5/03/2021

Ng Chee Meng - Just do it

'NTUC will consider ‘ring fencing’ certain jobs like HR to help local Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) – Ng Chee Meng....

Ng Chee Meng’s announcement will probably pacify Singaporean PMEs for a while and make those simple-minded ones happy, however, I do not hope that ring fencing talk is a mere symbolic rhetoric, a flash in the pan thing.

Ring fencing certain jobs such as Human Resource is but a start only and much serious hard work need to be done behind the scene.

They include a holistic relook and review of employment cost structures between local PMEs vs foreign ones, relooking whether our polytechnics and our tertiary institutions are offering relevant courses and are producing Singaporean graduates relevant to what our industries and economy need, whether our Government Linked Companies (GLCs) are leading examples of nurturing our own local talents to take on bigger and heavier responsibilities or guilty of liberally employing foreign PMEs at our local PMEs’ expense and if MOM’s granting of employment passes is too liberal etc. I am sorry to say that I consider advertising in the job bank requirement to be a book-smart joke and a big one.'

 

The plight of Singaporean PMETs is being raised again in Simon Lim's article in the TRE following Ng Chee Meng's red herring of ring fencing certain jobs, in particular HR jobs. I have written about this many times and have almost given up talking about it just like the CPF. 

Now, why would I call this a red herring? Haven't enough been said, haven't enough damage been done, haven't enough Singaporeans suffered from the reckless and indiscriminate importing and hiring of foreigners to replace our very own people and leading to grave injustice and suffering of our young? If Ng Chee Meng is still considering this issue, then what is it if it is not a red herring? Is this something important enough and must be done?

Haven't the govt think it has done enough harm to the Singaporeans and it is time to do away with the bad policy and to save the Singaporeans from further harm and financial difficulties? Obviously the govt does not think so and that is why they still think it is not time to do something and Ng Chee Meng is still considering what to do.

For goodness sake, the govt has destroyed a whole generation of Singaporeans by this silly open leg policy. What is the govt waiting for? What is Ng Chee Meng waiting for before to protect the livelihood and well being of Singaporeans? Have they not heard enough painful stories of the pathetic Singaporeans and their families and children while the funny and fake foreign talents are laughing all the way to the banks?

I just have one thing to say, just do it.  What are you waiting for?  Ng Chee Meng is fortuitously placed in a strategic position to do something for Singaporeans and to earn his spur as a politician, as a political force to be reckon with instead of another one that came and went.  What Ng Chee Meng can do, and do it fast, can make a huge change to the lives of many Singaporeans beyond his imagination.

And he is still considering? Ng Chee Meng is given a chance to do something that is good for Singaporeans. He could be that someone that could make a difference to the lives of many Singaporeans that are begging for help and mercy. Don't dilly dally and miss this chance to do something meaningful and impactful. Show the Singaporeans that you have the conviction to fight for the good of Singaporeans, to stand up for the good of Singaporeans.  This is something that is lacking, awfully, among the political leaders today. This is a tough and selfless call, a cause waiting for a tough and strong leader to push this through. He would have won the hearts and minds of the workforce, the Singaporeans, if he could carry this through. Making tough calls is easy. But making tough calls that would benefit Singaporeans is another matter.

Is Ng Chee Meng up to it?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh well, that former NTUC chief Lim Say Say also did ring fenced certain jobs for older Sinkies years earlier. Jobs like cleaning tables, gardening, washing toilets and pushing airport baggage trolleys.

Now that hawking, food delivery and driving pirate taxis are going to be jobs for Sinkies, who will instantly become CEOs of such one or two men operation, the call is timely and makes sense. That is why he said only 'certain' jobs. The word 'certain' carries a lot of meaning.

Anonymous said...

Should count yourself lucky they never ring fence top jobs for foreigners.

Anonymous said...

Top jobs in Government and GLCs are ring fenced and reserved for ex MPs. Not opposition MPs lah! They can tang ku ku and grow old old. Just look around.

Anonymous said...

Well, as always, 'Never Trust Union Chiefs'. This guy is not even an elected MP. What weight does his words carry?

Anonymous said...

Air is free. Talk is free. He talk only lah.

Anonymous said...

Rb, it's not up to him lar. He does not have power to see that through. Ultimately its up to the pm

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

True. But he can push just like George Yeo went to LKY to convince him to invest in India.

Here he can go to Hsien Loong and push his case and see if he can convince him to do it.

Or he can everyday think about it until the cow comes home.

Anonymous said...

If he cannot achieve anything meaningful while in NTUC, he would have wasted his time and opportunity to make a comeback, and ending his political career with nothing worth mentioning.

Clear eyed said...

I have little faith in fat cats taking any action. They stay in their fortified ivory towers and play word games - ring fence, ponding, upturn the downturn, circuit breaker, etc. Just like our army generals playing war games. And they are paid obscene amounts for this.

Anonymous said...

Isn't this too late? Too late the hero! All already killed!

Anonymous said...

Earn so much, doing so little.
Pai seh or not?

Anonymous said...

The only problem is he also know pm is likely aware of the issue but likely consider it is not serious hence no action. So if he pushes something that pm thinks is not serious. He may even lose his current job. Then very jialat. But if he manages to push through he will be remembered and the next election he will be in. So it's a calculation he has to make.

Anonymous said...

According to TOC, Gilbert Goh is currently being investigated by police for partaking in a public assembly without permit after holding up a placard May 01 outside the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority building. The placard read, “Please ban all flights from India we are not racist! Just being cautious”, referencing the astronomical spike in the number of daily cases in Singapore and discovery of a highly infectious COVID-19 strain with double mutations, B1617, originating from India.

TOC cites May 3 data from GISAID website that India's B1617 variant virus is now in nearly 30 countries, with tiny Singapore ranking 4th in the world with the most number of cases with this variant.

Separately, TOC says news emerged that last week Temasek Holdings had invested US$120 million in a Mumbai-based startup called UpGrad Education - which wants to make India the teaching capital of the whole world - valuing the company at more than US$600 million. UpGrad said it intended to use Temasek’s money to further strengthen its team, scale its global market operations, bolster its technology and product capabilities, as well as pursue merger and acquisition opportunities. UpGrad, which offers over a hundred online courses to registered learners, said it also intends to expand its graduate and postgraduate degree portfolio in India with the new funding.

The ST reported on Feb 09 that current Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching will retire on Oct 1 this year, handing over to Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, who will take the helm on Oct 1.

Anonymous said...

Obviously, the love affair between Temasek and India is getting deeper, stronger and wilder. The question is why?

Anonymous said...

By Anshuman Daga

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A boom in technology jobs across all sectors in Singapore and a shortage of tech workers means the country will have to rely on foreigners to fill the gap, Ravi Menon, the managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore said on Tuesday.

This statement in today's media says more foreigners needed.

Why don't they go and bring back all the Singaporeans overseas that are trained and experienced in tech instead of going to the third world and bring in Covid19 as well? There are thousands of Singaporeans in the US and UK available but not tapped.

Would it mean that because of this shortage, Covid19 also never mind?

Anonymous said...

You must check the background of Ravi Menon, the MD of MAS.