When I Was Young

What do I say about this?

That in the past… (1) Locals can be so choosy in their jobs, (2) Anytime they don't like anything in their current job, they can quit, (3) They are so spoiled in that they can easily find a new job right after quitting from the previous one, (4) They can demand for their salary, (5) They don't like getting barked at or 'coerced', or 'pushed' in their jobs, (6) Anytime they feel they are the underdog, they quit! And finally, (7) Locals are so arrogant that they are afraid to 'lose face' – they don't take jobs that are low-down, dirt-level, and menial – especially the service sectors.

With the influx of foreign workers, and mostly workers who will work their bones out no matter what, and remain in their jobs no matter what, this posed a 'great distress' to the locals' arrogance and self-conceit: many talented and persevering foreigners can do the job at a lower pay, with none or less complaints, more compliance than murmuring, security to the employer with less turnover, better output due to better skills, less cost with less trainings needed for new employees every now and then… name it – they don't have it!

This is my view. My opinion. And again, it is based on my experience and observation. They are threatened, but wake them up by what they fear most: doing the low-down, dirt-level, menial and 'serving-others' job, and they'll keep mum and whimper like a beaten dog that will go away with its tail between its legs.

It is more of a culture than a personal trait… born to be arrogant… proud… NOT ALL, but most… and cannot even deliver!

Anyway, if this should come, let it be. They will rule their country in a way that they deem best – for their countrymen.

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Should Singapore tighten its "liberal" foreign worker policies? Some Members of Parliament think so and have called for a Government review.

Jurong MP Halimah Yacob urged for a review of foreign worker quotas to reflect today's situation of higher unemployment and weaker job creation. She warned of a "hollowing out of skills" among locals, should large numbers of foreigners occupy jobs in a particular sector.

"There are now so many foreign workers even in the services sector that Singaporeans are beginning to feel squeezed out," she said. For their part, Singaporeans must be prepared to work in new sectors or work further away from home.

Ang Mo Kio MP Inderjit Singh believes Singapore needs more pro-active measures such as a minimum-wage system to make some jobs more attractive to locals — a call the Opposition has made in the past — as well as reserving certain jobs for Singaporeans.

Middle- and lower-income groups here will be worse off over time with the current liberal policies due to "artificially depressed" wages — a result of "competition for low value-added jobs from foreigners", he said. NEO CHAI CHIN

From TODAYOnline.com, Top News – Tuesday, 26-May-2009; see the source article here.