Mr Lee said: "Other countries are not only much larger than us, but have far deeper pools of talent than we have. We must make up for the shortage of Singaporean workers in our economy and the shortfall of babies in our population.
"Without an inflow, over time, our economy and society will lose vibrancy, our citizens will enjoy fewer opportunities and our shining red dot will grow dimmer."
Mr Lee acknowledged that Singaporeans' concerns about new immigrants - such as whether they change the ethos of society - are valid and need to be addressed. He made clear that the inflow will be controlled, and that only those who can contribute to Singapore will be brought in.
Mr Lee said: "I understand Singaporeans' concerns about taking in so many foreign workers and immigrants. Some of us wonder will it change the ethos of our society? Will it mean more competition for us at work or for our children in schools? Will the new arrivals strike roots here? Can they adjust to us, and we to them?"
He stressed: "We will make clear that citizens come first. After all, we are doing this for the sake of Singaporeans."
He encouraged Singaporeans to welcome foreigners here with an open heart.
(source: extracted from PM Lee's National Day message 2010)
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Instructions:
1) What is the impact of foreign talent in singapore? Is it a positive or negative one?
2) Share your experiences of working/interacting with foreigners in singapore.
1) They subsitute the manpower that we need. Right from the cleaners who clean our blocks to the people in the highest position, singapore is dependant on them for the economy to flourish. Yes, we singaporeans are playing a major role. However, as we are moving towards a cosmopolitan city and now we have come to a situation where everyone is seen as a global citizen, rather than a citizen of a particular country. So we need them and we should embrace them. On the other hand, they should also feel as though they are a part of the global world and not segregate themselves from us.
ReplyDelete2) I have a few neighbours who are from other countries. They are friendly and we interact with one another well. We don't see a difference in ourselves. Hence, I strongly believe that we should just be ourselves and embrace everyone as a human being and tap on each other's strengths to progress in our lives.
Alvin Ng(33) 2E3
ReplyDelete1)The impact of foreign talent in Singapore is a positive one.As Mr Lee also have said that other countries are not only much larger than us, but have far deeper pools of talent than we have.Mr Lee also said that without an inflow, over time, our economy and society will lose vibrancy, our citizens will enjoy fewer opportunities and our shining red dot will grow dimmer.
If Singapore were to have more foreign talent in Singapore,Singapore would have more pools of talent than the past.With even more foreign talent coming to Singapore,Singapore would not lose it vibrancy and the citizans of Singapore will enjoy more facilities and other opportunities and our shining red dot will of course grow brighter.Although foreign talent is a positive impact in Singapore,it would still be best if Singapore have our own talent.
Of course,in order to have a even better positive impact of foreign talent in Singapore,Singapore would have to welcome them and treat them as citizens of Singapore and not treat them as somone who is not welcome to Singapore.If that were to happen,that foreigner who have talent and is working in Singapore would feel lonely and feel that he made the wrong choice of coming to Singapore to help Singapore.Just because of that reason,they would no have the heart to do their best in working in Singapore and they may start to hate Singapore.
2)There are some experiences of working and interacting with foreigners in Singapore during my days in Primary School.When i was in Primary Two,i had a student in my class who was from Japan.He was a kind and caring guy.He treats his friends very good and alot of people in our class like to be with him.I still remember that during one of our Art lesson,one of his friend did not bring his colour pencil which is needed for that lesson,he asked alot of people to lend some colour pencil to him but no one wants to except for the Japan Student.He lend half of his colour pencil to that student and even said that if he needed more,he can ask him for more colour pencil.Hence,many people took advantage of his kindness and helpfullness.Both of us also became best friend because of people taking advantage of his kindness and helpfullness,it's because i hate people who take advantage of other people good point and use it for themself.When other people want to take advantage of him,i would help him.
In Primary 1,3 and 6,i had friends from China.They wear all kind and helpful.They also have talents than we don't have.One of them had art talents.She can draw really nice.There was one time when i sat beside her and she started tooking out a drawing block from her bag and started drawing somthing inside it.When i look at it,it was a drawing of a tree with birds and bird nest on it.When i looked at it,I could feel that she put in alot of feeling in it and put in alot of effort in it.She was also got the best art marks through the whole year.If only i can draw as good as her.Other than having art talents,she also had maths talent.Her math was also the top in our class.Her math work and working were all so neat and tidy.I was always weak in math and when i asked her for help in any math question,she would teach me till i understand that question.
We also have happy memories that we share =)....Although it have been a long time since i last saw them but i will still remember them.
We may never meet again,but we'll never forget each other.
1)For me, it is a negative impact towards foreign talent. i think that the foreigners who're in singapore are subtitutes to singaporeans in the working insdustry. If you realise most of the workers(be it cleaners, sales assistant or etc) are foreigners. most sales assistants are foreigners which i don't get it why them? they don't speak english very well and some of them don't even know how to speak english. Although, foreigners are of cheap labour, the employers of companies of any industry should hire people who know how to speak english so that they can communicate very well with the other customers. Now, foreigners are all getting hired making the mojority of singaporeans jobless. in conclusion, i am not a fan of foreign talent in anyways. no offence.
ReplyDelete2) i had a classmate in primary school who's from korea. She's a very nice girl whom also became one of my goodfriend. i may or may not befriend a foreigner under few cicumstances. i'm a bit choosy in this but that's just the way i am although i know i have to work with everybody to create a great society!
Cheryl phoa(09) 2E3
ReplyDelete1)I think there are too many foreigners living and working in Singapore nowadays.For example,in food court the food-seller mostly came from China.Their culinary skills for cooking is only moderate! Why is Singapore employing them when we could easily get our own people!
Foreigners have different cultures, habits and behavior which were different from Singaporean.
