• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Lim Swee Say now cautions against the influx of FWs

by Andrew Loh
03/06/2015
in Current Affairs
Reading Time: 2 mins read
15
Straits Times, 3 June 2015
Straits Times, 3 June 2015

Minister for Manpower (MOM), Lim Swee Say, has dismissed calls by businesses for the government to relax its foreign labour policies in order to allow more foreign workers into Singapore.

Mr Lim was reported to have said that there is “no turning back” on the government’s tightening of such policies.

“We have reached a point of no return,” Mr Lim , who is the former chief of the NTUC, said. “If they (the companies) keep hoping that the Ministry of Manpower will revisit our policy on foreign workers to treat them special, give them higher quotas and so on, that is not possible.”

Further relaxation would mean Singaporeans will be outnumbered by foreign workers, he said.

The ratio of locals to foreign workers has been going down over the years – from 4:1 to the current 2:1.

“We cannot afford to continue to adopt a more liberal policy towards taking in foreign manpower,” the minister said. “If we continue to do so, the ratio of local workers versus foreign manpower will continue to decline. As mentioned, from 4:1, 3:1 to 2:1 and in the near future, if we continue this path, it’ll be 1:1. And beyond that, one day Singaporeans will wake up to find ourselves a minority in the Singapore workforce and obviously, that’s not sustainable, that’s not desirable. So asking the Ministry of Manpower to give them an increased foreign worker quota, that is not viable.”

Mr Lim seems to have changed his views on the influx of foreign manpower.

In 2010, he was reported to have welcome the influx and that this was “good” for Singapore.

A Straits Times report in July 2010 reported Mr Lim as having said the “influx of more than 100,000 foreign workers [that year] shows the strength of job creation in Singapore and is not cause for concern.”

“It’s a good sign, because it shows that at a time when many countries are having a shortage of jobs, we are having a shortage of workers,” the then NTUC chief was quoted as saying.

LSSquote

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Million-dollar overpayments made by various ministries, public agencies highlighted in sampled audit by Auditor-General Office amongst various lapses
International

Singapore ranked least corrupt country in Asia, fifth in the world

31/01/2023
China angered by new Czech president’s Taiwan call
AFP

China angered by new Czech president’s Taiwan call

31/01/2023
过去五年  四成上班族曾遭性骚扰!仅30%受害者举报
Crime

Grassroots leader jailed for duping fellow volunteers to engage services from his own wife and firm

31/01/2023
Myanmar junta prepares for poll, raising fears of more bloodshed
AFP

Myanmar junta prepares for poll, raising fears of more bloodshed

31/01/2023
US tells vaccinated people in high COVID risk areas to mask again
AFP

White House says US COVID emergency status to end 11 May

31/01/2023
Editorial

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

31/01/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
15 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Million-dollar overpayments made by various ministries, public agencies highlighted in sampled audit by Auditor-General Office amongst various lapses

Singapore ranked least corrupt country in Asia, fifth in the world

31/01/2023
China angered by new Czech president’s Taiwan call

China angered by new Czech president’s Taiwan call

31/01/2023
过去五年  四成上班族曾遭性骚扰!仅30%受害者举报

Grassroots leader jailed for duping fellow volunteers to engage services from his own wife and firm

31/01/2023
Myanmar junta prepares for poll, raising fears of more bloodshed

Myanmar junta prepares for poll, raising fears of more bloodshed

31/01/2023
US tells vaccinated people in high COVID risk areas to mask again

White House says US COVID emergency status to end 11 May

31/01/2023

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

31/01/2023
258 BTO flats and 168 resale flats returned to HDB due to non-fulfillment of Minimum Occupation Period

Desmond Lee files Ministerial Motion to affirm commitment on affordable public housing in Singapore

31/01/2023
Keppel O&M’s involvement in Brazil’s massive corruption scandal

Keppel Offshore & Marine paid fines and damages of US$65 million to Brazilian authorities over corruption case

30/01/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
16

...

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
41

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
28

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
59

...

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

by The Online Citizen
26/01/2023
49

...

June 2015
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
« May   Jul »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz