7/09/2015

NTUC to help PMEs to be competitive? MOM also in the picture


‘Speaking at the launch of a Master Class series by NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) last Friday (3 Jul), NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing told the audience that NTUC is keen to help Singapore professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) improve their skills and widen their networks so that they can compete better on the international stage.

“As our economy transforms, more and more of our people will be in the PME sectors, and (it) is also NTUC’s job to make sure that we help our PMEs remain competitive and stay ahead of the competition,” he said.

I copy this paragraph from an article in the TRE titled, ‘Chan: NTUC to help PMEs compete internationally. And my immediate reactions were, what was he smoking, where did he come from? Does he know what is happening on the ground? Does he know what he is saying?

Our PMEs are losing out to fakes and cheats and foreigners with dubious qualifications from funny universities. Do they stand a chance competing internationally? It is like unable to compete in a pond and wanting to compete in the ocean?  What is this e2i magic? Is it recognisable by the world, better than degrees from top universities?

I am dumbfounded.

The comments following the article said it all. And all I can say is ‘笑话’, he can’t be serious? Or is he trying to say competing with international talents here?

Swee Say appears to have a better grasp of the problems. He is going after companies with a poor Singaporean core. The MOM is going to scrutinize the employment pass applications and the qualifications of the applicants. Fakes and forged degrees will not be tolerated. IDA please take note. There are several other measures Swee Say is doing that may work, some temporary like stop gap measures, but generally he is looking in the right direction.

It is discrimination and fakes, stupid. Unless these two devils are pulled out with their roots, every measure will be superficial and will be seen as a gimmick to appease the people in lieu of the GE.

What I would like to see is a 3 month amnesty for all the fakes and forged degree holders to resign and go home. After this grace period, the MOM would go down hard on fake degrees, degree mill degrees and forged degrees. Anyone caught will be subject to heavy fines and imprisonment. The heavy fines are needed to crawl back the amount of dubious salary earned from their crimes. And they could pay directly from their pockets or sell their properties. Many fakes and cheats have already sunk roots by buying into properties here thinking that the MOM would not be looking into history as they have been here for a long time and their trails have been well covered. Fakes and forged degrees are just that and have to be combed and removed no matter how long they have been here and hiding under a thick layer of new legitimacy.

And to mean business, all organizations with 200 staff and above must employed Singaporeans as their HR managers to ensure that govt policies are not swept under the carpet or just paying lip service and mugging around with the numbers and distortions.

Is Swee Say up to it to implement serious and real measures to rid this scourge once and for all? If these two evils are removed, there is no need for the NTUC e2i training to compete internationally. There will be plenty of jobs awaiting our very own PMEs. PME unemployment rate only 2.7%? Who’s kidding? What about giving up searching or underemployment?

The foreign cheats and fakes are watching. So are the Singaporeans. Any half baked measures, half hearted measures, and wayang for the sake of the GE would stand up sorely like a sore thumb. The govt, the MOM and Swee Say need to regain the trust of the people and not be a joke to the foreigners, thinking they can continue to cheat them like before, silly buggers didn’t know what is happening and so easy to con..

Let’s see what Swee Say and his MOM will do to up the stake.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wah! Chan Chun Sing is taking a "personal interest" in Singaporean PMETs.
He is expressing his "deep concern".
It looks like he is "closely monitoring" the situation.
- We are saved.
- It's a miracle
- and just before the General Elections too

But just to be sure.
I will be voting Opposition so that my Opposition MP in parliament can;
- take a "personal interest" in Chan Chun Sing's actual action
- "closely monitor" Chan Chun Sing's actual action
- express "deep concern" if Chan Chun Sing cannot deliver on his words

Vote Opposition.
To monitor and ensure that PAP's election promises are kept.

Anonymous said...

Stop giving employment agency licence to foreigners. They are the ones that are cheating on local PMEs.

Anonymous said...

I want to see Lim Swee Say calling the CEOs to his office to explain why there are so many foreigners hired and so few locals in their organisations esp the banks. Please do not bring the DPM with you to visit them like a boy scout needing papa to hold your hand.

You are a minister of a sovereign country. Call them to your office and make them explain. If not happy with their explanation, tell them to go somewhere else. Tell their head office to remove them. Do not go to their offices to plead with them like they own this country and you are their servant.

Anonymous said...

I think it may be too late and too little. The flooding is so serious that there is no way to catch the fakes. Even our Stat Boards are infiltrated with fakes.

PME would not vote for them in the elections. They know the current government is not sincere in helping our professionals. The past policies flawed but government is unable to turn back. Greed has the last laugh!

Anonymous said...

Is this the guy that said that it was not important where the degree come from but experience is only some time back? GE must be very near!

Anonymous said...

