend, but still the girl told me that they are looking only for PRs!!! Why did I serve 2 and a half years of National Service for???”
PAP leaders have been claiming for years that foreign workers (including PRs) are needed to take up jobs shunned by Singaporeans.
The post of a retail operations manager can be easily filled by a Singapore citizen. The SME will probably encounter few difficulties recruiting a Singapore, why is it looking specifically for a foreigner?
According to recent figures from the Manpower Ministry, the unemployment rate of Singapore residents is only 3 per cent last year. However its figures does not give a complete picture of the reality on the ground as “residents” include both citizens and PRs.
Furthermore, it also left out citizens on contract jobs or who have given up searching for a job altogether.
Though companies need to fill a quota for Singapore workers first before they can employ a foreign worker, it can be easily circumvented by getting earlier arrivals to apply for PRs which are usually granted within a year.
The media reported last year of a China national and Singapore PR Zhang Yuanyuan who obtained her PR within 2 months of application.
Two out of three PR applicants are successful. The PAP is so desperate for immigrants that it is giving out Singapore PRs and citizenships like toilet papers to construction workers, cleaners, masseurs and even prostitutes who cannot speak a single word of English.
Due to the PAP’s pro-foreigner policy, foreign workers now make up a third of Singapore’s labor force. If PRs are included, the figure could approach 50 per cent.
In the past, foreign workers are only employed in sectors with a shortage of local workers, but they are not ubiquitous everywhere.
One need only pay a visit to the Singapore Post and POSB Bank in Toa Payoh Central to realize that half its counter staff are Filipinos and Malaysians.
Foreigners are preferred to Singaporeans by employers due to their relatively lower cost and willingness to work for long hours under grueling conditions, especially PRs who are exempted from the foreign worker levy.
A recent Wall Street Journal editorial reported that the relentless influx of foreigners into Singapore in the last few years has depressed the wages of ordinary Singaporeans, increased the cost of living especially that of public housing, decreased labor productivity and led to an overall decline in the standard of living.
Singapore’s income gap between the rich and the poor has widened considerably during the same period. Foreign workers helped to reduce labor costs and boost GDP figures artificially. A certain percentage of PAP ministers’ multi-million salary package is pegged to annual GDP growth.
While many countries like Australia and Britain are protecting their local workforce from competition with foreign workers, the PAP said it is unable to “shield” Singaporeans from it.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said lately that there will be no “turnaround” in the PAP’s lax labor policies and the number of foreign workers may actually increase in the next few years.
At the rate the PAP is mass importing foreigners who now make up 36 per cent of Singapore’s population into Singapore, it is only a matter of time before we are relegated to become a minority in our own country.
Such advertisements as above are commonly found in Singapore’s online job portals which are flooded with employers looking for foreigners.
Singaporeans may stand a better chance getting a job by giving up their citizenships first and returning as a PR or expatriate and it can be guaranteed that the PAP will roll out the red carpet to welcome them.
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46 Responses to “Local SME looking for Singapore PR to be its Retail Operations Manager”
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Why are you hiding their details?
Think ISD should call them up… they’re being racists, spreading hatred and conflicts among citizens and PRs!
Let me share a personal experience….
Im currently working in a bank in Sg and one of my colleagues is a foreigner who came to Sg on a Papaya scholarship. Though he is my age, he is 2 ranks above me and earning at least 1.5k more. Yes, he may a scholar of some sort….but part of the reason is also because he didn’t have to serve the Nepotism Service and had a head start in more ways than one. But I guess what takes the pie would be his outlook regarding his future. Once when I asked if he would consider taking up citizenship, he shook his head vehemently and replied….(LOL)…no, no….why would I want to do that? My future is not here (sic)! From the horse’s mouth, he came because of a free overseas education and has never ever consider making this place his home, our government is just prostituting itself to whoever that passes by…..
Haha, what’s new? Jobs for FTs/PRs, NS for Citizens!!
What’s happening . . . .
http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/52610-malaysia-veering-towards-instability-says-perc
Why are you hiding the company’s name, TR? Pantry Magic appears in your text.
LocalChineseGuy
@ I fully agree and now the Minister of Health who was Malaysian is offering medical across the causeway for them.What in blazes are we serving NS and losing out to all these FT for. My father in his 70s confine to a wheelchair is expected to cross the causeway to get cheaper medical care?PAP & LSL really sucks.
These are more IMPORTANT issues than RonyTan.
I feel that Singaporeans are not a united people. In UK, the British and in Australia, the Australians are very united in protecting their interest against foreigners.
The problem is now very CLEAR – Singaporean come LAST.
There should be a law against such discriminatory practice. Firstly, all companies should be heavily fined if they ever dare to exclude Singaporeans out.
