Ng Eng Hen urged Singaporeans to play their part in achieving ‘balance’ between ‘foreign talent’ and economic growth
Posted by temasektimes on July 15, 2012
Though it is the government which opens the floodgates to foreigners with little proper planning a few years ago, Singaporeans are now asked to ‘play their part’ in achieving a ‘balance’ between economic growth and foreign talent by Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen.
Speaking on the sidelines of a community event, Dr Ng said it will always be difficult to do so, and added that Singapore should not pretend that it is going to be easy.
“The balance depends very much on what Singaporeans are willing to support. Because if you tighten too much, your jobs are at risk. And not only your jobs, because you become less competitive. But not only that, for example in essential services, we need people to build our homes, man our hospitals, so on and so forth. Your quality of life will be affected,” he said.
Most Singaporeans have no problems with foreign workers who are taking up jobs shunned by Singaporeans such as those in the construction and marine industry, but not with the PMETs who are competing directly for positions which can otherwise be filled by them.
Despite the government being the mastermind of the unpopular immigration and labor policies, Singaporeans are now asked to ‘support’ the balance:
“On the other hand, we are reaching the limits of some of our land, our ability, our transport, our housing, so we have to adjust to that. And I don’t think that it’s only the government that will have to decide this. Singaporeans must also support the balance.”
THE TEMASEK TIMES 
Ken Lee said
guess what singaporean become low pay koo lee and our PAP minister still get million!
Terence Chong said
“The balance depends very much on what Singaporeans are willing to support. Because if you tighten too much, your jobs are at risk. And not only your jobs, because you become less competitive. But not only that, for example in essential services, we need people to build our homes, man our hospitals, so on and so forth. Your quality of life will be affected,” he said.
Same usual f**king technique of throwing smoke around Blue Collar Foreign workers…. When the bigger issue is the THOUSANDS of PMETs they’ve opened the floodgates to. Blood assholes.
Give them hell if they can't perform said
The Hen can say what he like but look around & you find more & more S’poreans, even their supporters are getting fed up & have start to shun these F-Trash which is a good thing. The Papies won’t be able to get support that they want in this area for sure. I say give these F-Trash hell if they can’t perform to your standard.
Ng Pian Ying said
As a senior Minister Ng Eng Hen should be wary of what he is saying and talking about don’t just simply placed all the responsibility and the blame on to the CITIZENS OF SINGAPORE. I can boldly say that all the problems arises through his party’s poor foresight and bad managements. The rest is up to him to consider and decide what he and his party will need and require off, to be done.
mahbok tan said
Just had a discussion with a taxi driver….it seems that all SGporeans are phucking angry with the GOVT OF THE DAY , particularly to all foreigners being brought into SGpore using the reason of economic stability n providing more job for SGporean.
I tell u wat da fug this minister is talking about. Did he know that we are facing it daily nu want us to support all ur error while getting paid ini millions?? Phuck U….!!! If PAP lead government dare try doing a snap election next year n uU will see the results of ur arrogance. Or u all want tk aait until the sifu say so ciz he is too tired to say it…si…si…sii!!!
theanonymous said
LKY is right, sinkees are daft.
angry with the gov, but still vote them in.
wat a bloody joke.
mahbok tan said
Soory fellow Sgporean , I am not the 60.1%….!!!
anything that is blue is OK….!!! WP huat huat ah….!!!
kaching said
why dont we pay FT ministers with low pay, maybe it will be balance
spotlessleopard said
To add isult to injury …many of these so called foregn talents have dubious qualifications, often FAKE degrees, and come in to replace Singaporeans at 1/3 to 1/2 the cost….thereby throwing Singaporeans out of work……”SO WHAT DO YOU THINK MINISTER”?
Singaporean said
THERE IS NO LIMIT OR QUOTA ON THE S-PASSES For PMET foreigners… SO GOVT is STILL LETTING IN THESE FCCKING USELESS FTs who want to escape from their CRISIS EU.
Jenny said
Economic growth?
All i see is more and more singaporeans leading a hard life. This hen should be killed and cook.
seah said
what about jod in cofee shop and sales.they came in because they except low salary and longer working hours.so they take over our rice bowl and causing our pay yo get stagnant for 10 over years.most of us dont benefit with so many foreigner here ,they make our life Worse.
Wolfglare said
Ask the PAP government go fuck themselves
crap@sickening.com said
Another piece of crap. SICK and TIRED keep talking play their part. I will use one of the fav line please reflect on yourself…
spectrekle said
Isn’t it obvious that the people is sick and tired of being told time and time again on what they should do to the FTs? Don’t you think it’s about time to stop these meaningless exhortations? They’re no longer kindergarden children you know. They’ve since graduated. The first generation is dead and lone gone. Neither can they save us from our predicament. If they want to they also can’t. Because they’ve gone over to the other side. The second generation suffered at your hand. The third and fourth generation isn’t going to kowtow to no one no more except God. I don’t think they’re going to be subservient any more. Retaliate against the People? If the country should falters in any way in the near future, the most can happen is we shall all die together by bringing the Reserve, garment, FPRs, FCs, FTs, FWs, FMs, along with us to Kingdom Come!
