Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
SOCIAL SECURITY COUNCIL Learning Outcomes Students should be aware of the importance of multiculturalism in Singapore’s context and how care must be taken to preserve the social fabric. The discussion will centre on the need to protect Singapore’s social cohesion in the midst of heightened worldwide and regional tensions along racial and religious fault lines and increasing radicalism.
[Topic 1: A discussion of the Reserved Presidential Election]
Introduction Singapore is a multiracial society with different races coexisting in peace. Table 11 shows the make-up of ethnic groups in Singapore
1 "STATISTICS SINGAPORE - Population Trends 2017 - SingStat." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.singstat.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document- library/publications/publications_and_papers/population_and_population_structure/population2017.pdf.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
With such a diversity of races, the interests of minority and equal representation is paramount to ensure races can live in harmony.2
The President of Singapore is the Head of State and symbol of the nation. Tasked3 with representing all Singaporeans on the global stage and maintaining healthy bilateral relationships with other countries, the President is more than just a figurehead.
The President also serves as the financial backbone of the country as he/she holds the key to the reserves of the country and the right to veto national reserves expenditure.
For such an important job, Singapore needs to ensure the President elect is the most suitable for the job. Thus, certain qualifications have to be met before potential candidates can run for presidency. These guidelines ensure the candidates are experienced in dealing with large amount of reserves and ties in strongly with
Singapore’s long-held belief in meritocracy.
However, concerns of insufficient representation of minority groups due to the racial background of past Presidents led to the implementation of reserved presidency. As seen in the table below, Singapore has not elected a Malay President since 1971.
2 "To preserve social harmony, Singapore has racial requirements for its ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. https://qz.com/908967/to-preserve-social-harmony-singapore-has-racial-requirements-for-its-next- president/. 3 "Roles and Responsibilities | The Istana." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.istana.gov.sg/roles- and-responsibilities.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
Past Presidents’ Tenure 4 1971- 1981 Benjamin Henry Sheares Eurasian
1981-1985 Chengara Veetil Devan Nair Indian
1985-1993 Wee Kim Wee Indian
1993-1999 Ong Teng Cheong Chinese
1999-2011 Sellapan Ramanathan (S.R. Indian Nathan)
2011-2017 Tony Tan Keng Yam Chinese
2017-present Halimah Yacob Malay
Oxford Research shows that racial minorities who remain politically inactive usually use controversial forms of political actions and show greater support for oppositions parties to promote their political interests.5 Thus, it is important to ensure that the minority races are politically active so as to maintain peace and stability in the country.
Under the new system implemented 1 April 2017, the Presidential Election is reserved for a community in Singapore if no one from that community has been President for any of the five most recent terms of office of the President. There are 4 communities namely, Chinese, Malay, Indian, Other minority communities6.
4 "Past and present leaders of Singapore | Infopedia - NLB eResources." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_139_2005-01-19.html. 5 "Race, Ethnicity, and Political Behavior - Oxford Research ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://politics.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228637-e- 238. 6 "Singapore Elections Department - Presidential Elections." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.eld.gov.sg/elections_presidential.html.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
This move has sparked controversy and questions over its effect on racial harmony and meritocracy. Has the new system, which is aimed at ensuring multi-racial representation in the Presidency impinged on meritocracy? Does the new system promote racial harmony?
Historical background Before Singapore gained independence from Malaysia, it had a Yang-di Pertuan
Negara or Head of State. In 1965, after its separation from the Federation of Malaysia, the Republic of Singapore replaced the office of Yang-di Pertuan Negara with that of a
President. The Constitution was amended and the title of the “Head of State” was changed to “President”. Before 1993, the President was elected by the Parliament. The
President had limited powers, which allowed him/her to appoint the Prime Minister,
Ministers and to dissolve the Parliament. From 1965 to 1993, Parliament sought ways to change the rules governing the powers of the President to suit the needs of a young, developing nation. The diversity of ethnicities in Singapore, the political leadership of Mr
Lee Kuan Yew and the personalities of our Presidents during that period were some factors that shaped the evolution of the office of our President. 7
After two White Papers, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No
3) Bill to provide for an elected President was tabled in Parliament on 4 October 1990 and passed on 3rd January 1991. 8
7 Managing Political Change in Singapore: The Elected Presidency - pages 9 and 10 8 "White Paper on the Elected President scheme is ... - NLB eResources." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/daaeb1c5-ce75-420f-a26c-37378bb70461.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
In 1991, the legislation for Elected Presidency was passed. The amended powers allowed the President to veto key civil appointments and the use of the country’s reserves. The powers of an Elected President was first exercised by the then President
Wee Kim Wee. Our first Elected President was Mr Ong Teng Cheong, a former cabinet minister, who took office in 1993. 9
After the Elected Presidency policy, Singapore has passed the legislation for the
Reserved Presidential Election. The Reserved Presidential Election is a step towards building a stronger multiracial society. When talking about his motivations for the
Reserved Presidency, PM Lee Hsien Loong said that Singapore has "not yet arrived at an ideal state of accepting people of a different race" and cited recent surveys to show that "we are not completely colour-blind". He further commented that it would be harder for a candidate of minority race to win an open election against a Chinese candidate. He believes that "These are the realities we have to manage”.He acknowledges that while the Reserved Presidency would not be sufficient to bring about the change in society, it would most certainly be a step towards it and a good representation of our principles and strong will to build a multiracial society. 10
9 "Elected presidency | Infopedia - NLB eResources - National Library." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_899_2004-12-24.html. 10 Yuen-C, Tham. "PM Lee spells out why he pushed for reserved election." The Straits Times. September 29, 2017. Accessed January 23, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/pm-lee-spells- out-why-he-pushed-for-reserved-election.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
Current situation Most recently, on 9th November 2016, an amendment that affected Article 19 of the
Constitution was passed. 11 The changes were made with regards to the qualifying criteria of the Presidential candidates. This included12:
❏ The candidate’s experience must meet the qualifying criteria within the 20 years
immediately preceding the Nomination Day; and
❏ Specifying that candidates from the private sector must have served as the chief
executive officer for a minimum of three years, of a company with at least S$500
million in shareholders’ equity; and
❏ Reserving elections for a candidate from a certain racial group should that group
have not occupied the President’s office for 5 or more consecutive terms.
