Richard Hartung is a consultant who has lived in Singapore since 1992, what we do not know is whether he has taken up citizenship after 20 years of immersion. What we do know is that his expat friends have gotten word of employment pass renewal rejections, and even permanent residents' (PR) re-entry permits are not being renewed as (easily as before). Writing plainly with sympathy to their cause, he quotes one blogger: "It's pot luck … Doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason." Or is it?
Well, we now know that the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) is targeting an intake of 20,000 to 25,000 to keep the population size stable, whatever that means. In countries that have free healthcare and social welfare for the needy, the number of working age available to support elderly citizens is a significant ratio in demography. In Singapore, young or old, our individual CPF balance is our own lifeline. Ask for a discount in transport fare, and the ogre of a minister will threaten to increase the GST.
The NPTD has also decided to be picky. It wants to emphasise that the new comers must be able to integrate well into our society. Other holistic considerations include the applicants' family ties to Singaporeans, economic contributions, qualifications, age, family profile, length of stay in Singapore, and their commitment to sinking roots in Singapore. Those flighty expats cruising the Clarke Quay bars to pick up SPGs will have to go the way of the dodo bird.
Associate Professor Paulin Tay Straughan, a sociologist at the National University of Singapore and Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) from 2009 to 2012, has some advice for attracting quality immigrants:
- don't just open doors;
- target younger new citizens;
- pick citizens that grow families
Maybe Hartung can now go back to his expat friends now and ask if they are migrant birds of fancy or committed to nation building. After 20 years in the country, he should be talented enough to get that right.
Lest we forget, PRs also put a tremendous strain on public amenities and housing. NPTD needs a projection for that number too, in order to envision the future landscape. Institute of Policy Studies research fellow Leong thinks the PR numbers are much larger than that of the new citizens. No wonder our trains are overloaded, the NPTD number crunchers have again missed the forest for the trees.
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all the so called "ft" (permanent residents included) care only about their own self-interest.
ReplyDeleteLess than a year after the last GE and they are reversing their "promises" I seriously hope for a hard landing in the economy and see whether those "talents" will flee and how our government cope with their mirage and smoke screen.
ReplyDeleteYou don't need a hard landing in economy, just a nuclear leak out, say from our next door neighbor and you'll see the elite flocks off in their airplane out of here immediately...there's no 2nd osaka tier two city to escape to. That's where you'll see the real quitters and stayers. GCT better be at the airport to witness this.
ReplyDeleteI am not upset with FTs. It is only natural that foreigners will go and pick the ripen fruits whenever someone opens the door and invite them in. The fault lies with the door opener.
ReplyDeleteTattler is right. The argument that we need a certain number of younger citizens to support the old is applicable only to Western countries where there is a social welfare system. Here in Singapore, we "eat ourselves" after retirement. Even medical is from our savings. So it is not the issue of supporting the old but supporting the economy and ministers salaries!
There is the CPF issue. Which is why they have come up with so many brilliant ideas to keep from having to return the full amount when you are old.
Deletehttp://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/04/25/immigration-crucial-to-singapores-growth-govt-study/
ReplyDeleteJudging by the comments in WSJ,I think the sentiments is similar everywhere. Quite frankly, even at the declared rate of 20-25k, many still suspect if this govt will indeed stick to the number. IS that new citizenship expected to be converted from PRs/FT? So what's the total # for these two segment expected to flood the country at all time? One get a feeling that Mr Hartung 'no rymthe and reason' is accurate to some extent. The other word for it is called 'Spray and Pray". Since no body knows what is their avg conversion rate so far. So anyhow spray - just import en mass and pray that they hit x% every year. Frankly, is PR/FT who are transitory here at all time that is crowding the place..not the final 20k-25k that is made to sound so palatable.
PAP has already ruined this country.
ReplyDeleteI have looked at the government stats on how many kids and at what age PRs vs citizens have. PRs do not have more kids nor do they give birth earlier!
This means that when we get FTs to become PRs or citizens, they will also get old and worsen the current situation. The more highly qualified FTs are the more they will put their careers ahead of family- so how the fu*k is this going to work?
I am also sick and tired of this gahmen having failed in raising birth rates due to half-hearted attempts NOW TELLS US the only solution is FTs.
Lucky Tan has written a good analysis on this. Who really need help with bringing up babies? But why was benefits provided in the form of rebates that only rich will benefit? Only richer people deserve to have babies? Or a baby from rich family is worth more than a baby from a poor family? Or single mothers should be penalised with their babies receiving less help? WTF. I am so angry now.
The people who must be angry should be retirees and manual workers. These PRs push up costs of housing, transport, education and medical. Their contribution is any is to the economy but does not benefit these group of people directly. In think they have all the right to be angry!
