Singapore is making attempts to woo overseas Singaporeans back to contribute their talents and skills to our country ("Govt taps recruiters to lure overseas S'poreans home"; March 3).
For the attempts to be successful, Singapore must be seen and felt as a place that is better than the citizens' current country of residence.
First, we must treat those who return like any other Singaporean. These people are likely more well-educated and thus will be holding higher-paying jobs on their return.
We must not consider them elites and be envious of them. This envy will inevitably cause resentment towards them, discouraging other overseas Singaporeans from coming home.
Second, we must ensure that our nation is a destination with good job opportunities for Singaporeans in order to encourage them to make that move.
After settling down in a new country, it is a great sacrifice to be uprooted once again to adjust to life here.
With these two moves, not only can we attract Singaporeans working overseas to come back, but we can also encourage local students studying in foreign universities to return to Singapore to work upon their graduation.
Otherwise, these adventurous youngsters, keen to have new experiences, might find employment in a foreign land and remain there forever.
Yeo Boon Eng (Ms)
*Article first appeared on ST Forums (13 March 2014)
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FOCUS ON KEEPING SINGAPOREANS AT HOME
If there is any kelong fishermen left on the shores of Singapore today, he will tell you during an event of a net split, it is wiser to mend the net than chase after lost fishes. For a stitch in time saves nine. Singapore will attain much more by focusing on keeping their talents than to lure back departed ones.
For attempts to be successful, we must understand while ex-Singaporeans are attracted to better job opportunities overseas, there were many who sacrificed their fine careers in Singapore for a modest job but a more fulfilling lifestyle overseas, as an exchange. Thus, Singapore must treat its citizens well to keep them from leaving.
First, we need a paradigm shift and believe in the merits of a work/life balance environment. We must believe a happy, fulfilled worker, not an over-worked one, produces the best work with efficiency. We have to stop treating a worker as an economic unit.
Second, we must create a pro-family culture that offers Singaporeans a deep sense of rootedness, to assure them that Singapore is only place to they want to be to raise their children, to work, play, live and grow old with.
With these two moves, not only we can retain Singaporeans, we may even persuade overseas Singaporeans to reconsider a move back.
asingaporeanson (Mr)
*Article first appeared on asingaporeanson.blogspot.com (13 March 2014)
I totally agree with your viewpoint. People don't just uproot themselves from their home and go away. Ms Yeo's idea of luring departed Singaporeans back doesn't look into why they left in the first place.
ReplyDeleteFOCUS ON SENDING SINGAPOREANS TO SPACE
ReplyDeleteThe government is wasting time and money trying to woo overseas Singaporeans back to Singapore, and trying to prevent mass emigration of the remaining few tru e-blue Singaporeans from their country of birth. This is the 21st century. The space race began in the 20th century with the USSR and USA leading the pack, and a decade into this new century the world's most populous country PRC is also making headway into space. The final frontier.
What of Singapore? In our quest to be the number 1 in everything, have we forgotten space? We, too, should go where no man has gone before. Nay, we should be the number 1 in colonising the Moon; just as our ancestors from China, India and the West colonised Temasek.
First, we need to consider that Singaporeans are expendable. They are fast disappearing anyway. It no longer matters if they become extinct, as the existence and longevity of the country is already assured by the mass import of foreigners to replace Singaporeans. In fact, it may be better for Singaporeans to totally vacate the land and free up space for the new arrivals.
Second, we must create spaceships. Perhaps, instead of throwing money into more bad investments, the billions being wasted by Temasek and GIC could be better spent building Star cruisers. Then using the same principles of brainwashing Singaporeans into believing 2 children or few were enough as was practiced in the 1970s, they can now be brainwashed into registering for one way trips to outer space.
With these two moves, not only can we get rid of Singaporeans altogether, we may even eradicate kiasuism and kiasism from Singapore.
sgtshirts 8-)
*Article first appeared on asingaporeanson.blogspot.com comments section (13 March 2014)
I agree with sgtshirts.
DeleteWith the rising sea levels thanks to global warming, the survival of the "memory of a country called Singapore" is better served by the government spending money to send its citizens out of Singapore instead of keeping them at home. Change your negotiation objectives, make it easier for your citizens to emigrate/work abroad or even in space -- the final frontier.
