REACH 131 - Open to World and maintain a Singaporean Core (SK)

31 Aug 2020 (2pm - 8pm)

REACH

[1:47 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Dear contributors,

Welcome back! 😊

⏰ We will be opening chats to 8pm today. ⏰

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- Megan

REACH

[1:47 pm, 31/08/2020] +: 📢 Topic 📢

How can Singapore stay open to world, while maintaining a Singaporean core?

On an interview on Friday, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing stressed that citizens continue to get priority for jobs. He said that the Government will help by "going all out" to attract investments and create good jobs.

In the interview, Mr Chan also spelt out three aspects of Singapore's position on having foreign manpower complement a core of citizens: fairness, diversity, and localisation. 

He added, "In fact, there are things in the Covid-19 world that have accentuated our strengths: strong leadership, a stable environment, coherent long-term policies, connectivity to the world, protection of intellectual property, stable tripartite relationship, skilled workforce and, most importantly, a progressive people that embrace the world."

👉 https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/fairness-in-hiring-skills-transfer-help-ensure-locals-benefit

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REACH

[1:54 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Union leader urges tougher measures to tackle hiring bias, including EP quotas and ending tax breaks

Local authorities can do more in their bid to protect the Singaporean workforce, labour union leader Patrick Tay said in Parliament on Monday (Aug 31).

In his speech addressing President Halimah Yacob's remarks at the opening of Parliament last Monday, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pioneer SMC and Assistant Secretary-General for the National Trades Union Congress laid out several suggestions for the Government to consider to “further strengthen the Singaporean core”.

More: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-hiring-bias-foreign-worker-ep-quota-patrick-tay-13068098

REACH

[1:56 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Parliament: 4 ways S'pore can emerge stronger as an economy in post-Covid-19 world: DPM Heng

In a speech outlining how Singapore needs to adapt as an economy, as a society and as a people as it works to best ensure the survival and success of the country and improve its citizens' lives in these unprecedented times, Mr Heng highlighted four areas where the Republic needs to strengthen its economic capacity to emerge stronger.

More: https://str.sg/J7HL

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[2:08 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

This is macro economics topics.

Need time to ponder...

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Alvin

[2:22 pm, 31/08/2020] +: I think too much negative emphasis on news recently is placed about Sg core and EP holders. Quit justifying how we benefit from ceca etc and focus on how we can move forward. We all know that bilateral trade agreements have social costs, most of us are aware and aren’t too bother by it. It’s the poor hiring practices that MUST change.

[2:23 pm, 31/08/2020] +: This applies to not just MNC but SMEs as well.

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[2:26 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Hint :- 

Create Economy of Abundance and Opportunities.

[5:51 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Topics :- Union leader urges tougher measures to tackle hiring bias, including EP quotas and ending tax breaks

My close friends observations and my observations :-

Case A: 

- If the HR dept and hiring managers are foreigners, they will favour their own kind. It's human.

- Yes. Macro manpower policy requires to ensure local people are employed.

-  While policy intent is good, if HR decisions are held by foreigners it just means that they will find justifications to promote and raise the salaries of their own kind and in the process potentially squeeze our own local out. 

It's a very difficult issue.

- 道高一尺，魔高一仗

- I know. Some Companies are quite cunning - and know how to exploit loopholes.

Case B: 

- Once a young ex colleague talk about her past experience. Her foreigner colleagues would meet to choose one person to move up and they "work together" to help him get  promoted. Step by step, they engineer their upward mobility.

- Yes. I know of one person who encounter such engineered move when he took on a contract job after he left a permanent job.

Then he decide to come out to do his own business in finance and he do very well in finance.

Case C:

- A taxi driver say his son needs to stay in university hostel as they stayed very far away. But there is very little opportunity for his son to meet the hostel criteria. Why? Because a foreigner was voted into some leadership position and he will always give the opportunity to his own kind.

- A person got his hostel every term.

I think he quite active in hall activities and also the hall leaders like him because he help alot of his hall mates.

- Same idea, at the end of the day, there is decision maker and he is human 😊.

[6:13 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: Topic 📢

How can Singapore stay open to world, while maintaining a Singaporean core?

---

Part 1 - Create Economy of Abundance and Opportunities APlenty.

(1) Quoting from a famous Zen poem :- "僧多粥少“。(Many monks but too little porridge to go around).

