Can Singapore wean itself off cheap foreign labour?
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Originally posted by Veggie Bao:
I think maybe it is oversimplification because the North-South civil war and their industrial disparity maybe has many different complicated factors dont you think ?
Anyways, it is difficult to just discuss about conceptual topics without concrete examples.
Maybe, you can think up of a few concrete examples in the real world, like I tried to do, and then mention them ?
Then it will be easier to discuss..........
I only brought up history because you were saying cheap labour was an asset to exploit.
Here's a real example of some countries who remain poor. We do have some very educated Indonesians, Malaysians and Filipinos working here, right? In fact, some Filipino maids here are quite highly educated.
Labour there is plentiful and cheap. The rich business owners would rather make money in primitive industries, paying very little for labour, exporting cheap goods. How many high tech companies have you heard of from these Southeast Asian countries? There are no opportunities for better educated workers to earn the money they are worth.
As a result, even very talented individuals are unable to find work. They either migrate towards better opportunities, or toil as a manual worker.
These countries have a few extremely rich people and huge numbers of poor. If the situation continues, the wealth gap will only widen.
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Just as it is wise for these Malaysians, Indonesians and Philipinos to leave their country (unless they are the very rich), it is wise for me to leave mine.
I will do so at the earliest opportunity to a place where my skills get their due worth.
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Not a direct example........dont look at Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines.....just look at Singapore only.
Because what I was pointing out is the act of acquiring or using cheap foreign labour , aka 21st century colonization and enslavement and the betterment of the living standards of the locals.
Btw that may be a little bit rude and insensitive. I am just pointing it out as an illustration only, I dont mean to say Singapore is enslaving and colonizing others.
Ok,
Using that example,
I have pointed out how it benefits the locals in terms of the direct and indirect effects of maids, construction workers, janitors, cleaners, etc.
For historical comparison, lets look at UK.
Why did UK became so rich, so powerful ?
Why was it UK, and not some countries say.....Bulgaria ?
Because they have extra resources and labour from the slaves and colonies, isnt it ?
And another reason why it is not good to directly compare to Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines.....uhm....because Singapore only uses cheap foreign labour as a temporary or transient worker only. These cheap foreign worker labour at the low-skilled spectrum do not become permanent residents or citizens. So they won't create rich-poor social gap problems and so on (not saying there is 100% no social problem, because trust me there is still some social effects such as the Sentosa bikini ogling case by foreign workers etc)
These cheap foreign workers are rotated. As far as I know.
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Originally posted by Veggie Bao:
Not a direct example........dont look at Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines.....just look at Singapore only.
Because what I was pointing out is the act of acquiring or using cheap foreign labour , aka 21st century colonization and enslavement and the betterment of the living standards of the locals.
Btw that may be a little bit rude and insensitive. I am just pointing it out as an illustration only, I dont mean to say Singapore is enslaving and colonizing others.
Ok,
Using that example,
I have pointed out how it benefits the locals in terms of the direct and indirect effects of maids, construction workers, janitors, cleaners, etc.
For historical comparison, lets look at UK.
Why did UK became so rich, so powerful ?
Why was it UK, and not some countries say.....Bulgaria ?
Because they have extra resources and labour from the slaves and colonies, isnt it ?
And another reason why it is not good to directly compare to Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines.....uhm....because Singapore only uses cheap foreign labour as a temporary or transient worker only. These cheap foreign worker labour at the low-skilled spectrum do not become permanent residents or citizens. So they won't create rich-poor social gap problems and so on (not saying there is 100% no social problem, because trust me there is still some social effects such as the Sentosa bikini ogling case by foreign workers etc)
These cheap foreign workers are rotated. As far as I know.
This example not to your liking again? First you talk about slavery, when you have an example for slavery then you ask for something real and present. Now still not satisfied.
Well, why was Ho Kwon Ping suggesting Singapore wean itself off cheap foreign labour?
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Times are bad.
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as long as the soil need to be dugged for some sheet concrete to be filled for no apparent reason at all save for the paper silly reaason they give - singapore will always need cheapo labor
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Originally posted by troublemaker2005:
as long as the soil need to be dugged for some sheet concrete to be filled for no apparent reason at all save for the paper silly reaason they give - singapore will always need cheapo labor
Lol that makes me wonder....Every year I see Singapore Upgrade alot of new buildings....but people still complaining that life is hard...
Why not stop upgrading so much and keep costs down lor....
The Upgraded Places anyway also so ex de more like for foreigners....
I see most of the SG ppl only there to window shop zzzz
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Originally posted by Genie99a:
Lol that makes me wonder....Every year I see Singapore Upgrade alot of new buildings....but people still complaining that life is hard...
Why not stop upgrading so much and keep costs down lor....
The Upgraded Places anyway also so ex de more like for foreigners....
I see most of the SG ppl only there to window shop zzzz
Sg is a 6 star hotel for the rich.
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Originally posted by Genie99a:
Lol that makes me wonder....Every year I see Singapore Upgrade alot of new buildings....but people still complaining that life is hard...
Why not stop upgrading so much and keep costs down lor....
