I try not to discriminate (ultimately everyone at some level does), Singaporeans can be an odd lot I have seen racist terms used on Indians, Pinoys and other nationality by the Singaporean Chinese which makes me uncomfortable and this is not what Singapore represents. On the other I once seen a coffee shop Auntie (Singaporean Chinese) cracking jokes with a Bangladesh construction worker buying coffee teaching him the coffee shop lingo. Good and Bad its all there
Our government is trying to strike up a balance between foreigners and locals, but the locals were made to jumps hoops since young especially those without resources and if the government should take all steps to help them besides giving them dead end offers like being taxi drivers etc (I am referring to unemployed PMETs here), even government organization don't prioritize on hiring locals says a lot. Some taxi drivers with cancer driver their cabs up to the last day they drop dead.
The main things the government should assist with are local firms hiring locals people in bread and butter sectors (manufacturing/engineering etc). Industry like finance and biotech firms run by MNC's should be cut some slack since as you rightly said they bring in the people with the skill sets which the locals do not otherwise possess (Evident from my day to day interaction with locals vs foreigners in the firm).
Anyway if the government does not find a balance soon it will just be detrimental to nation as a whole.
Ps I'm probably not a typical Sinkie, most Singaporeans have a less pragmatic look on the situation. I just think we have to strike some balance before the pot bubbles over.
Local vs foreigners is the issue what I originally intended this thread to be. And this is an issue in USA as well (.. so much hue and cry over H1B and L1 visas). And those countries which have sizable foriegn power, this is always (valid) point of discussion.
(India or say china doesn't have this issue because foreign workers (legal ones alteast) are even less than 1%; in any case, illegal Banglaeshis, for example, is still an issue in India -- even though ethnically bangladeshis are indistinguishable from Indians).
But the thing is, mid-way, this became a racist issue (which some other posters, esp "LightingBolt" tried to make this to be).. .. and which I know Singapore is to a large extent free off. And Singapore govt knows that progress needs peace ... not violence or even ill-will among its citizens of different background.. from which they came from, a few generations back.
-- Back to the topic,
I still believe singapore became richer because it managed to attract rich foreigners (for whatever reasons) ... rich Eurpoeans / americans precisely ... and they could come is sufficient numbers in a small country like singapore to completely transform the small country itself (This kind of transformation isn't possible in India or china, or even bangladesh or pakistan -- there not so many rich Europeans or Americans to come and transform these large countries).
Rich (and perhaps, corrupt) malaysians and indonesians come much later. I don't think they are the ones whos "transformed" singapore. The riches essentially came from Europe and USA. Even today, the "super rich" guys are the Europeans and Americans... the million dollar guys. If you don't see them, I can't help it.
Marina Bay Sands was built "entirely" on American money. In 2008, while it was being constructed, funding problems happened in US .. and the American proprieter put in his own personal money to complete it.
If this "sands" guy had set up the same thing in Mumbai ... it would not have made much difference, since even Mumbai is too big. Mumbai would need atleast 3 times more "rich" people to come over. (even HK is one-third of mumbai.. and close to SG). But singapore is milking the "tourism" revenues because of marina bay sands.
At a micro-level, Europeans are paying me, not singaporeans. And in the process, I end up transferring a huge part of that money to singapore.. paying a sizable amount of tax.. and fukking high rent. Add up the salaries earned by foreigners in singapore (with those salaries mostly paid by revenues outside singapore !!), .. and the taxes / rentals drawn by singapore from these salaries .. you'll see what's funding the infrastructure in singapore.
Singapore charges market rates for everything .. so I pay along for the SMRTs, the expressways, the escalator and all while I use them. In form of the "rent" I (or okay, my european employer by proxy) pays for the swimming pools and jaccuzzis. High rise towers are paid for the companies (eh.. I see mostly MNC occupants !! I don't know, if you don't !), who pick up the office space.
Singapore doesn't have the "mineral wealth" to fund all this .. with its "own" internal funds. It's ALL foreign. You talk of manufacturing .. there too "all" raw materials have to be imported. That said, singapore like all financial hubs is a service economy, not a manufacturing economy (which needs lot of domestic mineral prodution .. only known exceptions being Japan / SK).
As for singaporeans, themselves,.. they do enjoy a LOT of "welfare" benefits:
(contrary to what you said, before)
1. Only singaporeans can buy HDBs .. heavily subsidized.
2. Medical costs rip the foreigners - I went to an eye care hospital .. it said for the same doctor consultation, singaporeans to pay $25 .. PRs $90 .. foreigners $ 190 !!!
3. Buying property - more stamp duties for foreigners now -- so they remain locked into high rentals.
That apart, foreigners have to pay regular air tickets (with family) to the home country, a couple of times a year .. which singaporeans don't have to since, they have the home in singapore itself.
I know, if on the net basis, it doesn't work out for foreigners, they won't come anyways.
But it's up to the employers (in most cases European / US employers) to make good the deal, inspite of all these disadvantage to foreigners. It the deal isn't good .. I'd walk out. If singapore become even more costlier, the deal goes bad .. either the employer fills in with a higher salary or you move out for the next best deal available, around the world.
