Ng Eng Hen: treat foreigners with dignity

Issue of foreigners dominates forum

Straw poll by chair Ng Eng Hen shows they are needed in firms

By Goh Chin Lian, The Straits Times, 31 Aug 2012

LAW undergraduate Charles Yeo did not mince his words last night when he criticised the Government for marginalising Singaporeans, by letting in foreigners who are willing to work for less pay.

The 22-year-old student of England's University of Warwick said countries like Britain and Australia accept only foreigners with unique skills.



His words of reproach at a Reach forum to discuss the National Day Rally, led Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen to conduct an immediate straw poll.

How many among the 260 people at the forum worked in companies that employ foreigners, Dr Ng asked.

Almost every hand went up and 80 per cent indicated they did not think their company could survive without foreigners.

It became grist to the mill for Dr Ng, who chaired the forum with Reach chairman Amy Khor, to explain the implications of tightening the tap on foreigners, even as he acknowledged the worries of Singaporeans.

"I have good news for you: There will be less foreigners," he said, referring to government measures to tighten the inflow of foreigners.

But at the same time, "I have bad news for those who work in companies with quite a lot of foreigners. It's going to be tough and some of you are feeling it, particularly our SMEs".

He added: "There are no perfect solutions. We have to make sure we have a tightening up but it's not without cost. It will mean slower growth, and slower growth can also mean slower wage growth."

On the other hand, foreigners have stepped in where Singaporeans are loath to work.

Dr Ng noted how Singaporean bus drivers who initially resisted foreign bus drivers, later welcomed them for standing in during the weekends and public holidays.

"So it's a nice combination," he said.

His worry is that international news reports portraying Singaporeans as anti-foreigners may invite a backlash when Singaporeans travel abroad.

Bringing the issue back to Mr Yeo, Dr Ng cited a top university in London where 25 per cent of one law class were Singaporeans to make the point that people in other countries would also have a reason to be upset with Singaporeans taking up university places.

So Singaporeans ought to be dignified and treat others with dignity, he said.

A Singaporean nurse at the forum related how her heart ached for her foreign colleagues when she sees them being taunted and scolded by locals.

She said: "We have a lot of advertisements about local nurses doing good. There are also many foreign nurses - Filipinos, Malaysians and all that - who have done very much for our citizens, caring for them in their deepest, darkest moments."

The issue of foreigners was the dominant topic at the two-hour forum and other issues discussed include helping single mothers and special needs children, and whether more social welfare will mean higher taxes.

On encouraging people to have more babies, ideas seem plentiful on what needed to be done.

But Dr Ng feels that husbands need to step in as well: "I have four kids. My wife works. It's very tough. Thankfully, my wife is capable.

"But we have to change and signal that we are willing to be more supportive and play a bigger role in child-rearing."

2 in 3 back S'pore vision: Poll

ABOUT two-thirds of 178 people polled by the Government's feedback unit, Reach, backed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's vision of Singapore as "a home with hope and heart". Reach also got 530 inputs, with parenthood topping the list of topics, followed by education and graciousness.

In general, about two-thirds or more of people polled supported measures to promote parenthood, improve pre-school education and create more university places.

But they raised some concerns, including:

- The impact of paternity leave on bosses' views of employees; 

- High living costs, long waits for HDB flats and work-life balance, which were cited as barriers towards parenthood; 

- Stresses of the formal education system; 

- Whether more university places will make it harder for graduates to get jobs; 

- Ground concerns on the impact of influx of foreigners on locals.