At a public forum organized by the National University of Singapore (NUS) yesterday (13 Aug), Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat told everyone that it’s not possible to “bubble wrap” Singaporeans from foreign competition....
And if workers can work from anywhere, employers can easily seek out the best skilled workers from all parts of the world.”“Even more physical jobs – such as port crane operators – can now be done remotely, in the comfort of a control room. And the control room can possibly be located thousands of miles away. This means foreigners do not have to be in Singapore to compete with us,” he added.
In other words, Heng is saying, for example, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) could easily hire crane operators in third world countries and have them operate those port cranes on Jurong Island to move containers off the ships. The good thing, of course, would be that PSA only needs to pay those operators in third world wages, if Heng’s vision was to be realized.
The above is quoted from TOC. I just have one comment. Singapore is building one of the largest port in the world in Tuas and would need a lot of cranes to operate. The cranes can be fully automated like in Shanghai or still need remote operators. In the latter case, yes, the operators can be off site, located in Singapore's favourite corner, Mumbai or some Indian cities.
This need for crane operators is based on the assumption that the Tuas port would continue to be visited by ships ply through the Straits of Malacca. What if the ships stop calling at Tuas? What if Tuas becomes a white elephant?
The ship owners decide where they want their ships to go. This is the big picture. The employment of crane operators is micro management. India can have all the cheap crane operators and IT workers, but the ships would not go to India. Similarly, the ships may not want to come to Singapore and go elsewhere. If we can attract the ships here, we decide how to operate the cranes and who should be the crane operators.
Another point to consider from the big picture. If we are to go the road of getting the cheapest and the best from the rest of the world, then everything can be operated from off site. There is no more need for expensive Singaporean labour and workers except politicians.
What is the main controlling factor? The ships come a calling or the crane operators? What is Singapore's strength? The total package including efficiency and system or foreign talents? If it is just foreign talents, all the businesses would have gone to the countries with all the talents like India, not to no talent Singapore. Tiok boh?
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These companies employ many Singaporeans, including for senior and international positions, Lee said. If the government had not allowed the companies to import the employment pass holders they needed, they would not have come here, and Singaporeans would have had fewer opportunities, he added.
This message is the key to the influx of foreigners in middle and top management. How true or relevant is this? Or is it just a myth, a red herring used to justify the import of so many foreigners here?
If the big MNCs do not think Singapore is a good place to locate, where do you think they would or could go to? India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines or Timbuktu? The people sticking to this narrative should not underestimate the value of Singapore and how convenient and safe and easy to do business here and to locate their staff here unlike all the hostile and difficult environment in other countries.
If Singapore did not have these advantages, all the MNCs would have gone to India or other Asean countries. Having more foreigners here is only a small factor in the whole equation.
It is time that this myth and red herring be discarded and redeem some pride for Singaporeans to be worthy again and stop foolishly blowing the foreign talent balloon.
Politicians also can be hired from say, China, New Zealand or Germany or any European country to work remotely, with much lower pay and more talents. Right? What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
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DPM Heng chose to ignore the other critical factors that investments are attracted to a country by just highlighting the cheap and talented manpower reason, without taking into consideration things like infrastructure, ready availabiliby of skilled labour, ease of doing business. shipping connectivity etc etc.
Take the attempt at decoupling of businesses from China enforced by the US. For example Apple, Foxconn are shifting back to China after their manufacturing bases in India and Vietnam took a hit due to COVID and particularly the poor management and control in India. Both these countries may offer cheaper costs in producing goods, but relocated businesses have found it becoming a case of penny wise pound foolish.
Heng's selective presentation of facts is a poor reflection of his intelligence and intellectual ability.
No wonder, he dares not become the next Premier. He knows, and everyone now knows, that he is not up to the mark of PM material.
He cannot look at things from the wider overall perspective and he does not have any vision for the future.
He is a piece-meal, set-piece, administrative worker promoted beyond his competence, because of his obedience and loyalty to the Lee Family,
If it works like what Heng says, why are we cracking our heads worrying about infections in the dorms? Just stop the influx, send those talents home and rehire them to work remotely, building homes, roads, drainage systems, servicing break downs in MRT system etc.
Why need to import nurses to work in hospitals to look after sick people? Just let those nurses do it remotely. Why need to import maids to look after the young and old? Just let them do it remotely too. If some things can be done from thousands of mile away, not everything will work in the same way.
DPM Heng is never in the same class as Lee Kuan Yew - in fact, far far below.
When Heng speaks, I puke !
Moving factories out of China is easy. Among other factors is the ready availability of the supporting smaller manufacturers of components which will have to move with them, which will not work.
China is like one big giant factory where everything can be found at short notice and within easy reach. Anywhere else, they do not have that economy of scale to sustain those smaller manufacturers.
Which begs the question: why do people still regard Sinkapore as their home and country?
