Government helps overseas S'poreans keep in touch
By Ng Baoying, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 21 July 2007 2045
hrs
SINGAPORE: More than 150,000 Singaporeans currently live abroad - a
number that is continually rising.
The government wants to make sure these Singaporeans remain
connected.
Singaporeans abroad can now turn to the freshly revamped Contact
Singapore website www.contactsingapore.com.sg to keep abreast of
news and developments, and for career opportunities.
Manpower Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen highlighted this at a conference
with overseas students and graduates, some of whom voiced concerns
about staying in touch.
He also said more platforms will be created to cater to diverse
needs.
"Because you have diverse needs, it cannot be a single platform. It
has to be multi-directional. We have to strengthen networks among
students, or business links, or to update overseas Singaporeans on
happenings through YouTube, Contact Singapore," said Dr Ng.
An example of one contact point is the recent Singapore day in New
York.
He noted its popularity, "On our part the government will put in
more effort to help overseas Singaporeans stay engaged. Singapore
day was held... some of you may have heard about this in New York
on 21st April, and it brought thousands of Singaporeans...I suspect
it was the food that brought [them] there."
A range of other issues were also raised, like Singapore's
relationship with ASEAN member countries, and the perceived
political apathy.
"Do we consider that political apathy or do we just narrowly define
political apathy as the lack of strident voices? We have to be
careful. The reality is that we have many people who are not
apathetic at all but choose to help their fellow Singaporeans in
their own way," said Dr Ng.
On relationships with ASEAN member countries, the Minister said
Singapore would always be ready to help in crisis times.
But Singapore will not give in just for the sake of goodwill.
"Our starting position is, we are custodians of Singapore's wealth.
It's not something that you can spend at your discretion. We should
base our relationships not on this so called abang adik
I'm bigger
brother, you're smaller brother, so smaller brother should pay
greater respects to bigger brother. I don't think that's a strong
basis to start any relationship," he says.
Relationships, he said, should be based on mutual respect and
openness. - CNA/yy