In 2017, under the new system, Halimah Yacob became the President in a walkover election. This has, however, caused controversies and raised questions. This walkover happened in spite of 5 people applying for the certificate of eligibility 13. Three applied for Malay community certificate, one for Chinese community certificate and one person declared himself not a member of any of the communities. However, only Halimah
Yacob qualified which led to her walkover victory.
11 "Elected presidency | Infopedia - NLB eResources - National Library." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_899_2004-12-24.html. 12 "Elected presidency | Infopedia - NLB eResources - National Library." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_899_2004-12-24.html. 13 "Presidential election 2017: Five people applied for certificate of ...." Accessed December 26, 2017. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/presidential-election-2017-five-people-applied-for- certificate-9184184.
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The elections was not without controversy as there were confusion over the official race of Halimah Yacob. Some believed that she was of Indian descent and thus should be considered Indian. However, she was quoted as saying “My father is Indian but I am not.” 14 Under the current system, the child from an interracial marriage is automatically recorded to be of the same race as his/her father. Nonetheless, the child may choose to change his/her race before he/she turns 15 years of age.15 In President Halimah
Yacob’s case, difficulty in determining her race could have undermined the confidence the public had in her.16
Key Areas of Concern
1. Ensuring the Multiracial System The Reserved Presidential Election aims to meet the needs of the various races in
Singapore, whether major or minor, by installing ensuring representation of a President of their race at least once every 5 terms. It also provides citizens with basic rights such as equal representation, equality of opportunity and a free political voice. This is because it aims to ensure that candidates of minority races are also given a fair chance to run for the Presidency. However, some would argue that it limits opportunities for candidates not of a particular racial community.
14 "PAP MP Halimah Yacob: My father is Indian but I am not – States ...." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://statestimesreview.com/2017/07/29/pap-mp-halimah-yacob-my-father-is-indian-but-i-am-not/. 15 "Immigration & Checkpoints Authority - FAQs >> Birth/Death ... - gov.sg." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://www.ifaq.gov.sg/ica/apps/fcd_faqmain.aspx?qst=hRhkP9BzcBImsx2TBbssMsxu7lqt6UJK70a1wAE VmyexbYEBoQg1SleqIlTptL4Wnk6%2Fr9BcJkwrC%2FA8UWWMRGCU0JKgh2Ts9jPFDHb1E7Wp2jwq4 OsUF%2BQBQcl%2BsicYD25xAFJYVwtwLJmR3NqiqeQXgUtIBbZErfFXz%2BiZLKtV%2BnESXPfYwAW BxwRf7aK86IUYiu87%2FhTS8WxQPherk5%2B29YmaxlVygjZboSdBbvI%3D. 16 "Unique chance for Halimah Yacob to be a different president ...." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/unique-chance-to-be-a-different-president.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
The government believes that the Reserved Presidential Election is an suitable means to ensure that all Singaporeans from its diverse range of races are represented fairly in the Parliament. PM Lee Hsien Loong described the reserved Presidential Election as one of the guardrails to help Singapore get to the "ideal state" when "Singaporeans naturally and regularly elect citizens of all races as President". 17
The Reserved Presidency promises equal representation of the different races. The
President is expected to be a unifying figure in Singapore and although the election itself was ‘controversial’, Halimah Yacob herself was not, said Emeritus Senior Minister
Goh Chok Tong.18
DPM Teo also mentioned in a separate interview that Reserved Presidential Election was necessary for racial and religious harmony.19 The Reserved Presidential Election was aimed at improving the racial representation in Parliament considering the fact that
Singapore had not elected a Malay President in 6 terms.
The President holds significant value both has an important role in the international arena and on the national stage. The Government believes that “Every Singaporean has to be able to identify with the President, and to know that a member of his
17 "Reserved Presidential Election would cost votes but 'right thing to do ...." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/reserved-presidential-election-would-cost-votes- but-right-thing-9263632. 18 "Lessons from the Presidential Election: A look at 3 key issues, Politics ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/shedding-light-on-ep-issues. 19 "Reserved presidential elections necessary for harmony: DPM Teo ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/reserved-presidential-elections-necessary-for-harmony-dpm-teo.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
community can and will become President from time to time.” 20 Furthermore, they have noted that race remains a significant factor in comparison to the merits of the candidate for voters during the Presidential Election. 21
Nonetheless, Singaporeans are still entitled to express their opinions, both positive and negative, when it came to the Reserved Elected Presidency. As President Halimah
Yaacob has acknowledged, “I know that some Singaporeans would prefer to achieve this without needing guardrails to help Singapore get to the "ideal state" when
"Singaporeans naturally and regularly elect citizens of all races as President". 22
The Reserved Presidency promises equal representation of the different races. The
President is expected to be a unifying figure in Singapore and although the election itself was ‘controversial’, Halimah Yacob herself was not, said Emeritus Senior Minister
Goh Chok Tong.23
DPM Teo also mentioned in a separate interview that Reserved Presidential Election were necessary for racial and religious harmony.24 The Reserved Presidential Election
20 "TODAYonline | Hiatus-triggered model 'strikes the right balance for ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/govt-will-adopt-hiatus-triggered-model-ensure-minority- representation-presidency. 21 "TODAYonline | Hiatus-triggered model 'strikes the right balance for ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/govt-will-adopt-hiatus-triggered-model-ensure-minority- representation-presidency. 22 "Reserved Presidential Election would cost votes but 'right thing to do ...." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/reserved-presidential-election-would-cost-votes- but-right-thing-9263632. 23 "Lessons from the Presidential Election: A look at 3 key issues, Politics ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/shedding-light-on-ep-issues. 24 "Reserved presidential elections necessary for harmony: DPM Teo ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/reserved-presidential-elections-necessary-for-harmony-dpm-teo.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
was aimed at improving the racial representation in Parliament considering the fact that
Singapore had not elected a Malay President in 6 terms.
The President holds significant value both in the international arena and the on national stage. The Government believes that “Every Singaporean has to be able to identify with the President, and to know that a member of his community can and will become
President from time to time.” and have noted that race remains a significant factor in comparison to the merits of the candidate for voters during the Presidential Elections. 25
Nonetheless, Singaporeans were still entitled to voice out their opinions, both positive and negative, when it came to the Reserved Elected Presidency. As President Halimah has acknowledged, “I know that some Singaporeans would prefer to achieve this without needing reserved elections. I respect their views.”26 Although Singaporeans could not exercise their right to vote in 2017, they were very well still able to share their opinions or socio-political commentary on the elected President.