Everyday spouting about planning ahead until the whole house is infested with fakes and cheats. Now suddenly wake up and want to do house cleaning?

Pay them millions to sleep on the job and poor PMEs got their careers and lives destroyed. And their families and children suffered for their negligence.

It takes them so long to act!

The said...

/// The MOM is going to scrutinize the employment pass applications and the qualifications of the applicants. Fakes and forged degrees will not be tolerated. ///

Jesus HG Christ! You mean all these years they have been twiddling their thumbs and have not been scrutinizing employment pass applications and not checking for fakes and forged degrees?

The said...

Elections coming on 5 Sep or 12 Sep. PMEs - you know what to do to get your message heard.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

>> Do they stand a chance competing internationally? <<

Of course. But it is not increased networks nor skills which are needed the most---although they do play a part.

What is fundamental is the passion to add value, to even work for "free" if necessary. The PMETs need to shift their attitude and work on themselves. If they don't, all that tax payer funded training will be wasted on a bunch of LOSERS.

Got passion for service and value?

Anonymous said...


I am a fan of Mr Lim, the Betterer!

He will no doubt be the BEST Minister of Manpower!

He should be appointed very much much earlier.

Many PMET jobs would have saved.

Hahaha........

Goh said...

Mai Huan choo.
PMEs n Sinkies only need to have positive working attitudes else whatever training or networks oso no use.
Too many unnecessary leaves like childcare or paternity leaves etc only make them less competitive and lazy to contribute.
Best is to cut down on annual and medical leaves entitlement.

Anonymous said...


agongkia 10.47am pls note.....

You are correct! You are correct!

Annual leave cut to 5 days per year? OK?

Medical leave cut to 3 days per year? OK?

Propose to MOM.

Cheers.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Put it this way, they know the problems. It is a matter of whether they want to act on it or not. Swee Say knows what he is doing and the measures he is pushing out would have some impact if really applied to the words. I say if.

The pain is so big and if they still cannot feel it and not wanting to do something, this country will go to the dogs, or already gone.

What is the angst all about? Dunno leh, cannot see leh, cannot understand leh.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ wrong again, RB:

>> this country will go to the dogs, <<

I disagree. IMO it will go to those who DESERVE it.

Meritocracy lah. Winners gets to keep whatever they win. Losers need to do some soul searching.

Please lah, you know how this works ;-)

Anonymous said...

Hi RB, what I can say is that you are saying the right things and pointing out the real issues affecting the people. The best feedback the garment needs.

They may be uncomfortable and irritated by what you said, but they know that they must do something about them.

And now they are acting on them. Your effort is not in vain.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ living in dreamland, 1119:

>> The best feedback the garment needs. <<

Please lah. They've already made up their minds and got people working on it already, well before the "official announcement".

Singapore govt doesn't listen to "feedback" lah. Especially from blogs and forums. They already have the "solutions" long before you can even cherry pick the "problems".

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Listen up blur cocks, if you haven't already realized, this is the "brilliant plan" from the unilateral govt:

1. Change regulations to make it more difficult for Singapore-based enterprises to employ foreign labour

2. Demand that Singapore-based enterprises hire more locals

3. Train up "loser" locals and increase their "value" so that they can meet the demands of Singapore-based enterprises (at lower pay of course....something has got to give)

Yes, the pay will be lower. And the re-hired locals will have to work longer and harder for their dough. That's just economic reality lah.

Virgo 49 said...

Learnt from Dr Goh Keng Swee.

Told investors: We need each other. This is our country, my citizens first in employment.

You also here to make profits, you must have find our place conducive. If not you would not be here.
With out our people's expertise and hard work, you will not be here.

So our people's come first, if not farked off.

My opinon, till now Sin government with all the expertise of its people and surplus capital should be investing here as enterprises with its people in charge and have our own citizens in full employment. Rather like beggars afraid of these investors and on their terms in employing to their wishes.

Mo lan yong

Virgo 49 said...

When he runs out of toothpicks, be taking sabbatical leave longer than ho jinx.

Virgo 49 said...

Right you are Bro. Don't book any holidays for Sept holiday

After the hoo ha NDP with hai kow yew lecture.

After the payment of GST credits. Everyone jubilant mood. Order chee cha.

Wham, the lightning GE comes. All the MIWs be wearing black for LKY's dead birthday.

All media Corp channels mourning for him

PAP will win 90%

Anonymous said...

My motto is "The only way to stop Singaporean PMETs losing their jobs to foreigners, is to make sure the PAP MPs lose their jobs.". Let yhem have a taste of their own medicine.

Anonymous said...

Agree. But if they don't lose their jobs, then must make them work for us.

Tell them to PNG those CEOs that are discriminating our PMEs and keep bringing their villagers here to replace our PMEs.

Give a call to their head office to send them back. We would not work with them and would not let them stay here. PNG them.