Like what you said: Canada, the Oz and USA are big countries,
compare it with Singapore. Can we afford that kind of situation as
mentioned in your example, where a Chinese can live in China town
of San Francisco without the ability to speak and understand
English here in Singapore? That's why foreigners have to integrate
into our community.
Is there any statistic for the number of Singaporeans still
holding to their SG passports when they had lived in another
country for years? Not counting those living in exile for obvious
reasons.
Yes, we all feel proud to be citizens of Singapore but let's
face it PAP had opened the floodgates without control and label FTs
and FWs under one term "FTs"
Yes, there are FWs who are contributing to the local economy
doing jobs that nobody want to do. Note these are
FWs not FTs and the government kept justifying the influx of FWs by
hiding it under the term "FTs".
What are the jobs that nobody want to do? Let's take cleaner for
an example, shall we?
Sure you can employ a FW because it's assumed locals wouldn't
want to be one isn't it? But think about it, the government had
raised the age limit for one to retire isn't it? So what happened
to the elderly who are out of a job at their age? Some of them
would gladly take up the cleaner job as long as they have an income
isn't it?
So is being a cleaner a job that locals doesn't want or is it
assumed to be?
I remember an MP once said there was a problem in his ward about
a cleaner who is not performing well in his/her job and what did he
do? He hired a FW...I guess that said a lot of thing by his
action.
For your last point, our first language is English isn't it?
Unless you're telling me that PRC will only encounter Singaporean
Chinese for the rest of his/her life here, if not I hope he/she is
improving his/her English skills by taking a English language
course.
I'm okay with people who speak broken English provided it's
understandable.
Yes, in singapore we do need people to integrate, but we don't
expect the mandarin speaking chinese, the tamil speaking indian,
and the malays to integrate into one english speaking people whom
we think is the only type of singaporean.
Singapore is a multi racial, multi cultural, multi
religious, society, we should accept the difference. If you read
the opinions on the weightage on psle chinese in the lianhe zhaobao
and the straits times, you will see that there are still big
difference between opinion on the importance of mother tongue and
first language. I have gone past the argument on whether everybody
should speak english in singapore, or laughing at people who call
themselves chinese but don't know how to speak chinese.
Is there any statistic for the number of Singaporeans still
holding to their SG passports when they had lived in another
country for years? well, I don't have statistics. I get my
impression from people I met in these places, actually, after
talking to them, I concluded that singapore is still the best place
for me, hahahaha. ask the people who are overseas here! talk so
much but they themselves are also modern nomad, go where there is
greener grass.
the double standard is that these modern nomad landed
in america, they think they had gone to heaven, and start pointing
fingers at other nomad who landed in singapore. Hypocrite!
I won't want to debate with you on the FT issues, but I
also think that many who debate on this issue is taking a
simplistic approach by put the blame on the government, and
the FT of a particular ethnicity. We
forget about the role of the employers, the MNC, the foreign
companies, they are the one who want to employ the foreigners
instead of the locals, they are the one who apply to the
government to bring in this FT. You should also look
at the different industries, some industries like the construction
industries, they are really in need of workers, the
service industries are bringing in thousands of philippinos. Who
are the one who got laid off before 50s? the MNC. So, there is
a lot more to learn on this issue. those who just cpcb, waste
time.
have a good day.