Secondly, there should be a set amount of percentage of Singaporeans in an organisation or company, say 75%.
If a company claims they are unable to recruit Singaporeans, they should find proof of their advertising for position and recruitment. Auditors from MOM will have to audit or even sit in on their recruitment drive to ensure that what they said is true.
That said, to all employers : stop using the excuse that you cannot find Singaporeans to fill your position. Increase the salary by 50% and I guarantee you that Singaporeans will queue up to do the job.
Be a better boss and you will have no problem looking for workers.
knowing that they cannot control these younger intelligent lions anymore, looks like the MIW ruling party is dumping its own local citizens one by one and replacing them with their self-created FT turned citizens.
There goes the pro-PAP policy of allowing an influx of importing the labours that took-up native Singaporean jobs. If we do not send a strong signal in the ballot box, then we are finished!!
i heard from a Singaporean friend working in the Sentosa IR last night tat discrimination against the locals is even greater in there.
It is quite sad that Singaporean get themselves into this mess.
In Canada, even though the government have taken in quite a large number of immigrants, and urging the private sectors to hire these new immigrants, private businesses (voluntary) prefer to hire Canadians.
Some reasons,
1) Many professions, even janitors, security guards or taxi drivers, needed to pass local certifications before they are allowed to work. As for foriegn lawyers, accountants and doctors, it is almost impossible to get accreditions in Canada, not unless you go thru the whole Canadian systems again which will probably take 3-4 yrs!
2) It is very common( maybe up to 80% ) that employers ask for “Canadian Experience” in their job recruiting excercise. If you are new to Canada, where the hell you get this “Canadian Experience”? I even heard of American with many years of Wall Street experience from Ivy League schools were pass for financial related position because no ” Canadian Experience”!!!
3)With Minimum wage, businesses cannot hire anyone that is willing to do jobs for lower wages. Therefore, there is no incentive for businesses to hire someone that is new to the country to locals, which do not have language and cultural barrier on the job.
4) Even in Canadian Government jobs, be it Federal, Provinvial or local, it is stated clearly in job ads that Canadian Citizens will be given priority over PRs.
Except for (4), you cannot say that PRs are discriminated against in job applications. But can’t you see that there is a fire wall in protecting locals from pt 1,2 and 3!
PRs do not have reservist obligations that disrupt biz operations. This is important because SMEs workforce is very lean.
Too bad Singaporean, you’re disadvantage again by your NS obligations.
I m self employed but seeing this makes me feel very disgusted!
To btan on Thu, 11th Feb 2010 8:22 pm
I do agree we need some kind of watchdog organisation or some form of auditor that scrutinise businesses’ hiring methods before approving Work Passes.
And we need companies who employ FTs/FWs to publish their FTs/FWs salaries, to prove to us that, they are not employed just because they are cheap.
Unless of course its Mark Lee, who pays his PRC staff cash to fib his accounts and CPF statements.
It’s because this shop is own by a foreigner
If they employ a local, the local might whistle blow on the illegal dealings going on.
“Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said lately that there will be no “turnaround” in the PAP’s lax labor policies and the number of foreign workers may actually increase in the next few years.”
What a coincidence!!! There will be no “turnaround” for me @ the polling station and the number of my friends and relative joining me may actually increase in the next few years.
Stop patronizing company like the one mentioned. Stop lining their pockets if they are only interested in FT/PR and not give a Singaporean a chance. STOP SUPPORTING.
Singaporean, are you ready to fight back or do you think you want to sit back and suck your thumb?
This company is not a local SME. It is actually a HK company.
WTF
Singaporeans are left with no choice but to vote for change.
//LocalChineseGuy
This is not the only case.
It is just that PAP loves to use the technique of throwing a lot of darts, hoping that at least one will hit.
We are like darts same as the PR.
As the largest employer in Singapore, why should they deny themselves of cheaper services from PR, which they do.
They forgot about their moral duty.
We have been screwed in many many ways:
1. failures in GIC/TH
2. high fees to this govt
3. most importantly, they ramp us with FTs/PRs like it doesn’t matter.
We have to counter what they do.
Even if it’s a HK company, they have to play by our rules. I think Government has to do an audit of our kopitiam, nowadays they are totally run by PRCs. Atrocious.
//
hk COMPANY MUST ALSO RESPECT S’POREANS.
THAT’S THE RULE EVERYWHERE EXCEPT IN s’pore
What goes around comes around. There are many jobs advertised in Singapore that state “Mandarin-speaker only” or “must be able to speak Mandarin”, even when it’s clear that only English is needed. I’m talking about large listed Singaporean companies, not our neighbourhood shop. This is blatant discrimination against non-Chinese Singaporeans.
