Wong Kan Seng urged Singaporeans to be realistic and more tolerant of foreign workers
March 5th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
After opening the floodgates and allow Singapore to be swarmed by foreigners without any proper screening or planning, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng is now urging “Singaporeans to be realistic and more tolerant of foreign workers.”
During his speech on the Budget, Mr Wong said:
“Singaporeans need to be realistic and fair-minded. While we want foreign workers to do the less pleasant jobs and contribute to our economy, we cannot also expect them to stay away, during their off days, from public places and shopping malls where we frequent, or not to take public transport to work.”
The foreign talent and immigration issues have become hot topics of late with many Singaporeans voicing their unhappiness and anger against the ruling party for its misguided policies.
Though Singapore needs foreign workers to take up jobs shunned by locals, the onus is on the government to beef up the infrastructure to ensure that it is adequate to accommodate the increase in population.
Due to poor planning and lack of foresight, too many foreigners are allowed into Singapore within too short a period of time, leading to overcrowding at public spaces and transport.
Mr Wong claimed that foreigners contribute to Singapore’s economic growth “which have raised the quality of life for all Singaporeans.”
According to a UBS report released last year, Singapore has the lowest domestic purchasing power and wages among the Asian Tigers and have a standard of living comparable to Russia. (read article here)
It is ranked by the Economist Unit as the 53th best place to live in the world below the likes of Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia and Canada.
“Economic growth has also enabled us to accumulate reserves in good times, which we have been able to rely on to sustain and support Singaporeans during lean and tough times,” he added.
Singapore’s two sovereign wealth funds Temasek Holdings and GIC was reported to have lost billions of dollars of reserves in failed overseas investments, the exact amount loss remains a mystery to this very day.
Mr Wong ended his speech by reminding Singaporeans that “the integration of foreigners and new immigrants is an ongoing journey and takes a long time.”
“It cannot be rushed. It needs the directive and active involvement of both Singaporeans and new immigrants,” he was quoted as saying in the Straits Times.
Since this is so, why then did the PAP accept so many foreigners at the same time which makes it even more difficult to integrate them now as they tend to congregate within their own communities?
Mr Wong should be more realistic and not expect Singaporeans who are one of the most tolerant people in the world to make unnecessary sacrifices anymore to pay for the juvenile mistakes made by the PAP.
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We are not against the construction workers and those that are doing the low level jobs. We are not happy with the influx of FT PMETs that are taking away jobs that can be easily done by Singaporean. How come till now the Gov still cannot understand what is our real complain? So difficult meh?
This guy should had been sacked long time ago, he must go by this election, full off excuses.
Why no MPs asking question about the recent pastor’s incident?
I can’t see how anyone could see something wrong with his statement.
new people were let into the country from 2006. new flats meant to house them are ready 2012-2013. sorry, dont understand.
it is true. they do need space and places to relax. Their own living quarters are so cramped, and some even sleep at worksites. I can understand that they need space and place. they are human.
are the MIW treating anyone as human? even singaporeans are not people. we are just numbers to them.
Why is our dominant political party swarmed by nonsensical idiots who loves to bully and treat us like fools?
i tink the govt still dun get it.. i dun tink they will ever get it into their thick stupid skull.. we are not complaining against those who does work which we shun.. we r complaining cuz they are taking up the jobs which we WANT…
Without a strong opposition to check and question them, WKS and company are free to say anything they like. The blame game goes on and on, the ruling parasites will never admit any wrong nor will they apologise under any circumstances.
There is only one solution for sinkies. KICK THEM OUT,
ITS NOW OR NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wong Kan Seng is another one that we can never vote out even if we wanted to because he is one LKY’s favourite boys. In fact they are related right?
Mr Wong,
Please be more realistic.
Your crazy pay package is heads and shoulders over all the politicians around the world and with your payscale, Singapore can employ a number of Obamas to inspire this island.
You have to learn to be fair-minded and adjust your pay to the average household income in order to regain some sanity to what you say and align yout thoughts to the heartlanders.
How do we, the people expect you to lead us when you have no a single clue what the common people are undergoing these days.
in the first place, Mr Wong, Singaporeans did not want foreigners to come in. Now not only foreigners are taking up less pleasant jobs, they are also taking up pleasant jobs replacing many singaporeans.
out of greed, you PAPs bring in foreigners to do those job at cheap pay, so that PAPs can take short cut of building the economy without needing the citizens to give birth to boost population when the citizens cannot afford to raise kids under the intense pressure of rising daily expenses!
and the rising daily expenses is all because of you PAPs mass intaking foreigners and over-stretch the economy.
