TR EMERITUS

Written by Our Correspondent An economist and associate professor from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Dr Tan Khee Giap has lashed out at Singaporeans for complaining about foreigners taking away their jobs. Echoing PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew's views that Singaporeans are "champion grumblers", Dr Tan claimed that Singaporeans are "protesting too much" at a roundtable session at the Tax Academy of Singapore's annual Budget seminar yesterday. He told the audience presence that figures last year showed that about three out of ten job vacancies had been unfilled for at least six months which implied that Sinagporeans are turning away the jobs. Dr Tan did not provide any explanation as to why the unfilled jobs are not accepted by Singaporeans. Perhaps the pay is too low and the working hours are too long. The PAP and the state media have been busy trying to portray Singaporeans are being "fussy" in job application to deflect blame from their discriminatory labor polices which favor the foreigners. In the last few weeks alone, the Temasek Review has published job advertisements put up by companies based in Singapore seeking foreigners for positions which can otherwise be filled by Singaporeans. Dr Tan accused some Singaporeans of being "voluntarily unemployed" and suggested that "every resident worker who is unemployed for more than three months should be made to register with the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), which will have to help him find a job based on his last drawn pay." "The WDA can then track how many times each unemployed person turns down a job - much like the statistics the Housing Board recently revealed of new flat buyers turning down flat options," he was quoted as saying in the Straits Times. He believes that WDA rejection rate will be "fairly high" without substantiating his statements and that this will "quash the perception there are not enough jobs to go around for Singaporeans." "WDA should work actively to help citizens get jobs. When these people turn down jobs once, twice, three times, the Government then doesn't have to make apologies about bringing in foreign workers," he added. Being an economist by training, it is appalling that Dr Tan is not aware of the basic fact that having jobs alone is not enough - the jobs must pay reasonably well to ensure a decent standard of living for Singapore workers. The PAP has opened the floodgates to foreign workers without putting in adequate measures to safeguard the interests of Singaporeans. It is impossible to expect Singaporeans to compete directly with the cheaper foreigners while remaining "cheaper, better and faster" at the same time. Despite recent promises made by PAP leaders to "slow" the inflow of foreigners to placate angry Singaporeans, Dr Tan continues to call for foreign workers to spur Singapore's growth: "Foreign workers, while unpopular, are necessary for Singapore's growth, which may not be able to rise on higher productivity alone. This is especially so as the Government has been spending more than it earns - for instance, on help for the needy - and running budget deficits for a number of years now," Dr Tan said. According to a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, the relentless influx of foreign workers in recent years has depressed the ordinary wages of Singaporeans, increased the cost of living and led to an overall decline in the standards of living. It is pretty obvious that there will not be any major overhaul of the PAP's disastrous liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies so long it remains in power. Unless Singaporeans reclaim their rights as citizens of their country and vote out the despotic PAP regime in the next general election, they will soon be relegated to second class minorities in their own homeland with the males having to serve two years of National Service to protect the lives and wealth of the PAP elites and the immigrants.  Read More →

By Fiona Chan from Straits Times SINGAPOREANS who complain about foreigners taking away their jobs may be protesting too much, a well-known Singapore economist has said. Dr Tan Khee Giap, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, yesterday cited figures showing that as of last September, about three out of 10 job vacancies - or 10,140 openings - had been unfilled for at least six months. This was roughly the same level as the year before and implies that Singaporeans are turning their noses up at some jobs, he said at a seminar on Budget 2010. To verify this 'voluntary unemployment', he suggested that every resident worker who is unemployed for more than three months should be made to register with the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), which will have to help him find a job based on his last drawn pay. Read rest of article here  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent An obviously frustrated Singaporean by the name of Tan Hong Ngan has written to the Straits Times Forum today protesting against the GRC system which has denied many Singaporeans the basic human right of choosing one's leaders. Since the GRC was introduced in 1988, the number of walkovers has increased steadily as the opposition is unable to muster enough resources and candidates to contest in all seats. In 2001, less than half the number of seats were contested thereby giving the ruling PAP a victory on nomination day. He felt that "having gone through GRC elections for the past 20-odd years, many Singaporeans have been sidelined in walkover wards." The GRC system enables new PAP candidates to enter Parliament either through the "backdoor" or riding on the coat-tails of heavy-weight ministers resulting in the lackluster performance of some MPs presently who do not deserve to be in Parliament in the first place. Though it was initially set up to ensure minority representation, the system was increasingly abused by the PAP to perpetuate its political hegemony. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong admitted himself that without the GRC system to "guarantee" new candidates of an electoral victory, the PAP may find it difficult to recruit talented people to stand for elections under its banner. Mr Tan floated an idea which has been on the minds of many Singaporeans as well: do away with the walkovers. "I suggest no more walkovers. If only one party stands in a GRC, the poll should still be carried out. The lone party must win enough votes to secure the parliamentary seat," he wrote. Mr Tan also proposed that if the sole contestant fails to secure more than 50 percent of the votes, a second round of voting must be called. PAP leaders have always claimed that the opposition dare not contest in certain GRCs because they know they will lose there due to the "strong support" the residents have shown to the PAP and by default, they have "won" the GRC. Though the date of the next election has not been announced yet, a mini election fever has gripped the nation especially in cyberspace. Many Singaporeans are yearning for the election to arrive soon to cast their votes against the PAP which has becoming increasingly unpopular in recent months due to its unfair and discriminatory policies against native Singaporeans. In the meantime, a Facebook group has been set up for all Singaporeans who want to have a chance to vote: "This group is for all Singaporeans who care about the place we call home. We are the world's only advanced economy where huge sections of the population have not had the chance to vote. And it's a shame. It is time to see real political competition in Singapore, because we want the best and only the best to represent us in Parliament. We want people who truly deserve that S$13,000 monthly allowance for MPs to speak up for us in Parliament." In the past, Singaporeans trust the PAP to select the "best" to represent them. It appears that the trust has now been destroyed by the disastrous performance of some PAP ministers and MPs who were "voted" into Parliament during the last general election.   EDITORS’ NOTE: Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so and help us exceed the number of fans on the official YPAP Facebook page.  Read More →