More to the point of this article, UK, Australia and NZ do not discriminate between PRs and citizens when it comes to jobs (i.e. citizen = PR when it comes to competing for jobs). If you only have a work permit though, then citizens or PRs would be given preference. Of course, these countries also don’t hand out PRs to unskilled workers Singapore has done (and on such a massive scale as well).
This store is blatantly discriminating against citizens though, which is wrong. Taking advantage of the fact that there are lots of PRs who are willing to work for less money.
Let’s fight back!
extracted from job street:
http://my.jobstreet.com/jobs/2010/1/s/20/2207012.htm?fr=J
Singapore Airlines is engaged in air transportation and related businesses. We operate worldwide as the flag carrier of the Republic of Singapore, aiming to provide services of the highest quality at reasonable prices for customers and a profit for the Company.
Today, Singapore Airlines operates a fleet of over 90 aircraft and employs a 13,000 strong work force. Together with SilkAir, our regional subsidiary airline, our route network spans five continents, linking up more than 100 destinations in more than 40 countries.
To maintain our position as a leading global corporation, Singapore Airlines is committed to recruiting and nurturing bright and dynamic individuals to meet our manpower needs. Throughout their careers, employees will be given opportunities for development and training to enhance their professional as well as personal competencies.
We will be conducting a recruitment exercise for Flight Steward / Stewardess in Malaysia. If you meet the following standards, we will be pleased to meet you at our walk-in interview.
Malaysian Cabin Crew
(Singapore[Map])
Requirements:
* Malaysian citizen
* Females who are at least 1.58m; Males who are at least 1.65m in height
* Degree/ Diploma
OR
* At least 2 principal level passes and 2 subsidiary passes in STPM/GCE ‘A’ level or its equivalent
OR
* At least 5 credits in SPM/GCE ‘O’ level and relevant working experience
* For Malaysian qualifications at SPM level, at least 5 credits including a minimum grade of B4 in English and working experience is required.
Preference will be given to candidates who are able to speak foreign languages or are experienced in customer service. Interested applicants graduating by May 2010 may also apply.
Applicants should be Malaysian citizens or hold relevant residence status.
Required language(s): English.
Training
Our comprehensive 4 months training program will cover topics such as:
* Product Knowledge including Food & Beverage
* Service Procedures
* Passenger Handling
* Deportment & Grooming
* Language & Communication Skills
* Safety Equipment Procedures
* First Aid
On successful completion of training you will commence flying duties.
Remuneration & Service Benefits
A monthly allowance will be provided during training. Upon graduation, you can look forward to a basic salary and various allowances amounting to about SGD$3,500 a month. In addition, there will be an annual wage supplement of one month’s basic salary and profit-sharing bonus. You will also be entitled to free travel to any SIA destination once a year and enjoy discounted travel at other times.
APPLICATION DETAILS
Interested applicants, please download and complete this application form.
Please bring the following documents for registration between 9am and 2pm.
1. Completed application form
2. Passport-sized photograph
3. Original(s) of:
* your birth certificate
* all educational certificates
* identity card
EXTRACTED FROM JOB STREET:
http://my.jobstreet.com/jobs/2010/2/default/20/2210779.htm?fr=J
New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Singapore
New Horizons, the global leader in providing Infocomm & Business Skills Training with over 250 centers worldwide, is looking for experienced Full-Time Instructors for its Singapore center. If you are a dedicated and passionate individual who delights in guiding and mentoring people to gain knowledge in areas of Infocomm technical and business skills, we want to meet you!
Visit us at http://www.newhorizons.com.sg for more details.
Instructors
(Singapore)
Responsibilities:
We have positions for instructors in 3 different jobscopes as below:
* For Technical positions, you will be reponsible to deliver high quality infocomm technical certification and customized courses to Corporate Clients and Consumers.
* For Office Applications position, you will be responsible to deliver high quality Office Applications certification and customized courses to Corporate Clients and Consumers.
* For Business Skills position, you will be responsible to deliver high quality PMP/ITIL business skills certification and customized courses to Corporate Clients and Consumers.
Requirements:
Incumbents for above positions must have :
* Diploma or Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or Engineering
* 2 years of working experience in the Infocomm industry
* Excellent presentation and teaching skills
* Professional, Independent and Resourceful
* Good working attitude
* Passion for teaching
Other Certifications required:
* For Technical positions, applicant should holds MCSE/MCPD/MCITP, MCT Certification is a plus point
* For Office Applications position, applicant should holds Microsoft Office Applications 2003/2007, MCT Certification is a plus point
* For Business Skills position, applicant should hold CompTIA CTT+ or recognized Trainer Certification(s).
Applicants should be Malaysian citizens or hold relevant residence status.