25 "TODAYonline | Hiatus-triggered model 'strikes the right balance for ...." 15 Sep. 2016, http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/govt-will-adopt-hiatus-triggered-model-ensure-minority- representation-presidency. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 26 "'My duty is to unite the people, to overcome the many challenges ...." 14 Sep. 2017, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/my-duty-is-to-unite-the-people-to-overcome-the-many- challenges-9216844. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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Social Security study guide SMC 2018: Multiculturalism
2. Response to Reserved Presidential Election There are examples of low support for Halimah. This includes the #NotMyPresident campaign that trended on Facebook and Twitter for a short while. 27 Furthermore, this also sets the scene for commentary from well-known social figures such as Alfian Sa'at, who said ,
“While it's understandable that discussions of the Halimah Presidency
might focus on issues of race, gender and meritocracy, I think that those are the
side issues. In fact, this whole debate over Halimah's 'Malayness' is a convenient
distraction from the fundamental issues at stake.” 28
In a recent Straits Times article, a law graduate Rio Hoe, 25, who runs an online blog called Consensus SG, "What would have been a democratic milestone is now besmirched with the ugly stain of an uncontested election." 29
Some Singaporeans even expressed their disappointment when they were not allowed to vote after the walkover was announced. As Dr Tan Cheng Bock notes, "People now
27 "#NotMyPresident trends in Singapore after walkover announced ...." 13 Sep. 2017, http://www.theindependent.sg/notmypresident-trends-in-singapore-after-walkover-announced-halimah- yacob-set-to-become-president/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 28 "Anything to prevent the slightest transfer of power from the elite to the ...." 12 Sep. 2017, https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2017/09/12/anything-to-prevent-the-slightest-transfer-of-power-from-the- elite-to-the-people/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 29 "Halimah Yacob set to be president: Social media abuzz over walkover ...." 13 Sep. 2017, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/social-media-abuzz-over-walkover. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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feel muzzled and angry. Because when you take away our right to vote, you take away our political voice. You tell us that our choice does not matter." 30
Lastly, the integrity of the criteria was questioned when the public found out about
Halimah Yacob's Indian descent.31
While there has been hubbub against President Halimah, there has also been some vocal supporters in favour of her strong decision-making abilities and capability as a politician. This has even resulted in a #Halimahismypresident campaign to rally for her ability to garner votes. As undergraduate Kyle Malinda-White, a 25-year-old Malay, said in an online article, "I am not rejecting Madam Halimah - she is a strong woman who has what it takes to win votes. She has been elected legally." and that “Now, we have an Elected President whose mandate is in serious question, not because of her but because of the process." 32
3. Meritocracy Singapore has upheld meritocracy as one of her core values. However, this Reserved
President Election ostensibly undermines the value of meritocracy as by reserving the seat to a smaller eligible pool, it denies the other races a chance to run for presidency
30 "People feel 'muzzled and angry' because they could not vote this ...." 13 Sep. 2017, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/people-feel-muzzled-and-angry-because-they-could- not-vote-this-9213684. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 31 "Did Halimah Yacob delete info about Indian descent from Wikipedia ...." 19 Jul. 2017, http://www.theindependent.sg/did-halimah-yacob-delete-info-about-indian-descent-from-wikipedia-page/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 32 "Halimah Yacob set to be president: Social media abuzz over walkover ...." 13 Sep. 2017, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/social-media-abuzz-over-walkover. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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even if they are more qualified. It also prevents candidates who meet all the criteria but the racial profile from running in the elections. Furthermore, this was seen to be a gesture of ‘tokenism’ and unfair introduction of racial politics into our Presidential
Election. 33
However, some might argue that the Reserved Presidential Election does not infringe upon our meritocratic ideals because the qualifying criteria has not been relaxed, but instead tightened to ensure that potential candidates are able enough to become
Presidents. PM Lee responded by saying that the Reserved President Election was in fact, not ‘tokenism’ because the same qualifying criteria is applied to all races without
“any relaxation”.
In the event that there is no qualified candidate from the minority race selected to run for
Presidency, then the elections would open up to qualified candidates from all races and the next elections would be reserved for that particular race. This shows that the government does not prevent any race from running at all. It encourages the election of a mix of races through open elections. They hope to be “minimally prescriptive” as they try to create opportunities for complete racial representation. 34
33 "Minority representation for Elected Presidency not 'tokenism', says PM ...." 4 Sep. 2016, http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/minority-representation-elected-presidency-not-tokenism-says-pm- lee. Accessed 11 Feb. 2018. 34 "Elected presidency report: Reserve elections to ensure minority ...." 7 Sep. 2016, http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/elected-presidency-report-reserve-elections-to-ensure-minority- president. Accessed 11 Feb. 2018.
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Past actions in promoting minority representation
1. Presidential Council for Minority Rights The Presidential Council for Minority Rights (PCMR) is a non-elected government body that is tasked to examine bills, subsidiary legislation and written laws passed by the
Parliament to ensure is not discriminatory against or biased towards any ethnicity or race. It ensures that the rights of all minorities are upheld within the Constitution, and thus, bolsters the government’s objective to maintain racial and religious harmony. It analyses and scrutinizes new bills and reports any biased provisions so that the bill can be reconsidered. It also checks if any provision would raise unintended issues for individuals in each racial or religious group. 35
The PCMR is headed by the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and comprises 5 other permanent members (Othman Wok, Goh Chok Tong, S. Dhanabalan, Lee Hsien Loong,
K. Shanmugam) and 12 ordinary members appointed on a 3-year term currently.
Further appointments can be made by the President on advice of the Cabinet. The
PCMR can have a maximum of 10 permanent members and 10 ordinary members who can be re-appointed on a three-year term. 36
35 "Presidential Council for Minority Rights | Infopedia - NLB eResources." http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1605_2009-10-31.html. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 36 "Presidential Council for Minority Rights | Infopedia - NLB eResources." http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1605_2009-10-31.html. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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2. Group Representation Constituency The group representation constituency (GRC) is a type of electoral division or constituency that comprises individuals from different races, with at least one from a minority race. A minority racial community is specifically define to be the Malay community, Indian community or other minority communities such as the Eurasians. It was introduced as a result of amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of
Singapore and the Parliamentary Elections Act in 1988.
