The world is changing, rapidly. I read somewhere that analyst predict that crude oil could go beyond US$200 per barrel next year, not long ago, US$80 was high. A couple of years back the price for rice, wheat, barley etc, staple food for humans in the world, were stable. Now, the price of rice has shot up the roof. We might be going into a world recession from now onwards, with high inflation rates and shrinking income as basic costs goes out of control.
There is another change that has been taking place quietly over the past years but the effects of the change is felt by Singaporeans now. It is the increase in foreign talents working in Singapore in every corner. The sector that's felt by most Singaporeans is the service sector, where many service workers are imported. So how would foreign talents affect us? I will share my thoughts on this topic through a few angles. Today, I will focus on the reactions towards competition from foreign talents.
Personally, I think we have a bad habit of looking outside for talents and not within. And that will create a lot of unhappiness for people who are around. For example, someone may be working in a company as an engineer for a few years, putting in a lot of effort and proving his worth as an effective and capable engineer, but when the company expands, they look for talent from other companies or countries to fill the role of a chief engineer. It's true that having a new member in the team may potentially add a new dimension to the company but that has to be balanced by the uneasiness, to put it mildly, experienced by the those who were ignored for the position.
Similarly, if there are Singaporeans looking for a job as a waitress but the job went to a foreign import, it is natural for locals to feel left out in Singapore's rapid globalization.
One poster sums it up pretty well.
A company that is willing to go to the ends of the Earth for its people will find it can hire them for about 10% the cost of Americans.The same applies to Singaporeans.
Competition is good, but many Singaporeans find that the odds are stacked against them when they go against foreign imports.
1.) The grass is always greener on the opposite side. Foreign talents have already made a great impact in Singapore so much so that majority of the jobs created last year went to foreign talents. This could be due to the large number of jobs created but we may have to ask ourselves why 2.4% of our own residents (45 600) are unemployed (lost their jobs and looking for a new one) while hundreds of thousands of jobs went to foreigners. Is frictional unemployment rate able to account for this?
2.) Most foreigners come here to work alone, those who come here with their family are paid truckloads of money to take up key positions here. In one end we have foreign talents who can afford to be paid less (less CPF too) to support their family in a country where the standards of living is much lower than Singapore, in the other we have talents who earn much more than locals who take up similar positions. So it seems unfair in both ways to the average Joe in Singapore. Just look at the number of Malaysians who are willing to spend hours commuting and come to Singapore to work in the construction line so that they can bring more money back. It's obvious when you are renovating a house. You can always never find Singaporeans doing it themselves without any foreign aid to keep costs low.
3.) 2 words, National Service. Now all the "we gotta protect our homeland" reason couldn't compensate for the fact that National Service affects the competitiveness of Singaporean Males. Would you prefer a worker who has no National service commitments, takes half the pay and won't need to take leave for family matters as their family is too far away, compared to a local who can be absent for up to 40 days a year due to NS, and you have to pay their CPF etc. And to make matter worse, locals have to sacrifice and protect the country so that foreign talents have a good life here.
Foreign talents may be important to sustain growth for Singapore's economy but we are paying a huge price for this growth if more and more Singaporeans become disillusioned. Having the extra $100 GST credits does little to recognize the efforts of NSmen. I for one had to give up the chance to lead selected students from top colleges for an overseas science programme this year because I have to serve the nation. It's a once in a lifetime chance to meet such an opportunity. Who knows what I could have gained from the trip, and what I could have contributed to the nation as a result. Now I just hope whoever who gets the chance to do so make good use of it. Who knows what else I need to give up just to protect the nation, since I have to serve for 12 more years legally.
Singapore does take good care of Singaporeans, but are we taking better care of foreign talents? The answer could be yes and no, depending on which group of foreign talents that we are referring to. And there is without doubt now that foreign talent contributes significantly to Singapore too. But Singaporeans will not experience what could be the worst that can happen if we could level the playing ground, limit the number of foreign talents etc. Singaporeans will feel the impact and challenges that comes together with them.
Side effects like waitresses who can't converse in English may be a nuisance to Singaporeans in some ways, but it is the unleveled competing grounds that Singaporeans will bear deep and long grudges against foreign talents. Short term side effects will go away as we get use to and adapt to each other's culture, language etc, but long term grudges have to be addressed by our leaders. Telling Singaporeans that foreign talent is good for us will not be sufficient to convince everyone to bear with all the side effects, especially the long term ones. Not when Singapore is experiencing growth last year. This year may be different, because when one is sick, people won't mind the side effects of a bitter pill as long as it makes them better. If we go through a recession, it will be easier to convince Singaporeans the value and contributions of foreigners. Still, doctors will find a way to help patients cope with the side effects of the bitter pills, so our leaders will still have to do the same, to ease the pains and discomforts too.
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