I felt that opening doors to these foreigners will cause short-term and long term social problems. These people may have talented skills and technologies and knowledge by employing them however may create a threat to Singaporeans.
You may think that these people may eventually assimilate into our society .How long do you think they take and their willingness to adopt to our country?
I believed that these foreign workers are cheaper to hire and moreover they are willing to work overtime compare to local. Thus, more employer are willing to employ these foreigners was one of the reason many foreigner coming in.
2)I do not really discriminate these foreigners. I do encountered an experienced myself with these people in a lift on a few occasions. I took a lift down and stopped at the six floor . Seeing that nobody came in I, I pressed the lift button and suddenly these two foreigner rushed in and do frightened me . And when the lift stopped at the ground floor, they pushed me aside to their way out I was not blocking their way!
Dennis Chea(18)
ReplyDelete1)For me, it is a negative impact towards foreign talent.As more and more workers are from China now. Foreigners are all getting hired making the majority of singaporeans jobless. Although China workers are cheap,most of them do not learn English.
2)One time, me and my family was eating in a restaurant. A china man came to take our drinks order.My father told him lime juice, instead he gave my father lemon juice!
1) In my opinion , Singapore has too many foreigners . Everywhere you go , you can hear people with thick accents speaking , and most of the time we won't even understand them .
ReplyDeleteYes , they might be more talented , but now that foreigners are hired , what about Singaporeans ? More time would be spent on grooming the foreign talents and soon , lots of singaporeans would be out of jobs .
Even if they're hired , I think that they should at least be trained to speak English , as mojority of Singaporean speaks English . Imagine yourself as an American walking in to kopitiam ordering food & drinks with a chinese(china-man) serving you . Would you be able to comprehend them ? No . Personally , I don't think that it is good for Singapore's image as well .
I do not descriminate foreigners but I think they should at least learn some manners , as this is Singapore , not their own countries . This would led me to point two .
2) As there are many foreigners in Singapore , it is of no surprise that I've came in contact with a few .
While I was on the way to school one morning on a bus , the bus suddenly jerked . The reason ? A man , probably from Bangadesh (NO OFFENCE) , who was on a bicycle just suddenly rode out onto the road . Obviously , it was his fault but he continued to shout abuses at the bus driver . Maybe it is okay for this to happen in their country , but certainly , it is not in Singapore . In addition , Singapore used to be safe , and a murder or robbery would hit the headlines . Now ? Many murders and robberies happened - mostly done by foreigners . Singapore is not that safe anymore .
Not only that , many times , at the food court , foreigners would often bring my family and I the wrong type of food/drinks , rather than the one we ordered because they cannot understand us in chinese . This is extremly upsetting as , instead of apologizing , they would reprimand us for not being clear ? Is it our fault ? No , probably not .
However , even after having said all these , there are still many positive things about them .
During my primary school days , there are many foreigners in my school , and it often conducts exchange programmes too . I think that many of them are simply friendly and they really had interesting stories to tell about their countries .
There was a girl who told me the story behind the Great Wall of China . Before that , I thought that it was just another wall built by morden technology , but now I know the tragic story behind it .
To briefly sum up my sentiments , I think that we should have a moderated number of foreigners in Singapore , so that as well as having talents , we would not leave Singaporeans jobless as well .
guys & girls, it is a pleasure reading your comments:)))
ReplyDelete@regine: it is a great opportunity for me to read your experience. You've had so many experiences with people from other countries. It all leads you to have more exposure and to be a well-educated, wise lady! Everything is an learning experience for us! Nice to hear that you learn the tragic story of the great wall of china from another friend. Friends from other countries indeed inspire us in one way or another.:))
1)I can't really say if its considered positive or negative as foreigners coming into Singapore could be both a good news and bad news for Singaporeans.Its considered bad news by MOST of us, as they see more negative than positive in foreigners.Eg of negatives are:more competition for jobs and children's education.Eg of positive is :If they are talented, they could do Singapore proud,increase our talent pool,and so on..Most of the foreigners actually have difficulty undrestanding english,what more Singlish.In fact, Singaporeans also hardly understand their foreign accents..I wish they got their basic english right b'4 joinin S'pore, as there would be difficulty in communications..
ReplyDelete2)I go to this chinese tuition center in Bugis that all teachers are from China.I find that other than their accent in speaking or their looks, there seems to be nothing more that differentiates them from the other teachers from Sinngapore.
I was at a noodle store, and the person who woz serving is a chinese(china) lady. there was a vietnamese(i tink) lady trying to order fried fish. The Chinese did not understand the english she was speakin, while the Vietnamese did not understand the chinese who was trying to speak english. It started sounding like a duck and a chicken*No Offence* trying to hav a impossible(in their case) conversation. So I had to jump in to be their translator...
Megan T.S.Y
1. To me, it's a positive one. Having more foreign talent in Singapore, Singapore will have more bigger talent pool. And the foreigners who works here to have a higher payment for their family back home, is an advantages. And foreigners can also make Singapore proud. For example Li Jia Wei, she isn't Singaporean, maybe back in China, she wasn't famous as now, because China was a big country, and you'll have to be very, and I'm mean VERY capable to achieve something. But after she came to Singapore, she won many competitions for Singapore, and it made Singapore proud. That's why I think it's a positive one.
ReplyDelete2. I have a chinese private tutor, she's from China, and whenever I'm in need of help for Chinese, I would ask her. And her explanation was great, even though she can't fluently speak English. Even though she's a Chinese Tutor, I would ask her for help in Maths too, and she'll help me understand Maths and Chinese better, because of her, my grades are improving. Without the help from her, my maths' assignment wouldn't be completed. :)
-Belinda
darrel loves foreign talent an lynett
ReplyDeletemarcus is a box head
ReplyDelete