The Upgraded Places anyway also so ex de more like for foreigners....
I see most of the SG ppl only there to window shop zzzz
you should always wonder why so many people come to Singapore to buy, not expensive meh?
also SG ppl don't buy doesn't mean they got no money, what else to buy?
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Originally posted by charlize:
Sg is a 6 star hotel for the rich.
Sg is more like 19 century China with extraterritorial rights for foreigners.
When they beat up locals, Police don't take action. At most let them post bail and fly home.
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Originally posted by alize:
Sg is more like 19 century China with extraterritorial rights for foreigners.
When they beat up locals, Police don't take action. At most let them post bail and fly home.
okok let's come to a compromise. Sg is like 19th century China with 6 star hotels
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U go to a market to buy carrots... Everyday $0.50 cent for 1 piece...
What will happen if one day u go market, u see price become $1.50 per piece?
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Originally posted by sgdiehard:
you should always wonder why so many people come to Singapore to buy, not expensive meh?
also SG ppl don't buy doesn't mean they got no money, what else to buy?
I think they buy here bcos its cheaper then where they come (although I find alot of the stuff from america and europe cheaper esp girls favs bags shoes blah blah) and that Sg is close and a good tourist attraction...after all all those new buildings look ritzy.Well I would not say SG ppl have no $ but unless yer educated and lucky most of the $3xxx and below citizens... i mean u gotta admit its hard to waltz into say Aion and actually go on a shopping spree right?
Normal household SGs have good assets by means of the HDB which is of good value and low interest rates but then they can only buy one.....and you gotta have a roof over yer head anyway unless u want to downgrade.
So besides being asset rich i see little else. Cars are on a 10 year lease... the HDBs are on a 99 year lease.
Its much akin to going to Thailand for a holiday... your $ is bigger thus its "fun" to you. But the Thai citizens will find it expensive.
This insight might partly explain your "why so many people come to Singapore to buy, not expensive meh?" I agree they don't find it expensive....question is do you?
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Originally posted by ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~:
U go to a market to buy carrots... Everyday $0.50 cent for 1 piece...
What will happen if one day u go market, u see price become $1.50 per piece?
daylight robbery!! wages should appreciate with inflation -
Veggie Bao ur arguements are flawed!u mean the housewife can be guaranteed of a job?or she willingly wants to go to work?u say very few local construction workers!how to survive on less than $800 a month?"budget to employ other positions such as accounts, admins, to be filled by middle skilled persons."but u missed out those older,less educated locals,what jobs can they do?to tell u the truth most of the locals and older,less educated,unskilled are forced into jobs like cleaners,security guards,insurance ,real estates,taxi drivers, hospital assistants and coffee shop assistants!
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Originally posted by Genie99a:
daylight robbery!! wages should appreciate with inflation
We need to be cheaper, better and faster.
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Originally posted by Genie99a:
I think they buy here bcos its cheaper then where they come (although I find alot of the stuff from america and europe cheaper esp girls favs bags shoes blah blah) and that Sg is close and a good tourist attraction...after all all those new buildings look ritzy.Well I would not say SG ppl have no $ but unless yer educated and lucky most of the $3xxx and below citizens... i mean u gotta admit its hard to waltz into say Aion and actually go on a shopping spree right?
Normal household SGs have good assets by means of the HDB which is of good value and low interest rates but then they can only buy one.....and you gotta have a roof over yer head anyway unless u want to downgrade.
So besides being asset rich i see little else. Cars are on a 10 year lease... the HDBs are on a 99 year lease.
Its much akin to going to Thailand for a holiday... your $ is bigger thus its "fun" to you. But the Thai citizens will find it expensive.
This insight might partly explain your "why so many people come to Singapore to buy, not expensive meh?" I agree they don't find it expensive....question is do you?
If you think about it, when Singaporean goes to countries in Asean, to China...don't we find things cheaper there? then who are the people buying in Singapore? If you ask then you might be surprised to know that many things are indeed cheaper here back home for many tourists, who are from these asean countries, besides the many varieties. even when it comes to food, I can find some food cheaper here than in KL!
when you go to ion, which floor do you go to?
In Singapore, I know where to go when shopping, and I can certainly get things cheaper than those in the tourist area, won't complain about being expensive.
So really, how much do you need to live?
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Originally posted by sgdiehard:
when you go to ion, which floor do you go to?
After a while, ION damn boring.
Same old expensive stuff.
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When I see americans building the One World Trade Tower Center (Freedom Tower), I can see that they are proud to be the builders of their nation. I don't know why can't we have our own singaporean builders too?
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Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:
When I see americans building the One World Trade Tower Center (Freedom Tower), I can see that they are proud to be the builders of their nation. I don't know why can't we have our own singaporean builders too?
We have the 3 tablets.
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We definitely need foreign workers to build out hdb flats.
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The whole concept of development in SG was based on cheap labour. Sirs from West, come here employ us because we are cheap, don't complain and can be treated like machines. If this is not enough don't pay any taxes as well. Ass kissing works only for so long. Same with the Chinese.
Gone down the drain^^