Stop giving excuses Mr Wong!
>“Economic growth has also enabled us to accumulate reserves in good times, which we have been able to rely on to sustain and support Singaporeans during lean and tough times,” he added.
If really true, how come people still have to kill themselves due to financial distress? Where’s the help from the gahmen
The MPs should be realistic and peg their pay to the lowest earners in Singapore.
@HDB on Fri, 5th Mar 2010 9:11 am :
new people were let into the country from 2006. new flats meant to house them are ready 2012-2013. sorry, dont understand.
6 year lag? HDB, wake up your ideas please. please?
Great, Mr Wong is again, demonstrating the legendary PAP trait of “hearing only the stuff he wants to hear.”
Complaints about those foreign “unpleasant” job holders are in the minority and there was only ONCE whereby our (national) newspapers did report on a community-wide concern (in Serangoon) about the setting up of a foreign worker’s dormitory WHICH ARE TOTALLY LEGIT CONCERNS. There has been no public outcry against how these specific group of foreign workers should spend their time at all.
Of course, the issue he is blatantly ignoring is the other group. The ones getting free through-train education (who the fuck cares if citizens pay slightly less when scholarships are being awarded overseas?), the ones skipping national service, the ones that dont have to contribute to CPF. Why not we put your comments in those foreign worker’s context Mr Wong? Are they taking up less pleasant jobs? Have we expected them to stay away from public places? Have we asked them to stay off the trains?
I would like to put a question to the PAP if they ever read this, “What is your long term goal?”
Our kids today are smoking, having sex at a younger age while their parents are jobless making legit, ignored concerns to the government. You say Singaporeans should be productive yet our very education system is so blatantly catering to a elite select few as the rest of the nation’s youth falls off the charts. Whats going to happen in the future, if the situation today is already so dire?
shouldn’t someone need to take responsibilities for the skewed policies? if no need to answer for mistakes, then can we at least put someone cheaper to take over?
I tell you what’s “realistic”– amidst the tightening of foreign workers coming into Singapore, there is now a sudden rush in Pinoys, Myanmese, PRC etc all throwing CVs like nobody’s business to all the HR managers out there. All this, while they are here on SOCIAL VISIT PASS and probably living with some friend or relative.
Message to these jokers: GET THE F*** OUT.
This Minister is a fucking DISGRACE to Singapore.Hanging his head and waiting for a lifeline from the PM after the Mas Slamet escape.Should he be not a relative of the LEEs he would had been long gone.
After the Mas Slamet debacle he should resign in shame like what the Minister of Justice in a third world like Indonesia did when a high profile corrupt businessmen escape from prison.He took full responsibilty instead of blaming his subordinate.
hey hey hey…..
Most of us are not aiming toward FW…..what we looking at is those so call FT….
These so call “FT” are those who earn more than 2.5K per month and they are the one directly take away many jobs that can be given to our Singapore citizens (those late 20s, 30s, 40s up to 50s).
sink=apoor govt increase levy is aiming at FW which is not helping our Citizens getting the job back!!!!
Any GOVT people here?? DO YOU GET IT? or act BLUR hur????
Hmm .. I think we have to listen to the whole speech. The conclusion is we have to blame our own self for not reproducing well to replace the aging population. Fertility rate is only 1.3 – lowest in the world (keep repeating in the news). FT would be necessary to fill up this gap (20,000 every year now)
So no matter what we said or complained, the govt will bring something else into the debate (to fill the gap). Now we have to blame ourselves for not producing enough and the govt have no choice to open up the floodgate.
Is raising a child/children easy in Spore? How is the cost like? Did the govt consider the rising cost of living in Spore?
The living cost in Spore is so high and with stagnant wages, we the commoners will have delay the family plan. After FT (new citizens) have settled, their next generation will face the same problem we are facing now as well. So, this will be a forever never ending story. The floodgate will still be opened until .. hopefully the next election will change something.
These days, if I see someone in a accident, I must check if the injured person is a foreigner or PAP member, otherwise I waste my phone money to call for ambulance.
(Spit*Pui)
worthless man
//While we want foreign workers to do the less pleasant jobs and contribute to our economy, we cannot also expect them to stay away, during their off days, from public places and shopping malls where we frequent, or not to take public transport to work.
As if this is the issue, the FT workers having fun?
The real issue is these people are of poor quality and they steal own jobs and depress our salaries.
How can the govt force us to integrate? Why create unnecessary trouble for us? We very busy you know! Busy getting cheaper faster better! Why got time to integrate! I don’t even have time for my own family!
Stop dreaming in your lala land WKS!