(2) That is, if there are too many workers looking for jobs - but there are too little good jobs going around --- it bound to have intense competition, and friction to jostle one another for the very number of jobs.

(3) However, if we enlarge and widen our "porridge" pool - by producing more porridge and better still "quality food" (good pay quality jobs) - then, jostling for porridge (jobs) through intense competiton, jostling, frictions will be greatly reduced.

(4) So the "Macro Economics need to be right" - to attract good quality investment, attract good business to land in Singapore --- to create abundance of good qualtiy job opportuities --- that our workers want and needed.

(5) As our domestic market is too small - we need to open up our market to the World --- to attract good quality investments, business and good high pay jobs ----- but at the same time maintain "a Singaporean core".

Then we will need to look at Part 2 (Education, Training and Skill development) and Part 3 (Macro Manpower policy).

[6:27 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Part 2 :- Education, Training and Skill development

1. If Part 1 condition is met --- that is - Government has created an Economy of Abundance and Opportunities --- where good job openings floursh - does Singaporean workers have the skillsets, qualifications to do the jobs?

2. Then we need to examine our Education system - are we producing sufficient graduates - be it Uni, Poly, ITE etc to do the jobs?

Assume we have.

3. But technologies are evolving and changing so fast, once graduates - our graduates can do the jobs - because the graduates possess the up-to-date skillsets to do the jobs.

4. But what happen many years down the road - where tech disruptors disrupt the jobs and demand new skillsets?

5. Do we retrain our workers to helm the new job requirements?

6. Ok we have Skillsfuture - and assume all workers are trained through the Skillsfuture, do a job based projects and is competence to do the new jobs - and then we have the "train and place" programme for those people who have been displaced.

7. Then is the Skillsfuture course - institutionalised? That is readily recognise by the employers, organisation and investors?

8. If no, then we are in trouble, --- then Government, Union and Employers need to sit down together - to enter into an agreement to accept "Skillsfuture course and programme" to be institutionalise - and accept certification from the Skillsfuture course to be placed into jobs and attract good salary --- this is especially important for mid-career workers.

9. Now after we settle Part 2 - Education, Training and Skill development ---- we need to look at Part 3 - Macro Manpower Policy ---- a very controversial topics - where many cases of "exploiting loopholes, workers discrimination" surfaces.

[6:46 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: ---

Part 3 - Macro Manpower Policy

(1) Macro Manpower Policy need to ensure we achieve the following :-

a. A Singaporean core - ensure that all Singaporeans can land a good jobs - so that Singaporeans will have good income and good quality lives can be ensured for Singaporean workers and their families.

b. As our domestic markets are too small - we cannot rely on domestic market alone. We need to make the World our Market.

(2) Thus how to achieve the dual objectives of "A Singaporean core - supplemented and complemented by foreigners to make the World our Market"?

(3) Then we need to adopt 3 Macro Manpower Thrusts - to be our Macro Manpower Policy :-

(i) Don't bring in foreign workers that Singaporean can do and compete with Singaporeans for jobs.

By doing so, we will build "A Singaporean Core".

(ii). Bring in only foreigners that can contribute millions or billions of investment into Singapore, or bring in ideas, r&d and skillsets that Singaporean do not have - but as a result create many new  and good aulaityjobs for Singaporeans.

(iii). Bring in foreigners for those jobs that Singaporeans don't want to do - but needed for our economy.

For eg. constructions jobs - we need alot of construction workers to build our HDB flats, condos, landed houses, shopping malls, water plants, climate protection, airports etc ---- that will help to create good qualtiy jobs for Singaporeans such as architect, surveyors, electrical and mechanical engineers, envrionmental engineers IT professionals to build fiber broadband, smart homes etc.

--

A side note on market failure in our macro manpower policy especially on middle age PMETs whereby :-

1. As quoted ny NTUC Chief best statement is "Singapore has reached a tipping point where some degree of "market failure" have occured - causing middle aged local PMETs" to become more vulnerable.

2. Every Singaporean will reach the age of 40 to 60 years old - and face the prospect of disruption. No one is immune.

3. NTUC Chief focus in getting State to step in to "managed" the mid-career local PMETs career to mitigate the "market failure" --- deserves Singaporean's support.

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Now assume the Part 3 - Macro Manpower Policy is taken care of.

We need to look at Part 4 - Foreign Affair Policy that deal with our "Trade, Investment and Foreign relationship" with Overseas Countries in the World who are our vital Stake holders --- as the World is Our Market (where trade is 3 times our size of GDP --- estimated $1.5 trillion per year).