If you are smart enough, you should leave this tiny island ASAP since it likes to welcome all sorts of cheap and third world trash over the indigenous people.
Why not vote out the party that is turning this island into a trash hole instead?
We hear of first world country dumping trash on third world countries. Only in Red Dot have we now come to the stage of a third world country dumping trash on to a first world country. It is a real shame!
So, what is going to be the result? LKY, if he were to rise from the grave, will have to write another book titled: From First World to Third.
Smart people already moved, or at least have one leg on the ground, to China.
I have six residential properties in China - Beijing, Chengdu, Nanking, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
I have one factory manufacturing toys and gimmicks in Hangzhou.
I have four offices in China - one covering operations in Northern China, one covering the Southern part, one in the West, and one East.
Businesses there are much better than in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
To our idiots, third world trash is gold to them.
And they love Singaporeans so much that they provided training for them to be cleaners when they lose their jobs to the third world trash.
The PM's National Day Rally speech has become one of those things that very few people are bothered to pay attention to or take notice of.
After so any unkept promises, his words now rings hollow.
Take for example the case of selecting and grooming the next PM. It goes round and round in circles and is back to square one, going nowhere. He does not even give any indication that he is serious about having the best and well qualified person to hold the next PM post.
Looks like he is taking a great gamble with the next PM post.
None of the three forerunners have good leadership qualities. None of them can inspire confidence and fellowship. None of them have any vision for Singapore going forward. All of them have serious defects of character in one way or another.
Nothing new about the rally. More blames given to the Chinese majorities for not helping the minorities. It also blamed the men for not helping the women. Political moved to win votes. No new medicine already.
Their Sea Route will be thru the Potong Isthmus of Kra to Europe.
Only if you don't understand geology. Not feasible in reality, only feasible for talk.
People are really sick of the PM and his over-paid, underserved millionaire Ministers talking down to us and lecturing us, when they failed to see into the mirror and take personal and collective full responsibility for all the cock-ups that have happened in the last 15 years under his Premiership. They still think that they have the moral high-horse to talk down to us. Thick skin.
Mr Redbean, why are Singaporeans so kiasu and kiasi? The answer is obvious. Singaporeans have since birth have been brainwashed by the PAP to be timid, do not question authority, suffer in silence, kpkb only in private and most of all avoid being hantam by government. Singaporeans are trained to be book smart and not street wise. To stand up to the hungry and mean Indian, PRC and other Asean PMETs, Singaporeans will be eaten alive. There will always be imported PMET talents from India for the Banking and technical companies. Singapore will always have to depend on foreigners to " compliment " the local workforce.
Funny, they talk so much about upholding 'Freedom of Navigation' and yet always threatening to blockade the Straits of Malacca. Double talk hypocrites!
@ redbean @ August 30, 2021 8:58 am
You are very wise and correct.
PAP is selling Singapore and Singaporeans too cheaply.
PAP does not know how to negotiate with all these India-companies operating here in Singapore.
Just tell them.
I want a 51% Singaporean majority in your workforce.
If you not happy, please go back to India.
I guarantee you theses India-companies will comply.
Because the business environment in Singapore is so much better than in India.
Maybe kena black magic.
Maybe see Indians they peed in their pants.
Maybe they know something we don't, that this piece of rock is sinking, so desperate, any shit also good.
When is Singapore going to outsource political appointments like ministers and even PM and President to India or to the rest of the world?
It would be cheap and good instead of having no talent clowns doing nothing except talking rubbish and being paid in the millions.
DPM Heng, can outsource DPM and PM jobs also you know. It would be easier to outsource such positions and they can sit in Mumbai or Chennai to make broadcast over CNA, remotely.
Eventually Goods to Europe and the ME would not need to come by Singapore. Only heavy bulk carriers and heavy items going to Africa or India need to go thru Tuas. Whatever, a big chunk of the goods would not come down the Straits of Malacca route.
The BRI would change a lot of things and divert a lot of trade to and through Central Asia.
Anyone wondering why the need to build the biggest port in the world in Tuas?
If only the imbeciles are a bit foresighted and did not allowed the Americans to camp here and control the sea route, China may not have to plan to turn away traffic from the straits. Now they could be hung high and dry. Still cannot see the big picture and the end of American dominance and China as the biggest trading country in the world. Antagonising China is as good as carrying a big rock to drop on one's own feet.
Thank you for your professional insights Virgo49. Very thought provoking.
The imbeciles still thinking they are damn farking smart in negotiating and signing this silly CECA. They cannot see how many Singaporean lives and families they have destroyed.
During those revolutionary era, when the government was overthrown, such leaders would be executed by firing squads.
They cannot see they have done wrong to the Singaporeans and probably expecting the Singaporeans to say thank you to them.
They are so blinded by their own stupidity.
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