The purpose of the GRC was to ensure multiracial representation in the Singapore
Parliament. Mr Lee Kuan Yew was concerned that voters’ lack of awareness of the importance of racial representation in the Parliament. He feared that this would cause racial imbalance in the government later on. The concept of GRC was later adopted because it allowed candidates to win based on their strength and campaign along moderate, racial lines instead of aggressive, biased lines.
A team of six MPs in each GRC allows them to provide better representation of their
Constituencies’ opinions and needs in the Parliament as they are able to garner and meet a more people in their district.37 A maximum of six also provides relative flexibility in ensuring the growing population in each Constituency is properly managed.38
37 Goh Chok Tong (Prime Minister), speech during the Second Reading of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill, Singapore Parliamentary Debates, Official Report (28 October 1996), vol. 66, col. 756 38 Goh Chok Tong (Prime Minister), speech during the Second Reading of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill, Singapore Parliamentary Debates, Official Report (28 October 1996), vol. 66, col. 756
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3. Policies These policies aimed to initiate social changes to increase multiraciality and strengthen social cohesion amongst different races in Singapore.
a. Ethnic Integration Policy
The Minister of State for National Development Maliki Osman said that, “The Ethnic
Integration Policy (EIP) is still needed to ensure a good mix of residents of different races in different neighbourhoods and blocks in public housing.” 39 The EIP, or HDB racial quota, was implemented to increase racial integration in residential areas. In the past, racial enclaves formed around different areas. For example, more than 30% of the households in Bedok and Tampines were Malay and more than 90% of the households in Hougang were Chinese. 40 In order to address the issue of communal clustering, the government adopted the EIP to strike a better balance between different races.41
Although it may seem like an intrusive social policy, it determines daily social interactions. These interactions aim to promote cordiality and communication between different ethnicities. This aimed increasing racial peace and harmony between citizens on the ground level.
39 "TODAYonline | Ethnic Integration Policy in public housing still needed." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ethnic-integration-policy-public-housing-still-needed. 40 “ Racial Enclaves forming- Dhana” Accessed February 11, 2018. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19890107-1.2.2 41 "Ethnic Integration Policy is implemented - Singapore History." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/d8fea656-d86e-4658-9509-974225951607.
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b. Bilingual Policy
With the growing influence of Westernisation and de-Asianisation, many Singaporeans are focusing on English and less on their own mother tongue. The Bilingual Policy was enacted to protect the originality of Asian identities and values through its languages.
Hence, the government promoted Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil as second languages alongside English, the nation’s first language.42 This policy played a key role in preventing the erosion of Asian cultures and strengthen our affinity to traditions and heritage.43 Making the four traditional languages the national languages of Singapore give all four ethnicities a representation in the Parliament. Today, as a matter of fact, all
Parliament proceedings and works are translated into these 4 languages. This measure also serves to strengthen the social glue amongst the four races as each tradition was given ample space and opportunity to contribute to the Singaporean heritage.
4. Self-Help Groups
Self-Help groups (SHG), as President Tony Tan puts it, “plays a key role in building bridges between communities, a role which has been amplified, given recent world events”.44 The ethnic-based SHGs - namely, Singapore Indian Development
Association (Sinda), the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), Mendaki and the Eurasian Association- have played an important part in strengthening social
42 Mohamed, S. (2005) Planning for Malay Language in Education. Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice. Nanyang Institute of Education,Singapore. 43 "Bilingual policy | Infopedia - NLB eResources - National Library." Accessed December 26, 2017. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2016-09-01_093402.html. 44 "Self-help groups key in bridging communities, says President ...." 20 Dec. 2016, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/self-help-groups-key-in-bridging-communities-says-president. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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bond amongst their respective racial communities. Through its programmes, it aims to provide various forms of aid and platforms for its members to enhance their capabilities and bond. For example, the Collaborative Tuition Programme aims to help primary school children who need some extra help in their studies and provides them with sense of belonging to a community when they study with volunteers of their own community. In fact, it also heightens the “sense of ownership and commonality” when members volunteer to help at their ethnic SHGs.45
Nonetheless, the presence of ethnic SHGs does not create a segregation amongst the wider Singaporean society as all their resources are eventually aimed at benefiting
Singaporeans build a colorblind meritocratic society. “And for the most part,
Singaporeans have been happy to share the fruits of the Government's economic growth policies and not rock the boat.” 46
Timeline
Year/ Date Key Event
1965 Constitution was amended: Change “Head of State” to “President”
Before 1993 President was elected by Parliament
3rd January 1991 Legislation for Elected Presidency was passed
45 "An analysis of the underlying factors that affected Malaysia - Adelaide ...." 18 Sep. 1998, https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/86749/8/02whole.pdf. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 46 "The race issue: How far has Singapore come?, Politics News & Top ...." 8 Nov. 2015, http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/the-race-issue-how-far-has-singapore-come. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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1 September 1993 First Elected President Ong Teng Cheong took office *Mr Wee Kim Wee is regarded as the first Elected President as he was the first to exercise the powers of an Elected President.
9th November 2016 Amendment to Article 19, which relates to the Elected Presidency
Questions To Answer
1) How far is the Reserved Presidential Election the best way to ensure representation of all races? 2) Has the Reserved Presidential Election help tighten or cause division to Singapore’s social fabric? 3) Would the previous system have worked better than the current system in ensuring key Singapore values are upheld? (E.g. Meritocracy and racial representation) 4) What are some ways to ensure racial representation other than traditional methods such as GRC representation? 5) What can the Government do to involve Singaporeans in their policy decision-making? 6) How can the Government better manage the responses to the Reserved Presidential Election and channel it into support for the system and its elected President?
Additional Reading
Comprehensive Timeline of our Past Presidents and their portfolios: http://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2017/09/singapore-presidential- election-2017-past-presidents-timeline/index.html
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[Topic 2: Facilitating the integration of foreigners into Singaporean society]
Introduction Singapore is a small country with limited natural resources47. As such, she has to rely primarily on labour for sustainable economic growth. With her falling birth rates and ageing population, she has to encourage immigration to meet the increasing labour demands by foreign multinational companies and growing sectors in Singapore’s economy. In 2015 48, non-residents in Singapore made up 29.7% of Singapore’s total population. PRs and non-residents have made significant contributions to the growth and development of Singapore both economically and socially. The different backgrounds and cultures they have brought along have transformed Singapore into a diverse and cosmopolitan society.