Azman Hamzah said
Foreign talent? What talent? Does your office has these…..”talents”?
You need talent to drive a bus? I’d rather hire a Malaysian because they speak my language. You need talent to sell cheap lingerie from China?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahah..,.
Must I say what I said in response to that colleague of yours?
Tan Yan Ren said
Ng Eng Hin,
I told you about 6 years ago at the istana when i was there and i met you with raymond lim,
i told you that Singaporeans ARE BLEEDING from being treated second class!!!intheir own country …well i GUESS you guys think you are smart…and business as usual…let me warn the GOVT that serious consequences is on the cards IF policy makers DONT wake up…STARTING with M O M!!!!!!!they are still not listening and creative enough to come up with policies that will work “beautifully’ and yet you want to justify multi million dollars salary!!!!????…
A Singaporean by birth said
Yeah right, due to govt’s “little planning” (interpreted as poor hindsight to balance off economic growth with enormous social ills in the process of opening up the floodgates to foreigners), WE, the citizens, have to “play our part”??? Then what about the govt playing THEIR PART to fix the social problems that they have created for us, HUH?????? The problems does NOT affect them because they do NOT live in HDB flats, right??? They dont take public transport, right?? They dont have to worry about competition at their workplace, right??? NONE of them affected so it’s damn easy for him to tell us to play our part, right??? Come on, man, stop this crap talk!!!
Alex Har said
Singaporeans are doing their part by sharing their incomes, jobs and space with the foreigners. Yhe Minster can probably play his part by contributing 70% of his ministerial salary and Board of Director Fees to less fortunate Singaporeans. Even with the remaining 30% he will be more well off than than most Singaporeans.
Singaporean said
The .gif is freaking funny, anyway u guys say so much here also useless. It will be treated as noises.
Ah Fong said
The truth is that 2016 is just around the corner and they need all the ‘foreigners who are willing to become citizens’ as they can get.
icefire said
we need FT in construction and some service line but we no need FT in office n our govt !!! if not why govt cant waive of 2 yr NS and employ FT to take over
Edmund Arroyo said
Fri, May 14, 2010
The Straits Times
Dr Ng: I gave the wrong impression
EDUCATION Minister Ng Eng Hen apologised yesterday for giving the ‘wrong impression’ in a recent press interview that his ministry was planning to reduce the mother tongue weightage.
A committee reviewing the teaching and testing of mother tongue languages has not proposed any change to the scoring system in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), he clarified.
‘I think I should have chosen my words more carefully and apologise for creating that wrong impression,’ he said of his interview three weeks ago with The Straits Times and Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100512-215853.html
Foxy said
who is Ng Eng Hen?
Julie Ong said
Hi, Foxy
Dr Ng Eng Hen is the Defence Minister.
bb said
Very simple if anyhow allow FT to come it hen your job is at risk.. You are the first minister to admit the gov allow FT coming in with little proper planning. There are also many misakes it made with no planning at all
lim swee swee said
we want real talent but so far most are rubbish
Fed Up Singaporean said
Kindly explain to all us lowly peasants, how the fake talents you import, leaving can make us jobless?
If all the pinoy HR/customer service, India IT, PRC workers/engineers/food sellers leave our beloved tiny island, how the h*ll does that leave more of us jobless?
RC said
Don’t speak one thing and do another thing. Start showing us the balance in parlament between PAP who cares for votes to stay in power and Opposition who cares for people. And don’t lie by saying your party cares for all singaporeans. Potong Pasir upgrading is a solid proof of your doings.
Victor said
I guess our ministers know that Singaporeans are pissed and no amount of coaxing is gonna do the job. So, now it’s threats……. but for god sake, quote something better. It’s is because of these foreigners that we are losing jobs and now u are telling us to support the government to bring in more foreigners?
You must be out of your mind!!!!!
WE DONT NEED THE FOREIGNERS TO GIVE SINGAPOREANS, JUST DONT BRING THEM INTO SINGAPORE TO TAKE AWAY OUR JOBS, TAKE AWAY OUR CHILDREN’S UNIVERSITY PLACES AND SPEND OUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO SUBSIDISE THEIR HOUSING, MEDICAL, PUBLIC TRANSPORTS……
Victor said
My apologies, the last sentence should read :-
WE DONT NEED THE FOREIGNERS TO GIVE SINGAPOREANS JOBS, JUST DONT BRING THEM INTO SINGAPORE TO TAKE AWAY OUR JOBS, TAKE AWAY OUR CHILDREN’S UNIVERSITY PLACES AND SPEND OUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO SUBSIDISE THEIR HOUSING, MEDICAL, PUBLIC TRANSPORTS……
SPR said
It maybe true that the Ministers are not aware of the situation on the street, but all these heckling and condemnation is not helping. It would be best to give a proper polite constructive criticism instead of foul speaking language that the whole world can see.