Are they dumb? or playing dumb. They do not get it. We are complaining about the mid level jobs. I want Singaporeans to have the first right of refusal for enginners, programmers, quality control engineers,etc .
I have no problem with the cleaners and construction taken up by the foreigners.
“Singaporeans need to be realistic and fair-minded. While we want foreign workers to do the less pleasant jobs and contribute to our economy, we cannot also expect them to stay away, during their off days, from public places and shopping malls where we frequent, or not to take public transport to work.”
This piece of shit is totally distorting the issue on hand.
Our government latest strategy: Can’t beat them, confuse them.
@vynx on Fri, 5th Mar 2010 10:13 am
Fertility rate is only 1.3 – lowest in the world (keep repeating in the news). FT would be necessary to fill up this gap (20,000 every year now)
since this massive population shift, has it made it easier or more difficult for the old citizens to reproduce? they need to (1) find a home applying together with 20000 new citizens a year for subsidy, or (2) look for one in the resale market where 140000 new people are also eligible to fight with you, together with the 1,300,000+ non-residents who are also just as eligible to rent. then they need (3) primary 1 school slots where previously we had the foresight to award PRs the same number of balloting chances as a citizen. and after you graduate at 19 years old you hang around in Pengkang Hill for 2 years whole the PRs move on to tertiary education.
make a guess. why do you think fertility rate is not only low, it’s DROPPING while more foreigners join our community?
@ ErWen on Fri, 5th Mar 2010 10:26 am
I have to agree with you.
I don’t want to blame my forefathers’ karma.
Foreign worker who came into SG and work on jobs that we shunt, we have no issue against them:
1. They dun buy HDB resale flats
2. They dun depress wages for PMET workers
3. They dun join the crowd during morning peak hour to go to town
Foreign talent who came into SG and compete against Singaporean for PMET, we are against them because:
1. They do not need CPF contribution. Their takehome is higher, and their wage is 14.5% cheaper for employer. In short, they depress the wages of ordinary singaporeans
2. They want to buy resale flat to live and invest
3. They will send their salary back to their native nation to support their family, in short bringing SGD out of singapore and depressing our economy
4. They go to work at the same place and same time as us. Thus causing congestion on Public transportation
Look at the current state of S-chips on SGX now? (junk companies in the public listed corporate world)
That is the sign of what kind of problem we will face in few years time. (similar situation on new PR/citizen added in the last few years)
when you do anything aggressively and excessively to meet some quantitative objective with compromised quality, this is what you get. Though we already witness some, the worst is yet to come. Don’t believe, just wait and see.
By the way, while waiting, fellow singaporean please remember what we need to do at the ballot box.
How fair are we locals treated for wks to tell us to be fair-minded to the foreigners?? REfuse to do a good job to take care of the locals and now demand us to help them treat foreigners well.
Wong Kan Seng has lost his credibility as a Minister since the escape of Mas Selamat Kastari.
You vote me in right. So you people should just shut up.
And stop complaining. Ask you to integrate lor.
These ministers are out of touch and certainly can’nt see beyond their noses despite having a super paid forecaster.
What will happen say 10 years on? Given the same living conditions and the ridiculously high cost of living, these
“instant citizens” will be become like us native Sporeans, frustrated and bitching all over. and remember PRC’s are very vocal (eg the hijack bus incident).
So wake up stupid puppies, ignore your citizens at your own peril.
{Anonymous on Fri, 5th Mar 2010 10:11 am
hey hey hey…..
Most of us are not aiming toward FW…..what we looking at is those so call FT….
These so call “FT” are those who earn more than 2.5K per month and they are the one directly take away many jobs that can be given to our Singapore citizens (those late 20s, 30s, 40s up to 50s).
sink=apoor govt increase levy is aiming at FW which is not helping our Citizens getting the job back!!!!
Any GOVT people here?? DO YOU GET IT? or act BLUR hur????}
——————————————————–
A TOUGH BALANCING ACT TO MAINTAIN–By Oh Tham Eng
Ya, sensible post from “Anonymous”. There should be a good balance skewed towards our citizens’ best interests. I do not have all the details. However, our government obviously has a tough balancing act to put up in this area.
Ministers and top bureaucrats should also sacrifice and tolerate along with Singaporeans for their failed policies which have caused the cost of living to skyrocket. Until and unless they show their sincerity to Singaporeans by cutting their multi-million dollars pay packets by at least 50 pct, they have no right to ask Singaporeans to sacrifice and tolerate for their failed policies.
Still so detached, do they really live in planet Singapore?
I agree with what one of the comments above.
