I refer to the article “Johor Baru’s transient homes for job seekers in Singapore” (Sunday Times, Jan 19).
Foreign “tourist” job seekers stay in JB?
It writes that some of the “tourists” are prospective maids and restaurant staff who had entered Singapore as tourists to look for work and then crossed over the border to Johor Baru to wait for their work permits to be issued.
All these to comply with the Manpower Ministry’s rules which state that non-Malaysians applying for work permits cannot be in Singapore while their permits are being processed.
The report then mentioned a Filipino, Janice (24) who was looking for work overseas as a tourist is against Philippine laws. Manila requires Filipinos to have confirmed job offers before leaving the country to ensure that they have been offered fair employment terms.”
Minister encouraged foreigners to come as tourists to look for jobs?
However, there was a news report in Straits Times. May 10. 2004 about the then Acting Manpower Minister encouraging foreigners to come as tourists to apply for jobs,
Dr Ng Eng Hen, Acting Minister for Manpower and Minister of State for Education said:
“What we want to do is disseminate some information to the workers before they come (here).”There is no need for you to part with your money before coming to Singapore. You can come on your own. We will supply you with a work permit. There is no fee for the work permit.”
When was the policy to “not be in Singapore” changed?
So, if the Acting Manpower Minister welcomed tourists to come to look for jobs and apply for work permits in 2004 – when was the policy changed such that “non-Malaysians applying for work permits cannot be in Singapore while their permits are being processed”?
Just go to JB then?
Isn’t this rule kind of ineffective because they can just go to stay in JB?
By the way, how long does it normally take to process a work permit application?
As to “Such affordable lodgings have also attracted Filipino professionals, who come to Singapore as tourists with hopes of securing a job here, The Straits Times reported last month.
Singapore allows foreign professionals to apply for jobs while on a tourist visa. But if they cannot find a job before their visa expires in a month, they will leave for JB to stay there for a few days and re-enter Singapore on a new tourist pass”
2 contradicting stories in a month?
This does not seem to gel with the article last month (Straits Times, 23 December) that “In Singapore, foreign professionals can apply for jobs while visiting. But the authorities “will not grant an extension of visit passes” if the job prospects are unclear, states the Manpower Ministry on its website”
The apparent discrepancy seems to be that in last month’s article – “the authorities “will not grant an extension of visit passes” if the job prospects are unclear, states the Manpower Ministry on its website” – but now in today’s article it says that “But if they (foreign professionals) cannot find a job before their visa expires in a month, they will leave for JB to stay there for a few days and re-enter Singapore on a new tourist pass”.
So, which of the 2 articles within less than a month of each other is correct? – must leave Singapore (to JB) when their visa expires if they still can’t find a job, or can apply for visa extension which will not be granted “if the job prospects are unclear”?
How many tourists are actually job seekers?
Finally, don’t you wonder how many of the million or so tourists every month are actually job seekers?
And how many Singaporeans have lost their jobs or had their wages depressed by such liberal foreign policies.
Are there any other countries that allow this to happen?
Uniquely Singapore!
By Leong Sze Hian
