Singaporeans should work overseas and let foreigners work here

Too much home comfort? Singapore needs more citizens to work abroad and gain international exposure

There are many advantages of staying grounded in Singapore, especially as working overseas may not necessarily pay better, but experts say that the advantages of gaining international work experience will pay off handsomely in the long run.  Taufiq Zalizan CNA

"The problem for Singaporeans … is that there's simply no economic reason to work overseas, especially in the region," said the associate professor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).

Jobs here pay better than their equivalents in neighbouring countries and even in some developed countries after accounting for expenses and taxes, labour and manpower experts noted. Thus, it is hardly attractive for Singaporeans to leave the comfort of their homes and families to work abroad....

The above is from an article by a foreigner or new citizen encouraging Singaporeans to leave their better paying jobs in Singapore, uproot from their families, to work overseas for lesser pay but to gain experience. The reasoning to some point is sound, but with a big hole that smells foul.

Not only it is difficult to get a good job overseas. Today, many countries are paying lesser than jobs in Singapore, and overseas jobs are not easy to come by. The biggest flaw about gaining foreign experience as an advantage is meaningless when many Singapore companies, big and small, are nothing different from chicken rice stalls, selling goods and services that are local in nature that do not compete with foreign companies, and their customers are Singaporeans, and with little chance of operating in an international environment. Even if one or two go overseas, they hardly need the foreign experience when the advantage is being a Singapore product.

This is the big bull in this argument about gaining foreign experience. It may be useful to some top jobs, but most of the time it is something good to have but not essential. More than 90% of jobs, including top jobs do not need overseas experience. Overseas experience gained for lower and middle management jobs are nothing to crow about.

The displacement and dislocation costs are prohibitive and a very high price to pay for Singaporeans working overseas. There is no guarantee that they can get a comparable job on their return. 

The biggest advantage for this kind of thinking is that more foreigners can come in to replace Singaporeans in good jobs with better pay. It would lead to the hollowing out of out talents and be replaced by foreigners. This is an existential threat to Singapore, when talented Singaporeans work overseas and foreigners come in to replace them. It is a deadly blood transfusion, supposedly good but really bad for Singapore. Singapore is home to Singaporeans not to foreigners.

Chicken rice sellers don't need overseas experience. Period. All govt and ministry jobs do not need overseas experience. Most GLCs don't need overseas experience. Even the CEOs of local banks do not need overseas experience. It is only something good to have. Tell me, which job must have overseas experience, that overseas experience is essential, a must have? Stop being fooled into selling out Singaporeans and allowing foreigners to take over Singapore. The days when overseas jobs are better paying and worthy of the experience and the sacrifices of dislocation and working away from home is over. A Singaporean working overseas would have a tough time readjusting and adapting on returning to Singapore, and often becomes poorer financially and in many other aspects. The cost of housing and cars would kill the thought of returning to Singapore. The cost of living here would make returning to Singapore very difficult, except for a few top jobs that pays enough to return.

Only foreigners would encourage Singaporeans to work overseas so that they can take over their jobs and their country, Singapore. Anyone promoting or telling Singaporeans to work overseas, ask who are they, are they Singaporeans, what are their motive and intention.