However, the different ideologies and practices of people have inevitably led to misunderstandings and events that threaten the social fabric of Singapore. Different religious/racial practices and xenophobia have led to difficulties in establishing a truly harmonious Singapore. In order to integrate foreigners successfully into Singaporean society, these issues have to be circumvented.
Even though Singapore generally enjoys peace and racial harmony, more must be done in terms of integrating foreigners into our society, so that Singapore remains resilient
47 "Singapore Economy | Economy Watch." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/singapore/?page=full. 48 "Foreigners make up 64% of Singapore's citizen population. Should we ...." 28 Sep. 2016, http://singaporedaily.net/2016/09/28/foreigners-make-64-singapores-population-panic/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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and united as one nation in times of crisis. This is of paramount importance because if
Singaporeans refuse to accept foreigners and new citizens, how can she cope with the increasing demands of a globalised economy?
Historical Background
Singapore started off as an immigrant society. Before the founding of modern Singapore in 1819, immigrants from across the seven seas stopped or settled on the then- fishing village to trade or to start a new life afresh. These immigrants included ethnic groups from China, Malaya and India, amongst others.
Between 1942 to 1945, during the Japanese Occupation, the immigration in Singapore temporarily ceased. It restarted in the 1950s and 1960s, when Singapore embarked on her road to self-governance. Even then, immigration was limited as only those who could contribute to the socio-economic development of the new fledgling state were accepted. Immigration and citizenship laws were stricter and the non-resident population remained at a mere 2.9% of the whole population.
In the 1980s, the advent of industrialization brought back the question of migration into light. Once again, Singapore’s non-resident population started increasing, and this trend has continued till today. Figure 1 outlines the origin of the foreigners that came to
Singapore in 2015.
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The non-resident population increased at an unprecedented rate in the first decade. By
2010, 25.7% of the population comprised non-residents, up from 18.7% in the previous decade.49 As seen in Figure 2, the steeper increase in the non-resident workforce than the resident workforce has resulted in a greater increase in the size of the total workforce.
Figure 1: Breakdown of Foreign-born Population in Singapore by Country of Origin
Credits: https://www.hsseonline.edu.sg/sites/default/files/uploaded/journal_articles/2- peidong.pdf
49 "Rapid Growth in Singapore's Immigrant Population Brings Policy ...." https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapid-growth-singapores-immigrant-population-brings-policy- challenges. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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Figure 2: Singapore's Total Resident and Nonresident Workforce, 1980-2010
As Singapore aspired to be a major player in the globalising world, she put in place policies to recruit the best talent from other countries. Given the lack of natural resources and high dependence on skilled manpower to run its industries and economic sector, Singapore needs foreign workers to replace the greying population and to compensate for the low fertility rate. Furthermore, Singapore needed transient workers to take on blue-collar jobs that Singaporeans were unwilling to take up. 50
50 "Singapore's lesson: Managing immigration to create a win-win situation." Global-is-asian. June 23, 2017. Accessed January 01, 2018. http://global-is-asian.nus.edu.sg/index.php/singapores-lesson- managing-immigration-create-win-win-situation/.
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Alongside investments in automation and procreation policies, the government focused on nurturing the ‘talent capital’ of the new globalized age. To fulfil this objective, she loosened some of its immigration policies and tightened others related to low-skilled immigration and made it easier for skilled workers to gain citizenship of permanent residency in Singapore. Singapore also placed an emphasis on the immigration of international students, making the recruitment of foreign students a priority since 1997.
This not increased the contribution of the education sector to the nation’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) but also the talent pool in Singapore.51
51 "More foreign talents equal to better society growth - Yahoo News ...." 22 Jul. 2011, https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/more-foreign-talents-equal-better-society-growth-lee- 133937815.html. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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Current situation
Singapore is faced with land and labour constraints. Her problems are further exacerbated by an ageing population and low birth rate52. It is projected that the number of people aged 65 and above in Singapore will double in 15 years53. While the
Government continually tries to maximise and increase its potential capacity by capitalising on its own citizens (through initiatives like SkillsFuture), it is still limited considering the growing manufacturing industries and rise in the number of foreign direct investments in Singapore.54 Hence, while land constraints can easily be remedied through thorough urban redevelopment plans and land reclamation projects, the latter is a more complex problem.
The Influx of foreign can aid in resolving the issue of labour constraints by increasing the workforce quantitatively.
Foreign talent may fill up the ‘void’ and provide the missing skill sets that Singaporeans are missing. Trade and Industry Minister S Iswaran was quoted as saying “The role of foreign talent here is complementary — even as the Republic invests in developing the skills of Singaporeans, there may be gaps in the market.”55
52 "Singapore's population challenge in a nutshell - Population.Sg." 31 Oct. 2016, https://www.population.sg/articles/singapores-population-challenge-in-a-nutshell. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 53 "Older Singaporeans to double by 2030 - Population.Sg." 22 Aug. 2016, https://www.population.sg/articles/older-singaporeans-to-double-by-2030. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 54 "People and mindset change the way forward - Media ... - (IE) Singapore." 12 Aug. 2015, https://www.iesingapore.gov.sg/Media-Centre/News/2015/8/People-and-mindset-change-the-way- forward. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 55 "S'pore will continue to need foreign workers in complementary role." http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/spore-will-continue-need-foreign-workers-complementary-role- iswaran. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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Foreigners are willing to do jobs that Singaporeans are unwilling to do, particularly in the construction and domestic help industry. About four in 10 job openings — or 25,860 vacancies
— go unfilled for at least six months, showed the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) report on job vacancies released in 2015. Nearly seven in 10 vacancies — totalling 41,980 — are vacancies that are tough for locals to fill, employers say, with unattractive pay, a preference for a shorter work week, physically strenuous job scopes and shift work among the reasons putting off job seekers. Non-PMET (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) jobs formed the majority of such openings, in particular positions for service and sales workers, cleaners and labourers.56
In addition, foreign talent contribute to cultural diversity57. In turn, locals can also widen their horizons by understanding the ethnic and cultural diversity that foreigners and immigrants bring with them.