Singaporeans must be seen as first world people with good constructive criticism and use of such language is really not helping and it only enforce the perception that Singaporeans are not up to par yet with the foreigners.
Must engage discussion in comment and forum professionally as what Singaporean are, only then the Ministers will sit up and read what we write. They will turn off their mind the moment they read foul languages and criticism without any good proposal or constructive feedback.
1) Reduce the number of EP, (but what type of EP or industry?) Maybe as a start: those FTs working in IT, programmers, offshore, shipyard, airport.
2) Reduce PRs, (which country?) Maybe those countries that do not accept back reapplication of citizen once FTs renounce their own country citizenship – cos this will make them think twice about applying to be working in Singapore).
3) small businesses : such as those at the void decks : small traders selling breads and tobacco and sundry goods. Should give those licenses to those old people not working or set up a consortium and hire retired people to manage those stalls rather than giving it to the foreigners.
there are many ways to do things, but Singaporeans should put up proposal rather than just criticize. Keep writing proposal and constructive feedback, eventually the ministers will sit up and read. What say you, True Blue Singaporean?
Alvin said
The truth is plain and simple. The Government messed up and now needs the people to help them fix the problem which they have created by requiring us to integrate the FTs into Singapore Society. Mind you, this is a group of people whose jobs aren’t under threat well.. not for any few more years … whilst everyday Singaporeans have to compete against the FTs for every staple in Singapore Society at large.
Do they actually still believe that by repeating a statement enough times, it will actually happen? Maybe they should put together a catchy and campy Integration Song and have posters plastered all over Singapore. “Integration is for Free.. Integration is for you and me.” or “Integrate Singapore.. Integrate Singapore .. Integrate to be our best and more.. Integrate Singapore”.
I personally feel that our elected officials should stop asking Singaporeans to clear up their mess and they themselves should start integrating back into Singapore and be a Singaporean for a change. “Integration is a two-way street. It takes two hands to clap. And so we have to be open, for those of us who have been here longer. And I think for new citizens, they also have to step forward. So if one side remains open, the other side takes the initiative, both sides meet together, I think that will make it much faster,” said Dr Ng. But Mr. Ng, it only takes one hand to slap. We’ve been slapped over and over again by FTs who have taken advantage of our liberal laws and policies and made this into their backyard party.
A wise minster was asked how would Singapore survive without any natural resources, the minister replied by saying we have natural resource – our people – Singaporeans. I ask would then ask now How does a country manage their own natural resources? By protecting it and managing it well or by allowing other countries to dump into our country.
Any one who studied economics or have some sense on business would be aware term called dumping.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumping_(pricing_policy)
In economics, “dumping” is a kind of predatory pricing, especially in the context of international trade. It occurs when manufacturers export a product to another country at a price either below the price charged in its home market, or in quantities that cannot be explained through normal market competition.
If a company exports a product at a price lower than the price it normally charges in its own home market, it is said to be “dumping” the product. Opinions differ as to whether or not such practice constitutes unfair competition, but many governments take action against dumping to protect domestic industry. The WTO agreement does not pass judgment. Its focus is on how governments can or cannot react to dumping — it disciplines anti-dumping actions, and it is often called the “anti-dumping agreement”. (This focus only on the reaction to dumping contrasts with the approach of the subsidies and countervailing measures agreement.)
The legal definitions are more precise, but broadly speaking, the WTO agreement allows governments to act against dumping where there is genuine (“material”) injury to the competing domestic industry. To do so, the government has to show that dumping is taking place, calculate the extent of dumping (how much lower the export price is compared to the exporter’s home market price), and show that the dumping is causing injury or threatening to cause injury.
The above is taken from Wikipedia on defining and the legal definition of what dumping means.
I ask you readers and fellow Singaporeans. Are we getting dumped on yet? How much injury or threats of injury is required to the our domestic industry that our government finally decides that moderation isn’t enough any more. It is high time that the Government looks into domestic policies that serves to protect our sole natural resources and enforcing or developing laws which should be in place like maternity / national service protection, equal opportunity employment for Singaporeans, hiring Singaporeans first ( Even in other first world countries – Companies have to prove that they have made an effort to locate the required talent and there is genuine lack of that talent before a foreigner can be hired) or simply lowering GST or have better price controls among landlords as not to gouge into the livelihoods of Honest Singaporeans trying to make ends meet.
Naivety said
@Alvin, there is no point talking so much as these people (MIW) got eyes but cannot see, sense but cannot feel & ears that
could not hear you & the only recourse/option available to us is to simply “Vote Them Out Come GE 2016″…Period!!!
Naivety said
What a TCSS King!!!
alamak master said
Are there many Singaporean applicants to become nurses and construction workers? This fella is missing the plot or he purposely side step the issue? The fact that managerial, executive, professional and technical jobs are also going to foreigners in high numbers – these can be easily filled by locals instead of FTs and expats. One of the few so called ‘democratic’ countries in the world to actually look out for foreigners first before their own. We have to show discontent first before they reluctantly make an effort to think of us first – by changing tiny and insignificant rules to unpopular immigration policies recently. This kind of elected government also have???