The ministers’ pay should be based on the top 6 in the private sector AND averaged against the lowest 6 in the private sector, all measurements should only be taken from what is earned by SINGAPOREANS.
1. They do not need CPF contribution. Their takehome is higher, and their wage is 14.5% cheaper for employer. In short, they depress the wages of ordinary singaporeans
it’s more than 14.5%. take into account they don’t need to visit the jungle for 3 weeks a year or so. 3 out of 52 weeks a year = how many more per cent?
WKS ,
Please be realistic and more tolerant when we vote you and your papaya out in the next election . Papayas and yourself should be gratefull to local citizens for not being voted out sooner as we do not have full access of the situation due to censorship by your media . Now we the internet , we will not make the same mistake anymore . Black out day or not , our decision is final , papayas need to be replaced .
To Lesser Mortal Kombat on Fri, 5th Mar 2010 9:35 am,
“Wong Kan Seng is another one that we can never vote out even if we wanted to because he is one LKY’s favourite boys. In fact they are related right?”
Just thinking out loud, what if LKY is voted out? Can that qualify as “one stone two birds” then?
Vote him out and get FT to replace him and thoses heartless mister.
I just hope TR or someone will take note of what each MPs are talking about that’s damaging and ignorant of the problem on the ground and when it’s GE time, do some table or diagrams of this MPs in which GRC or seats they are contesting.
eh wong, last year’s 60000 new PR, if we squeeze 4 of them into 1 flat, they will occupy 15000 flats, that’s all the BTO your friend mah is getting ready for 2013. then your own citizens no need house ah? or can we ask permission to squeeze 8 PRs into 1 flat?
“Mr Wong should be more realistic and not expect Singaporeans who are one of the most tolerant people in the world to make unnecessary sacrifices anymore to pay for the juvenile mistakes made by the PAP.”
You must be joking. Singaporeans are generally self-absorbed, self-interested fascists and racists. There is a world of difference between ‘tolerance’ and ‘appreciation-cum-appreciation’. The fact that it has moved from a Malay, to a multicultural, and finally to a confucian state ’swarmed’ by local chinese vindicates the aforementioned perspective. And if this isn’t enough, the failure of the people and the opposition to take issue with that which compromises the interests of other minority groups consistently is further indictment of the fascist and racist state of the people.
I don’t know what standards you are using, but perhaps you ought to take a look at the UK where the people are not only ‘tolerant’ but highly aware and active in the promoting egalitarian multiculturalism. In comparison, i’ve never met a single singaporean who isn’t a narrow-minded, self-absorbed, fascist and racist twit.
If singaporeans are not gracious and have been rather tolerant towards these foreigners,Mr Wong and his ministry would have been “bloody” busy and he would have no time to spout untruths like this.
Don’t point fingers at singaporeans for all the obnoxious acts that have occurred.like the youngsters said ‘CHECK IT OUT!”
Singaporeans have been disadvantaged in so many ways by the careless FT policy that is not only poorly timed – during economic crisis when jobs are scarce- but also unequitably handed.
The people are sufferring.BREAD-WINNERS are made jobless,cost of living is going higher in the basic neccessities including education,housing,food and medicine,just to name a few.
A caring and sincere government should not even think of increasing GST under such circumstances?!!!…bravo!how unthoughtful?!!!
No singaporean is against your scholarly conceived FT policy if you COULD also CREATE more jobs and build more houses for these foreigners;NOT taking away much neededjobs from humble breadwinners to give to these foreigners,leaving the singaporean workers and heir families to “die” of STARVATION and some children and old folks to be subjected to the weathers like those in Sembawang?
Clever scholars should not create more problems while just merely trying to solve ONE PROBLEM they themselves have earlier created?
Mr WKS,
We will also be realistic but, not tolerant to your nonsense anymore. See you in the coming GE.
WKS.. useless, brainless, worthless, heartless,
Dear ADMIN
RE MY POST @ 2.09 PM HAS BEEN PASSED OVER BY LATER POSTINGS.
is there aproblem with my posting.
kindly advise.
tahnk you
LIONS ROAR.
WHEN MAS SELEMAT have escape from the prison, from that very moment he is a man with not accountable for what a position that he sitting on it. MAY a small fry can do his work also, as the position need not to answer, what must singaporean listen to him.
Be tolerant and realistic I remember the pain of family members when someone has to make a decision to abort an unborn child because of the fines and disadvantages. I remember the shame, fine, punishment that citizens faced to rid them of unsocial habits. Yet now, we are told to be tolerant and realistic.
ppl here,
its not that garhment has lost touch with the ground. it is in fact they have ald moved on ahead n carry their agenda, while we are still stick to where we are.
with dis kind of scenario, of course garhment n us are not able to see eye to eye anymore….