The increased skilled workforce pool also deals with the problem of an ageing population and increases the tax revenue. The increase in the number of senior citizens in Singapore may require more money spent on healthcare and long-term care which will lead to higher taxes to support the aging population. This would weaken
56 “Singaporeans continue to shun non-PMET jobs.” 28 Jan. 2015, https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singaporeans-continue-shun-non-pmet-jobs. Accessed 10 Jan. 2018 57 "Integration in Singapore: A two-way street - Population.Sg." 31 Mar. 2017, https://www.population.sg/articles/integration-in-singapore-a-twoway-street. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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Singapore’s economy and workforce, resulting in the need for more foreigners.58 It is thus necessary to attract foreigners into Singapore and help them integrate into the society; locals must also welcome and appreciate the foreigners in their midst.
Today, Singapore has a population of 5.61 million, 1.6 million of whom are foreigners.59
Her population can be divided into 2 main categories based on their permanency of stay here: Citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs). PRs are eligible for a variety of government subsidies, housing and other rights and duties shouldered by citizens.
However, they are not given the right to vote in the nation’s General Elections. 60
Differences aside, there is a general consensus to uphold racial harmony and respect others with different backgrounds and walks of life.
However, from time to time, there have been cases of foreigners who do not integrate into the country, causing public uproar that threatens to tear the social fabric of
Singapore. One particular case comes to mind: Anton Casey was a British expatriate whose insensitive post about commuters on public transport on Facebook angered
Singaporeans as he portrayed himself as ‘superior’ and Singaporeans as ‘poor’.
58 "gov.sg | How does the shrinking local workforce affect Singapore' ...." 20 Jul. 2017, https://www.gov.sg/factually/content/how-does-the-shrinking-local-workforce-affect-singapores-economy. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 59 "Population in Brief 2017 - Strategy Group." Accessed February 11, 2018. https://www.strategygroup.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/population-in-brief- 2017.pdf. 60 "Rapid Growth in Singapore's Immigrant Population Brings Policy ...." https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapid-growth-singapores-immigrant-population-brings-policy- challenges. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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His insensitivity led to public pressure for him to leave Singapore for Perth, Australia.
His unwillingness to integrate and incendiary remarks were detrimental to the racial harmony Singapore enjoyed and placed the spotlight on foreigners.
Another example of tension between migrants and locals would be the “curry dispute”. A migrant family from China was intolerant of the smell of curry from their Indian neighbour’s house. They brought the issue to the Cultural Mediation Centre (CMC) which facilitated resolution between both parties. The Indian family agreed to cook curry only when their Chinese neighbours went out. When this matter was published in the newspaper, there was an uproar against the intolerance of the migrant family towards different cultural practices and the perceived “unfair decision”. Nonetheless, the local community sought to display its solidarity and acceptance of diverse cultures and traditions via its own ground-up initiation - the “Cook and Share a Pot of Curry”.61
This is yet another example of how tensions amidst different races can undermine the social fabric in Singapore. Therefore, it is imperative for both foreigners and
Singaporeans to understand the importance of working with one another to facilitate the seamless integration of foreigners so as to minimise such social disruptions.
A research on on race relations was carried out by Channel NewsAsia – Institute of
Policy Studies. Some notable findings from the research revealed that the minority groups think that the majority race in Singapore has an advantage (refer to chart). Such a perception shows that certain groups of Singaporeans are perceived to be ‘superior’
61 "Curry dispute | Infopedia - NLB eResources - National Library." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2015-05-11_105734.html.
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to others and that Singapore does not truly present equal opportunities to all races.
Such undercurrents of implicit biases might serve as a basis for discontent. IPS senior research fellow Mathew Mathews was quoted as saying “We have bought into the principles of meritocracy, but that does not mean we have removed all of our implicit biases” 62.
Another key finding was that 6 in 10 of those surveyed had heard racists comments., with nearly half of that at their workplace. An inclusive and fair work environment must be built in Singapore in order for the nation to prosper63.
62 "Singaporeans respect all races, but racism still an issue: Survey ...." 20 Aug. 2016, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singaporeans-respect-all-races-but-racism-still-an-issue-survey. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 63 "Towards a progressive and inclusive workplace for all - gov.sg." 20 Feb. 2017, https://www.gov.sg/microsites/budget2017/press-room/news/content/budget-2017-towards-a-progressive- and-inclusive-workplace-for-all. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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Key Areas of Concern
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is the fear of foreigners, which could be arise due to various reasons:
● Economic Concerns
Economic concerns regarding increased external competition for opportunities stem from financial worries of the local people in the job and educational sector as well as resource-sharing. Job security topped Singaporean’s concerns list64 and this fear is being exacerbated by the influx of foreigners. Singaporeans fear the lack of sufficient housing facilities and overcrowding in public transport. Since the 2011 General
Elections, the affordability of healthcare, availability of affordable housing, and the loss of potential jobs to foreigners were the top three concerns of respondents are hotly debated issues. 65 Given the fact that Singapore lacks land and faces natural resource constraints, the growing population may overtax the public infrastructure. This adds to the stress as competition for limited resources intensifies. This problem is further worsened as the population growth rate is faster than the infrastructure growth. Hence, many locals are reluctant to integrate foreigners and share their resources.66
64 "Job security tops list of Singaporeans' concerns in Q2: Nielsen ...." 22 Jul. 2014, http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/job-security-tops-list-singaporeans%E2%80%99-concerns-in-q2-nielsen. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 65 "Housing, jobs and healthcare weigh heaviest on minds of ...." http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/housing-jobs-and-healthcare-weigh-heaviest-on- minds-of-singapore-8232062. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 66 "TODAYonline | It is about overcrowding, not xenophobia." 15 Jan. 2014, http://www.todayonline.com/voices/it-about-overcrowding-not-xenophobia. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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67
Credits:http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/housing-jobs-and-healthcare- weigh-heaviest-on-minds-of-singapore-8232062
67 "Housing, jobs and healthcare weigh heaviest on minds of ...." http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/housing-jobs-and-healthcare-weigh-heaviest-on- minds-of-singapore-8232062. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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● Social and Cultural Concerns
Social and cultural concerns arise due to the glaring cultural gap between
Singaporeans and foreigners and the fear of cultural dilution and erosion of our national identity.68 As the number of foreigners increase, the fear of weakening national identity also increases. In 2009, a survey conducted by The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) amongst 2016 respondents showed that 2 in 3 feared that national unity would be affected adversely with the influx of more foreigners.69 Furthermore, Singapore, has been regarded as a ‘transit point’ by many. Thus, the concern regarding our national identity arises. Many immigrants who come to Singapore influence a part of the local culture, and then leave our society with remnants of their own traditions. Some locals even view this as prioritising the economic benefits brought about by immigrants over the value attached to a solid culture. 70 This gives rise to the question - Should
Singapore be a melting-pot society where all cultures merge to form the Singaporean culture, or a bowl of salad, where each culture retains its distinctive, unique qualities in peaceful co-existence? Either option requires both locals and foreigners to broaden their mindset and increase their willingness to reach out to the other side71 without which, identities and cultures will remain disparate.