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit your resume and a recent passport-sized photograph in full confidence to career@newhorizons.com.sg stating your current and expected salary.
Get all your friends to NOT buy anything from Pantry Magic….If they are not willing to spend money on hiring, then they should not be making money from any locals.
Pass this on to everyone you know….
Can I suggest that TR start a Shame list of companies operating in Singapore but discriminates against Singaporean citizens when recruiting.
We can be better aware and able to make an informed decision if we would continue to support these companies with our wallets.
The truth of all in employing ‘FT’ is a matter of cost,not actually a matter of getting the best person for the job.
In this race amongst businesses,big and small,to get cheaper and cheaper employess,the end consumers actually end up with perhaps a compromise of service level or quality of the final product.
Businesses seem not to truly care about what consumers bargianed for except that their own bottom-lines are getting bigger and bigger and it’s ahumbug to say that they-the businesses- get cheaper labour merely for the sole reason of sustainability of their companies.
This trend from hawker stall-owners to the largest local and foreign MNCs operating here is clearly derived from the government’s policy decision and in order for this trend to stop,we need to put FULL STOP immediately to such a discriminating policy as soon as possible before more and more well qualified singaporeans are made UNFAIRLY redundant.
PRs are “Cheaper, Better, Faster”. That retail store was just taking a cue from Lim Swee Say. Maybe Mr Lim should clarify this situation or let’s show them we want cheaper, better, faster ministers next GE.
In the HQ of a bank in Singapore, a FT told Singaporean ” I will feel very sad if I am a Singapore because they are the minority in this office ! This will not happen in my home country !”
I looked up the Pantry Magic recruitment ad, they have put ‘Singaporean and Singapore PR holder’, so they have changed it? But still damage done… will be looking at the shop differently….
Boycott them! We should be a list of these employers, post here for everyone to know
There seemed to b an increase in locals being dsicrminated n with such examples above, those PR might not want to b local citizen.
Now we are the minority…how about our children? Are they going to stand a feet in Singapore? Will there be a future for them? Thinking of this make me feel sad…
Rgds,
Just an average Singaporean
Singaporeans should boycott businesses that discriminate against us.
Boycott businesses that discriminate against Singaporeans.
This only happen when we have a weakling government who kowtow to the foreigners.
It is up to the Citizens of Singapore to redeem the dignity lost. So we have to stop patronise shops/outlets/companies that only want our money & business but do not employ Singaporeans.
Singaporeans please wake up before it’s too late for yourself and your children. You and your children will never escape the consequences.
When they struggle and suffer, YOU definitely will too until your last breadth.
As responsible parents, lets think far, don’t be shortsighted. Things have changed so much, past successes cannot and will not predict future successes. Look at what’s happening around you now. Isn’t it evident enough!
So whether we are Chinese, Malay, Indian or Eurasian; Singaporeans, we need to close ranks and protect our interest and reclaim our birth rights.
They employ Malaysian IT even in the police station @ Outram
EXTRACTED FROM JOB STREET:
http://my.jobstreet.com/jobs/2010/2/default/20/2210779.htm?fr=J
New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Singapore
New Horizons, the global leader in providing Infocomm & Business Skills Training with over 250 centers worldwide, is looking for experienced Full-Time Instructors for its Singapore center. If you are a dedicated and passionate individual who delights in guiding and mentoring people to gain knowledge in areas of Infocomm technical and business skills, we want to meet you!
Visit us at http://www.newhorizons.com.sg for more details.
Instructors
(Singapore)
Responsibilities:
We have positions for instructors in 3 different jobscopes as below:
* For Technical positions, you will be reponsible to deliver high quality infocomm technical certification and customized courses to Corporate Clients and Consumers.
* For Office Applications position, you will be responsible to deliver high quality Office Applications certification and customized courses to Corporate Clients and Consumers.
* For Business Skills position, you will be responsible to deliver high quality PMP/ITIL business skills certification and customized courses to Corporate Clients and Consumers.
Requirements:
Incumbents for above positions must have :
* Diploma or Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or Engineering
* 2 years of working experience in the Infocomm industry
* Excellent presentation and teaching skills
* Professional, Independent and Resourceful
* Good working attitude
* Passion for teaching
Other Certifications required:
* For Technical positions, applicant should holds MCSE/MCPD/MCITP, MCT Certification is a plus point
* For Office Applications position, applicant should holds Microsoft Office Applications 2003/2007, MCT Certification is a plus point
* For Business Skills position, applicant should hold CompTIA CTT+ or recognized Trainer Certification(s).
Applicants should be Malaysian citizens or hold relevant residence status.
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit your resume and a recent passport-sized photograph in full confidence to career@newhorizons.com.sg stating your current and expected salary.