DeleteAnother good blog on crystal gazing that is #epicfail
ReplyDeletehttp://sgpublicpolicy.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/the-issue-of-population-and-gazing-into-a-crystal-ball/#respond
Just read about this chilean couple who stole $27k was sentenced to 2 years jail. No mention by msm whether they are PRs, Foreigners or came in as a tourist..very silent on that. But hey, that's the kind of wheat from the chaff our immigration is doing. Now the taxpayers will foot their 2 years of free housing and food in the prison. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThis whole issue is getting too emotional. It's not whether we should or should not accept foreigners. I think the main thing here is the gross mismanagement of this whole process that makes almost everyone very angry.
ReplyDeleteBlame it on the government, not those foreigners!
Churning out numbers to justified a policy is an old trick. Egg sellers will once awhile seek some university research departments to broadcast their finding that eating eggs is good so just to boost their sales. So are butter companies,tooth paste manufacturers, vegetable growers. Nothing wrong with that except these results are usually bias to what they want to tell you. The rest are not revealed.
ReplyDeleteNPTD is doing exactly the same. Use one figure/assumption to justify why we need more human imports. Other social ills is none of their business. Who cares!
Well, they did target 'younger new citizens'..didn't they?
ReplyDeleteThey were the likes of sunxu..and more who are today crowding out our children/students in the universities, regardless if they were actually 2nd or 3rd grades!!
And 'citizens that grow families'..how to tell? Did they have a stamp on their forehead to say they will, or like any interviews, they will tell you what you want to hear as long as i get hired...so how does NPTD do their job?
//In countries that have free healthcare and social welfare for the needy, the number of working age available to support elderly citizens is a significant ratio in demography. In Singapore, young or old, our individual CPF balance is our own lifeline. //
ReplyDeleteYou are spot-on. It matters if , like western europe, we have social welfare and universal healthcare here. So the argument for worker/pensioner ratio is just another bad arbitrary fact they use in their facts. Unless of course, they are indirectly admitting even that CPF is ain't going to help our aged!!
Gee, then they better do something with the rates.
Do not blame NPTD. Someone must have commissioned them to come out with favorable figures so that they can go and justify their policies. If I were NPTD, I would do as asked if you pay for the work. After all I am not lying, just that I did not reveal all facts.
ReplyDeleteHey NPTD, why don't you ask me the peasants, about talent retention?
ReplyDeleteAfter all, our ancestors/parents were also once talents that propel your ministerial talents to great heights. So we definitely know a lot about talents you know? Actually send all your new potential talents to me and I'll tell them why,how,what it takes to kill two generations of talents by your PAP masters. In fact, I will tell them if they don't multiply their 3 generations of family will die out within 1 generation, as long as MIW is still running us to the ground. Once the goose stop laying the golden eggs, they will stuff you with grains so you can be cooked later into a tasty dish of foie-gras to be served on their dinner plate. What's good for the goose is good for the ganger.
And if Tan Chuan Jin have to ask 'is it really so dire, our HDB flat is so out of reach.." is it fair then to say he has missed the individual tree for the forest here?
ReplyDeleteno logic leh...lau lee say we not enough babies, but just like video tape, can fast forward one they bring in adults. lidat oso can, nobody say anything. say one thing do one thing. singaporeans very funny one, everything they say we oso believe. another type lagi steady, no believe but oso can accept. no use brain never mind, at least use mouth to make noise lah. make noise oso lazy, then the gahmen more brave lah. nowadays they want to wayang oso no need to prepare script one. just anyhow say anyhow do. oh forget to say something, these foreigners they come here, they also bring their kids here. these little boys and girls mostly go to our public schools. but they are foreigners, have china one, india one, filipin one, ini one, malaysia one...many many types but i very curious how they take the singapore pledge and sing our mari kita. anybody know the answer? tell you the secret, their father mother got teach them to say everything the same like singapore kids say or sing but only substitute the name of singapore with their country name. really simple, no copyright one, nobody catch one. go to school purpose is to get high high marks for exams oni. nothing more important than than this. sometime joke joke can but sometime must serious. this country huh i see liao liao. no chance liao. this one i confirm. this one i serious one. ok more serious a bit, i sumpah i no joking this country cannot save oredi.
ReplyDeleteWe are overpopulated and overdeveloped. The only thing that can wake them up is a dose of recession. This will expose their flawed population policies and get Singapore back on the right track. What happened to the commission to study the optimal population size this country can support? Going to take as long as the Hougang by-election?
ReplyDeleteBut the stooges in charge don't seem to get it. Even if they do, they don't have the gumption to make the change. I fear only a civil uprising will make the corrections. It's what Lim Chong Yah alluded to when he talked of the "dangerous level" of the Gini coefficient.
DeleteThe cause of all this problem is lau lee and family.
ReplyDeleteI went to school with Mr. Hartung's daughter. His children are PRs and lived most of their lives in Singapore. He doesn't deserve to be a political football, and neither does his family.
ReplyDelete