68 "WP: Immigration policy has led to many problems, Politics News & Top ...." 24 Jan. 2013, http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/wp-immigration-policy-has-led-to-many-problems. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 69 "Two in three concerned about impact of foreigners." http://lkyspp2.nus.edu.sg/ips/wp- content/uploads/sites/2/2013/04/ST_Two-in-three-concerned-about-impact-of-foreigners_020810.pdf. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 70 "Singapore protest: 'Unfamiliar faces are crowding our land' | World ...." 15 Feb. 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/15/singapore-crisis-immigration-financial-crisis. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 71 "Let's be a cultural melting pot, not bowl of salad, Letters in Print News ...." 7 Jan. 2016, http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/lets-be-a-cultural-melting-pot-not-bowl-of-salad. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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● Security Concerns
In the light of the recent spread of terrorism, many Singaporeans share security concerns when it comes to immigration. Singapore faces an increased threat from radicalised foreigners as the number of foreigners detained under the Internal Security
Act increases. Since late 2015, 40 Bangladeshi nationals and 8 Indonesian domestic helpers have been arrested after being radicalised by ISIS propaganda. The Ministry of
Home Affairs acknowledged the danger from radicalised foreigners when they said that
"Radicalised individuals are a grave security concern. The threat they pose is great because they might heed the calls by ISIS to carry out lone-wolf attacks using any means they have at their disposal.” Furthermore, these attacks can be hard to prevent as normal, everyday items like cars and knives are used. 72 Given that increased immigration brings a heightened risk of terrorism73, this could be a reason why
Singaporeans have grown wary of immigrants. As such, Singaporeans may have diminished trust within foreigners and willingness to integrate foreigners. Therefore, there is a need to allay their fear and create greater awareness of the initiatives the government has taken up to step up security against internal and external threats.
72 "Terrorism threat to Singapore remains at highest level in years: Home ...." 1 Jun. 2017, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/terrorism-threat-to-singapore-remains-at-highest-level-in-years- home-affairs-ministry. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 73 Alex Nowrasteh September 13, 2016, and PDF (568.46 KB) EPUB (217.07 KB) MOBI (759.7 KB). "Terrorism and Immigration: A Risk Analysis." Cato Institute. September 13, 2016. Accessed January 12, 2018. https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/terrorism-immigration-risk-analysis.
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Past actions to integrate foreigners
Changing Societal Mindset
There is a need to allay the fears and reservations Singaporeans have against foreigners. This can be done by dispelling misconceptions and myths. This serves to not only strengthen social cohesion but also make Singapore a more attractive society for foreigners. Also, by changing societal mindsets, more support will be given in future government initiatives.
Encouraging interaction between locals and foreigners
The Government has tried to increase physical interaction between Singaporeans and foreigners through careful planning of residential neighbourhoods. Instead of building dormitories far from the city, it has integrated work and living for foreigners in the city.
However, Singaporeans expressed some discontentment with such initiatives. For example, in 2008, residents of Serangoon Gardens objected to a new foreign workers dormitory in their neighbourhood. 74
Some NGOs have suggested the building of more recreational centres where foreign workers can play sports, watch movies and attend classes and the organisation of
74 "Foreign workers 'need to be integrated', Singapore ... - The Straits Times." 21 Sep. 2013, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/foreign-workers-need-to-be-integrated. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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activities for Singaporeans and foreign workers to mingle. Mr John Gee, an executive committee member of migrants' organisation Transient Workers Count Too, cited the example of street carnivals in Britain where people of different cultures set up booths and play games. 75 In 2016, an Amazing Race- styled event was jointly organised by
SportCares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sport Singapore, and Tuas View
Dormitory to promote interaction between foreigners and Singaporeans. It was also part of GetActive! Singapore. They played games, solved puzzles and ate local delights together. "It's very exciting and I feel very happy to participate in this event," said the 27- year-old construction worker from India, who arrived in Singapore six months ago. "It's the first time I've joined an activity organised here and I'm thankful to the organisers and my teammates," he added.76
Establishing a fair and inclusive workplace
An inclusive society is one where everyone aspiring to work towards a better life for themselves and their families will be able to do so. Being employed and having access to good jobs is an important part of that process. The Government has tried to establish this by sharing inspiring stories of companies that have been able to create inclusive work environments. For example, Minister Tan Chuan-Jin talked about the following companies in his speech at the STF Conference on Fair Employment Practices77:
75 "Foreign workers 'need to be integrated', Singapore ... - The Straits Times." 21 Sep. 2013, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/foreign-workers-need-to-be-integrated. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 76 "Locals and foreign workers bond over games, Singapore News & Top ...." 8 Aug. 2016, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/locals-and-foreign-workers-bond-over-games. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 77 "Speech by Mr Tan ChuanJin Minister of State for Manpower and ...." http://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/speeches/2012/speech-by-mr-tan-chuanjin-minister-of-state-for- manpower-and-national-development-at-the-stf-conference-on-fair-employment-practices-2012-18-april- 2012-9am-compass-west-ballroom-resorts-world-sentosa-singapore. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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1. Absolute Kinetics, with 95 employees, has implemented a series of inclusive
practices ranging from cultural celebrations to having a prayer room within their
shop house office. Despite having only 20% of women in the organisation,
Absolute Kinetics has implemented different flexible work arrangements to help
employees perform their professional and personal roles, exemplifying one of
their core values of "care".
2. Man Diesel and Turbo Singapore Pte Ltd won the Outstanding Leadership in
Supporting Fair Employment Practices award. Man Diesel’s strong family culture
can saw them providing strong support for one of their service engineers who
had lost his arms in an accident…. The Minister said that we may not face the
exact same circumstances, but in our workspace we do encounter our
employees who fall on hard times. This is where being compassionate, being
thoughtful and caring for people and really walking the talk really matters, and it
is not surprising that their resignation and absenteeism rates are way below the
industry average.