See how it has worked for The Philippines.
http://csis.org/blog/remittances-philippines-snapshot-global-trend
"...in the Philippines, whose number one export is people; it is estimated that 11 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are spread throughout the world. In 2006, over 15 billion dollars in remittances flowed into the Philippines, comprising 13% of the GDP. ... The OFWs are comprised of workers both educated and uneducated, skilled and unskilled, but all share the path of seeking jobs abroad in hopes of providing for loved ones back home." -- quote
CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies), Washington, USA
There are so many negative things about the current singapore that only third world desparadoes will want to go there.
ReplyDeleteVi H. Not just 3rd world desperados. Rich expats (anton casey) and people who are only keen to make a bountiful harvest before packing their bags come here to drive the locals out of jobs. I don't understand, and I really don't get it. Why won't the government protect its own people? And why are our own people persisting in the mistake of electing such a government to power? Wake up, Singaporeans. If not for yourselves, wake up for your kids.
ReplyDeleteWhen people here in B.C. Canada asks me about working in Singapore, I usually tell them that it is a great place to "WORK HARD for a few years to make money if you can get a highly-paid job" (much like the Canadian North); "not a great place to live if you do not have option of moving another country thereafter".
DeleteYes, so I do encourage foreign talents to work on Singapore shores for a short-term if they can get a good package. Don't say I never help the cheap-o Singapore government to increase its talent pool. :p
Ms Yeo's point of argument is strange in the very least:
ReplyDelete"For the attempts to be successful, Singapore must be seen and felt as a place that is better than the citizens' current country of residence."
BUT
"First, we must treat those who return like any other Singaporean. These people are likely more well-educated and thus will be holding higher-paying jobs on their return."
So... they will be earning Singapore wages and not Expat. In other words, they will be earning less than overseas.
"We must not consider them elites and be envious of them. This envy will inevitably cause resentment towards them, discouraging other overseas Singaporeans from coming home."
So... you treat them like any Singaporeans, as good as you treat them BEFORE they left. Hmmmm.
"Second, we must ensure that our nation is a destination with good job opportunities for Singaporeans in order to encourage them to make that move."
Pointless sentence, considering that no one will leave a secure well-paid job in one country for another country without a confirmed job offer UNLESS there are personal reasons involved (family/ stress etc).
"After settling down in a new country, it is a great sacrifice to be uprooted once again to adjust to life here."
Especially when the civil servants ask a hundred and one pointless questions when you try to re-register yourself to various boards.
"With these two moves, not only can we attract Singaporeans working overseas to come back, but we can also encourage local students studying in foreign universities to return to Singapore to work upon their graduation.
Otherwise, these adventurous youngsters, keen to have new experiences, might find employment in a foreign land and remain there forever."
Incredible! The point of going overseas in addition to getting education not available to them at home, is to gain overseas experience in dealing with cross cultural and international networks.
I wonder if Ms Yeo ever experienced overseas life other than touring
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever wondered why Singaporeans are going overseas to work? It is because they are unable to find a job let alone a good paying job here locally. So they bring along their talent to where it is very much needed and recognized.
ReplyDeleteI have lots of friends who worked overseas and envied them. Sure there are expatriate perks when working overseas like allowances. Their basic pay, with some exception, is not much more then they earn whilst working in Singapore. But financially wise, they are better off than those working here in Singapore. This because the cost of living overseas are lesser than here in Singapore. Hence theier savings are a lot more than they are able to do whilst working in Singapore. This is relative to the fact that we do see the likes of Indonesians and PRCs in particular for discussion sake, is able to pay properties that they purchase here in Singapore all with their cash savings. This is because due to the low cost of living in Indonesia, they are blessed with the higher amount of cash disposable income which is estimated to be around 60-70% of their total income. It is not that they are earning more than any Singaporeans. It is less if not equivalent to what a normal Singaporeans earns per annum. Whereas, with the local Singaporean who has no where except to remain here are with cash disposable income of approximately 16%. How much more savings can a Singaporean achieve?
I guess you get my point here.
No want is indispensable if we not happy here we can move to other place
ReplyDelete