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Business Times - 21 Aug 2006 NATIONAL DAY RALLY Let's Welcome Immigrants With A Big Heart Govt to step up efforts to draw all kinds of talent from abroad By Daniel Buenas (SINGAPORE) With a growing population essential to expanding Singapore's economy, the government has a triple strategy to boost the population - by maintaining strong links with Singaporean overseas, raising the birthrate, and promoting immigration. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last night outlined the government's approach during his National Day Rally speech, stressing the importance of a growing population with talents in every field. One of the government's key thrusts, he said, will be to encourage and attract more immigrants willing and able to contribute to Singapore. Just as other countries in the world have welcomed Singaporean talent, Singapore must do the same to boost its population and to develop a wider array of talent, he said. 'Just as we accept that Singaporeans have the world as their oyster, so too we must promote immigration here and let this be one of the options where talent from around the world will look for when they are considering where to go and live,' he said. This is why the government is establishing its new Citizenship and Population Unit - which will promote Singapore's immigration programme overseas. Immigration does not have to mean fewer jobs for Singaporeans, Mr Lee said. He gave as an example the case of Mustaq Ahmad, the founder of Little India's retail giant Mohamed Mustafa & Samsuddin Co - which employs about 1,000 Singaporeans. 'So people who think that if you have a foreigner come here he's taking away a Singaporean job, you're wrong,' he said. 'You get the right foreigner here, he creates thousands of jobs for Singaporeans.' Mr Lee said that even though Singaporeans should welcome immigrants, the immigrants themselves needed to 'make the effort' to fit in by participating in community events. He said Singapore was uniquely able to get people from many different national origins to integrate into its multireligious and multiracial society without losing touch with their roots, mother tongue or identity. The immigrants Singapore needs are not only graduates and professionals. Mr Lee said that the country should welcome 'all kinds of talent' - not just those with 'paper qualifications'. And the diversity which helps attract immigrants will also help the country to become even more cosmopolitan. Singaporeans need to welcome those who choose to move here, he said. 'There are things which we can do as a government in order to open our doors and bring immigrants in,' he said. 'But more importantly as a society, we as Singaporeans, each one of us, we have to welcome new immigrants.' Mr Lee acknowledged, however, that some Singaporeans continue to have reservations over bringing in immigrants, especially in relation to competition and over the way immigrants have not taken part in national service. 'I understand these concerns . . . but we have to take a big-hearted approach,' Mr Lee said. 'Even if the first generation is not completely Singaporean, the second generation growing up here will be, and will contribute to Singapore.' During his speech, Mr Lee also noted that the demand for Singaporean workers overseas has grown, and that many more Singaporeans across the entire spectrum of society are going abroad. He added that while the country must respect the choice of those who go abroad - and in fact encourage them to get overseas experience - he also hoped that they would return one day. This is why the government has set up the Overseas Singaporean Unit under the Prime Minister's Office: to engage Singaporeans living abroad and to keep them updated on events back home. And when these overseas Singaporeans decide to return, the unit will help them reintegrate by linking them up with job opportunities and finding schools for their children, he said. As part of this drive, the government is also planning an online portal, to be launched in Shanghai by Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the National Population Committee Wong Kan Seng. There are some 7,000 Singaporeans now living in Shanghai. Another area covered by Mr Lee last night was the importance of developing Singapore's 'heartware' - the emotional ties that will anchor Singaporeans to their country and what he called 'the key to keeping us Singaporean'. He highlighted the importance of keeping the Singapore story alive so that the country's future generations would 'understand the Singapore story, and how we got here', adding that parents and grandparents had their part to play in teaching this to their children and grandchildren. He said 'heartware' involved engaging and participating in 'shaping the character and life of' Singapore society, feeling passionately about some aspect of the country and getting together to do something for the community. 'It's not something which the government can force or direct, but we can foster it and we can allow it to happen,' he said. 'And when it happens, I think you can recognise it, and celebrate it.' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE DIGITAL AGE 'You put out a funny podcast, you talk about bak chor mee. I will say mee siam mai harm. Then we compete. Then what will I do? I will hire Jack Neo to be my National Day Rally adviser. It'll be a fun time, we will enjoy (ourselves) thoroughly, go home totally entertained. But is this the way to deal with serious issues? And the problem is, it won't stop with fun and games. You'll go to distortions, you'll go to half-truths, you'll go to untruths.' 'We cannot have a digital divide splitting Singaporeans: those who know and have computers from those who don't know and don't have.' 'Without IT, PSA would be out of business. Without IT, we wouldn't be a banking hub. Without IT, Changi Airport wouldn't be able to be a first-class airport. But with IT, we make the most of our talents and our brains. And with IT, we also become connected as a more participative society if we make the effort.' ON SINGAPORE'S POPULATION 'We have to promote our immigration programme overseas. Countries know, people know, Singapore. They no longer think Singapore is somewhere in China. They know Singapore is special, they even have heard of the 'little red dot'. But they don't know that Singapore is out looking for talent.' Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved. |