[7:10 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Part 4 - Foreign Affair Policy - that promote trade, business, investment, travel.

(1) As Singapore depends on the World to be our market - to survive and to thrive - we need to be the Air hub, Port hub, Data hub, Finance hub, Manufacturing hub, Medical hub, Food hub, Water hub, Energy hub etc.

(2) To build up all these "Hubs" --- we need to have a good, balance and fair foreign affairs policies --- to make friends, and to achieve mutual benefits with all our Stakeholders in the World.

(3) Hence we must put forward a Holisitc Foreign Affairs Policy Principle and Statement - so that our Foreign stakeholders understand our position and will want to be friends and do business with us :-

"Be Friends with All,

Be enemies with None.

Forge Mutual Benefits with Win-Win outcome".

"朋友满天下。

敌人无一个。

以附惠附利的共识，达成双赢的结果。“ （For Chinese speaking Nations and Friends".

(4) We have forge an impressive arrays of Bilateral FTAs (Sing-US, Sing-India, Sing-Australia, Sing-New Zealand, Sing-Japan, Sing-S Korea etc.) and Multi-lateral FTAs (eg. CPTPP, Sing-China and Greater China, Sing-ASEAN, Sing-EU, Sing-Africa, Sing-Russia and Central Asia) etc and will be on the way to secure the RCEP come the end of this year hopefully).

This multi-layer of FTAs - has created tremendous opportunities for our business in trade, investment and business - and have created many jobs for all. 

But geopolitical tussle - are threatening to unravel these FTAs in which we have thrive in. Then we need to look at the following point.

(5) Currently, there is an intense "Geopolitical tension" going on - specifically US-China trade war, tech war etc plus US-World trade war.

Global Supply Chain have been disrupted.

We need to see how the global supply chain has shifted ---- and China plus ASEAN ---- known as "China plus One" supply chain has taken place --- a strategy to avoid the punitive sanctions place on China export.

Hope Singapore did not miss this boat --- and is able to sezie the changing dynamics and insert ourselves into this "China plus One" supply chain.

(6) Covid has also cause many Countries to lockdown and prevent overseas travellers from travelling to our hub.

- Thus we need to adopt systematic, surgical and safe bi-lateral agreement to attract overseas travellers to our Country - eg. business travellers, tourists, MICE etc by coining "ring-fence" air bubbles and "safe tunneling" air corridors ---- to reboot our air hub, tourism, retail, f&b and tourist spots.

[7:27 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Oh forgot to mention we can grow ourselves to be the media hub.

CNA live in YouTube.

CNA have many foreign news correspondent all over the world.

MediaCorp win many international film awards.

[7:28 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

We are also the data center hubs, where we have 55 data centers and other types of offshore data hubs.

---

Alvin

[7:57 pm, 31/08/2020] +: I’m going to say controversial stuff now.

Discard all the old school thinking about Air Hub and Port Hub etc that we have been excellent in. This path will likely be down the decline if we continue.

Let’s be bold and do invest in new and unconventional stuff.

Eg Aerospace is doom right? So far everything is Aero what about the Space portion? Why not look at asteroid mining? We have no natural resources? We can surely overcome this if very try.

What about our waste and garbage? Can we turn them into useful materials that can produce products? Can we extract them into resources? We are not short of “resources”, just the will to achieve it. Just like how we are almost self sustaining in our water sources.

There are more points to explore but since this chat is closing let’s discuss more tomorrow. 

My 2.14 cents

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Turn the doom into boom!

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: My turn at puns

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: 😊👏👏

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: 🤭

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: 👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: If no hub.

We will have nothing.

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: That sounds like a good motto

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Seriously?

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: 😂😂

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Seriously!

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Wishing everyone a great Monday evening!

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: With a boom!

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Monday booms now not Monday blues 😆

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

We will be bypass.

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Got AMK hub lor

[7:58 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Lol

REACH

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Dear Contributors,

We will be closing the chat for today.

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Hahaha all the hub

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Too many sunset industries

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Yes, fair point. and by teaching I meant not focused on the pupil's learning, if you see what I mean.

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: 

And we will have no jobs.

HK is happening.

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Time to let the sun go down on them

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Refocus on new emerging ones

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Ok Megan want to sunset liao let her do her job

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: 🤭

[7:59 pm, 31/08/2020] +: Gdnite Megan!

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