Old and new citizens do not get equal chance in Singapore

Old and new citizens do not get equal chance in Singapore

Singapore is a meritocracy that does not distinguish between old or new citizens, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

Whether it comes to the giving out of jobs or business contracts or scholarships, whoever excels will be rewarded, he stressed yesterday at the launch of a new feature section in Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao. (read article here)

While few can refute MM Lee’s claims that Singapore is a meritocracy, whether there is a level playing field for both old and new citizens is a different matter altogether.

Native-born Singaporeans are more than willing to compete with new citizens on an equal footing, however the increasing odds stacked against us is fuelling resentment and disgruntlement on the ground.

I fear for is future generations of Singaporeans who may struggle to achieve the same standard of living as their parents.

During my time when there were less foreigners, the starting pay of an university graduate is $S2,000. A 5 room HDB flat in Bishan cost less than S$100,000.

Nowadays, fresh graduates are finding it difficult to secure a stable, long-term job saved for those in Medicine and Law. Even engineers are being crowded out by the influx of Chinese and Indian engineers.

The salary of the Singapore worker, especially that of the lower income group has remained relatively stagnant for the last few years and being outpaced by the cost of living. Our purchasing power has been eroded to the extent that many are barely making ends meet let alone save enough for retirement.

The reservist obligation of Singapore males is a bane to us. How can we compete with new citizens who do not have to take 14 days off each year to serve national service?

There are many worthy Singaporeans who are denied a place in local universities because their grades were not deemed good enough. Yet we have many foreign students from the region who are being sponsored by our government to study in Singapore. Their tution fees are entirely covered on top of a generous monthly allowance and they are guaranteed a job upon graduation.

A place in our universities occupied by a foreigner is one denied to a local Singaporean who may have to pursue his/her tertiary education overseas or give it up completely.

Are our Singaporean students of inferior quality compared to let’s say, second-rate Chinese students? The top students in China do not come to Singapore. They are either sent to prestigious universities in the West or to the elite Chinese universities like Qinghua and Fudan.

I recognize the need for Singapore to increase its population via immigration. What I can’t reconcile with is the government’s blatant neglect for local Singaporeans. Much more can be done to develop the human capital we already have.

Singapore’s low birth rate is further exacerbated by a brain drain which is getting worse with each passing year. Can the number of new citizens made up for the loss of native Singaporeans to other countries? I seriously doubt so.

Without a core nucleus of locals to retain the unique Singapore identity, we are no different from a hotel where people come in and go. New citizens have little sense of belonging to Singapore and they can always change their citizenship again should they don’t like it here.

The United States became a great nation of what it is today through opening its doors to immigration. Many immigrants who set up their homes in the U.S. stayed there for good and few natives renounced their American citizenship.

It is pointless to dish our PRs and citizenships to foreigners like some freebies while local Singaporeans are leaving for greener pastures elsewhere at an alarming rate.

Foreigners who are contemplating to emigrate here will think: if Singapore’s governance is so open, transparent and fair as boasted by MM Lee, why are we having one of the highest emigration rates in the world?

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