So we can continue to whine , but dey will continue to turn the deaf ears, tat’s for sure.
So start planning to go to other country for a better pasture and surviving. Garhment will not support or take care of us anymore. We are expected to take care of ourselves.
Unless a new govt is being formed, i reali do not see any hope for true blue singaporeans at all.
And unless the opp. parties start to come together as under one umbrella, and become 1 alliance, then a new govt being formed is possible.
Do you see PAP got so many different parties name? No. All come under one. Which is PAP. So opp. parties all must come under one name and then a new govt will be formed.
Hope this news will spread to the opp. parties , so that if they really want to see a change in singapore, they must come into one as one party name, and not so many parties name.
Singapore is having too many S-pass, P-pass and PR
Singapore is having too many Kumar, Ganesh and Muthu
Please honk your car…no more made in India
Overcrowding Singapore, please go home Muthu, Kumar, Ganesh
say NO to foreigners, protect our birth rights
Our flag is not yellow color, white color and green color
We don’t eat….yellow curry, white rice and green leaf
Singapore wants to be a global city like London and NY, with a cost of living which a 6k pay will not be enough for substinence and a skyrocketing crime rate. Bravo!
To Wong Kan Seng –
You sure can be tolerant of the FTs when you live a life of luxury with your million dollars salary paid for by us local tax paying citizens !!!
Why don’t you take the bus & MRT to work instead of your chauffered driven Mercedes and live in HDB instead of your $20 million bungalow in Bukit Timah !!!
SO don’t talk cock, come down your ivory tower or else we will bring your ivory tower down in the next election !!!
Pui PAP !!!
Yes, WKS must be related to the old fart LKY !!! LOL
He has the same heartless, ruthless and “you die your business” attitude of that old man. His speech is also like the old man, all muddled and nonsensical !!!
@Reed, Wong IS RELATED to Lee Junior.
In reality he is related to LHL but his mind is just like LKY !! Follow LKY like a dog, sooner or later become like him !!
Sad to see million dollar paid minister dont know the differences between “Foreign Worker” and “Foreign Talent”.
Foreign workers DID NOT take our space in public transport.
They have their lorries/trucks for transportation.
They DID NOT take our jobs.
“Foreign Talents” are the public enemies.
Is it so difficult for a minister to understand?
Strange. Everyone blaming govt here. How come no bosses or towkay or young entrepuneurs here who are patriotic enough to hire only singaporeans?
I empathise with the grievances of ‘true blue’ Singaporeans. Many decades before the eighties, thousands of Singapore’s neighbours migrated to Singapore and were highly influential in the formation and strengthening of Singapore’s education, military and finance. That includes many straits born people and former Malaysians, whose contributions are still not recognised and looked over today.
Tsk tsk, today the phenomenon repeats but in vastly different perspective and more complex in depth. The perpetual lamentations of ‘hapless Singaporeans’ seem to be:
What do you say to the exPERKs who has taken your Ivy league jobs in investments and law that pay them megabucks to buy those incredibly luxurious condos and glamorous machines that make the local women go ga ga?
What do you say to the southern Indians and filipinos who toil at jobs Singaporeans shun and enjoy the still first class amenities that Singapore is famous for?
What can you say to hard working fearless PRC youths who reap the benefits of Singapore’s premier first class education system to the said exclusion of some of your ‘true blue’ locals?
What ever you say, the answer to you is ‘boo hoo boo hoo who are you?’
If there is anything to be learnt from this phenomenon by all citizens, it will be that no one in this world is indispensable. The answer to Singaporeans’ predicament is if you don’t love it you will lose it. To make yourself count, you must really be countable.
Credible governance of a country is dependent on the WISDOM of its generals and the SACRIFICE of its people. Generals oft times forget when a city is taken and all riches and privileges reaped, its original inhabitants will have nothing to offer except their loyalty. Any country’s journey into greatness can be seen from numerous examples in history and is often determined by overwhelming forces that can change the tides of any crisis, just like a torrential flood’s strength in carving shores comes from the joining of billions of drops of water. How Singapore maintains its greatness is really in the hands of its truly patriotic and highly educated people not just the government whatever failings are perceived. Even a single drop of water matters in an ocean.
I am dying to see the day that Sinkies pick up the brooms to sweep the estate, to take orders at food court and kopi-tiams, to find themselves become managers of nobody but themselves, to shovel sands and granites in construction sites, to do renovation work, and et cetera. I worry too much.