Garnering youth support
Youths, with their energy, open-mindset and dynamism, can play a key role in the integration of foreigners into our society. The government, having recognised this, has also taken steps to educate our younger generation in a cultural sensitive manners to foster a supportive environment. For example, the Acting Minister for Culture,
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Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong, promised funding and various forms of financial aid to youths should they plan to organise events to integrate foreigners into the Singaporean society. 78 Youths have also been at the helm of some integration projects such as English enrichment classes for those not proficient in the language. 79
Furthermore, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) has also mapped out more plans to encourage volunteerism to bring people from foreign communities closer to local communities. Since students already take part in mandatory Values-In-
Action projects, more can be done to encourage young working adults to volunteer. 80
Government Policies and Legislation
The nation’s high-profile ministerial speeches have acknowledged and flagged out the importance and benefit of foreign talent. As our late former Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan
Yew claimed in 2011, "If Singapore depends on the talent they can produce out of 3 million people, it's not going to punch above its weight," and "It's because we have been drawing talent from across the globe, South Asia, Northeast Asia, China, India and beyond that - you have a vibrant economy which is way beyond what three million
Singaporeans with the talent they can produce can do." He further asserted that "[he is]
78 "TODAYonline | Youths encouraged to help efforts to integrate foreigners." 21 Sep. 2013, http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/youths-encouraged-help-efforts-integrate-foreigners. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 79 "Youth on a mission to ease foreign workers' woes, Education News ...." 10 Dec. 2015, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/youth-on-a-mission-to-ease-foreign-workers-woes. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 80 "Mission: To build a national identity, Singapore ... - The Straits Times." 7 Mar. 2016, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/mission-to-build-a-national-identity. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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a firm believer that the more talents you have in a society, the better the society will grow.81
Nonetheless, PM Lee Hsien Loong has qualified his position on the intake of foreign workers. He represents the stance of the government when he says that, “'I owe
Singaporeans a responsibility' to get foreign worker balance right”. 82
To facilitate the integration of foreign students in Singapore, the government has collaborated with reputable universities to open branches of private schools such as
INSEAD and New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. These help to embolden
Singapore’s position as the ‘Global Schoolhouse' and promote its education system as a good mix of the best Western and Asian education systems.83
The government has also put in place some economic policies to allay some local fears.
For example, the government has put in the Fair Employment (Consideration)
Framework and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP).
The former is a framework introduced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) that details fair hiring practices and advertising practices by Job Banks.84 TAFEP mission is “to promote the adoption of fair, responsible and progressive employment practices so as
81 "More foreign talents equal to better society growth - Yahoo News ...." 22 Jul. 2011, https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/more-foreign-talents-equal-better-society-growth-lee- 133937815.html. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 82 "'I owe Singaporeans a responsibility' to get foreign worker balance ...." 2 Aug. 2015, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/i-owe-singaporeans-a-responsibility-to-get-foreign- worker-balanc-8233526. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 83 "Rapid Growth in Singapore's Immigrant Population Brings Policy ...." https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapid-growth-singapores-immigrant-population-brings-policy- challenges. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 84 "Fair Consideration Framework - Ministry of Manpower." http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment- practices/fair-consideration-framework. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017.
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to enable employees to realise their full potential and help their employers achieve organisational excellence.” 85These frameworks ensure that local PMETs are not left behind because of unfair favouritism towards foreign talent by employers.
The Sedition Act aims to prevent racist and hate-mongering posts and websites from inciting racial unrest. It preserves the fragile peace and amiability between different races in Singapore. The Act has proven to be even more important since anyone can post provocative comments anonymously on the Internet and over social media platforms. Hence, the Sedition Act is a method of deterrence to prevent the inter- religious tensions through unpleasant comments. 86
The National Integration Council (NIC) was set up in April 2009 to champion integration efforts. NIC seeks to collaborate with both the public and the private sectors, and the people to drive sustainable, ground-up initiatives to integrate foreigners into the
Singaporean society. Since its inception, NIC has supported more than 280 ground up initiatives and engaged more than 160 organisations.87 This includes supporting cultural exchange programmes in universities such as Singapore Management University
(SMU), the Orange Ribbon Walk, Asian Youth Theatre Festival and more. It seeks to raise awareness of the importance of integrating foreigners into our society through these efforts, and remind them that integration is a two-way process, that requires the
85 "Vision & Mission | Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive ... - TAFEP." https://www.tafep.sg/vision- mission. Accessed 26 Dec. 2017. 86 "Integration, Singapore style: A mix of laws and social norms, Opinion ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/integration-singapore-style-a-mix-of-laws-and-social-norms. 87 "NIC's integration efforts for PRs & foreigners in S'pore - Channel ...." Accessed February 11, 2018. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/nic-s-integration-efforts-for-prs-amp-foreigners-in-s- pore-8339508.
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support of both foreigners and locals. It believes in sustainable initiatives as integration is a long-term process. 88
Conclusion
All in all, the advent of globalisation makes immigration an inevitable phenomenon.
Therefore, it is only beneficial for Singaporeans to cooperate with the government to better manage this influx of foreigners and their involvement in our society. Singapore needs to balance between the economic gains of inviting foreigners and the social costs of integrating them. In order to do this, Singaporeans need to acknowledge the importance of foreigners and make an attempt to assimilate them into our society in the best possible way. This will not only allow foreigners to better fulfill their role in our society, but also minimise disruptions to the social order because of tensions between locals and foreigners. With the above-mentioned social, economic and security concerns in mind, delegates are encouraged to propose the most feasible and efficient methods of integrating foreigners into the Singaporean society.
Questions To Answer
1. How can the influx of foreigners be further regulated to balance Singapore’s needs and its concerns? 2. What can the government do to encourage the creation of inclusive workplaces which increase job security for Singaporeans without discriminating against foreigners? 3. What events can be organised by the government and NGOs to promote greater interaction between citizens and foreigners? 4. How can Singaporeans be made more aware of the contributions made by foreigners to our society? 5. Consider the role of the community in the integration of foreigners into the society.
88 "National Integration Council." Accessed February 11, 2018. http://www.nationalintegrationcouncil.org.sg/.
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6. What can be done to encourage foreigners to integrate into Singapore?
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