April 19th, 2011 - Temasek Review
Singaporeans Netizens have expressed outrage following
The Temasek Review’s (TR) report about the largest recruitment
drive in Shanghai by Contact Singapore (a Singapore Government
entity formed by the Singapore Economic Development Board and
Ministry of Manpower – which aims to attract “global talent”
to work, invest and live in Singapore).
Annoyed Netizens were questioning the need for Contact
Singapore to visit Shanghai to recruit “talents” to fill those
200 over positions (on behalf of Singapore companies) when
those positions could easily be filled by Singaporeans. It
is not as if the companies were recruiting Nobel Laureates or
top financial wizards.
One of TR’s correspondent working in Shanghai volunteered to
visit the fair which was held on Sunday, 17th April, from morning
to noon. The morning session focused on the electronic industry
while the afternoon focused on the service and finance
industries.
According to our correspondent who went in the morning to catch
the action, the fair was held in the grand ballroom of Langham
Hotel which is an upmarket five-star hotel located at Xintiandi, an
affluent shopping, eating and entertainment district of
Shanghai.
He observed that most applicants were pre-registered. There were
nine Singapore-based MNCs and Singapore local companies
participating in the fair. Some of the participating companies
included Panasonic Asia Pacific, MediaTek, UniConnect, DBS Bank,
OCBC, UOB, Far East Organization and others.
Most of the companies were observed to have tables with staff
manning and answering questions. Companies also took turns to give
“recruitment talks” inside the auditorium.
So, is Contact Singapore trying to recruit overseas Singaporeans
to come back home and fill those positions?
Our correspondent rebuked, “No. This fair is
NOT to recruit Singaporeans. The room was packed.
I reckoned there were few hundred applicants, mostly in their early
twenties. All were Ah Tiongs (nickname for Chinese
nationals) and I’m pretty sure I’m the only Singaporean, at
least when I was there in the morning.”
The occasion was described as “grandiose”. There were free flow
of refreshments served by waiters and waitresses, which irked our
ocorrespondent, “I wonder whether our government provides this type
of five-star service to help our graduating students and out-of-job
PMETs to get jobs or not?”
“Something is definitely very wrong with our policy. Why such
efforts to recruit foreigners when most of these vacancies can be
filled by Singaporeans?”, he added. “Furthermore, the five-star
reception for the foreign job seekers really pissed me off. I am
sure no such reception was ever extended to our own graduating
students and unemployed PMETs. Who is paying for all these?
Singapore taxpayers?”
He also questioned the purpose of Contact Singapore, “I thought
Contact Singapore (funded by the taxpayers) is a platform
for Singaporeans to keep in contact with Singapore and wanting to
come back to work in Singapore. Why is it in the business of
recruiting foreigners to work in Singapore?”
At a TV forum on 12 Apr, PM Lee said that the Government is
controlling the inflow of foreigners and watching them “carefully”
on their impact to Singapore.
Five days later, they decided to have the largest recruitment
drive for foreigners in Shanghai. Looks like the Government still
thinks Singapore does not have enough foreigners and we have room
to import a lot more.
Richard
[Related]:
* http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/04/13/why-is-contact-singapore-encouraging-singapore-companies-to-recruit-foreigners/
* http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/04/12/新加坡在上海最大规模招聘-singapore-conduct-largest-recruitment-drive-in-shanghai/
Free flow of refreshments served to foreign job seekers
Job seekers were mostly PRCs in their 20s
The room was packed with few hundred people
Waiters serving PRC job seekers in 5-star hotel