CHRONICLE
Seize the night PAGES 18-19
THE NANYANG
SEP T EMBER 22 , 20 0 9 | V OL 16 NO 3 | IS SN NO 0 218 -7310 | W W W. N T U. EDU. S G / C HRONIC L E
Crossover talents
Keep an open mind to foreign talent: PM
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Wedding bells
A GLOBAL STAGE: The issue of foreigners and integration plays out in universities. PHOTO | ANDREW SUSILO
PM Lee says Singapore s future will depend on Singaporeans learning to accept foreigners as their own CHERYL ONG DON’T be so quick to judge foreign talent as a threat, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, and Singapore may just have enough space for everyone to co-exist peacefully. Mr Lee was speaking at the Students’ Union Ministerial Forum 2009, about how Singapore and its people can continue to prosper while facing intense competition from foreigners. The Ministerial Forum was held at the Nanyang Auditorium from 7 to 9pm last Tuesday, with about 1,500 in attendance. The issue of integrating foreigners into the Singapore society is reflected in local universities, the “microcosms of our society”, he said. “Universities should get a good mix of students–Singaporean and international st udent s–becau se t h i s w i l l cr eate a stimulating environment,” he said. “And also provide opportunities for Singaporeans to build networks to operate all over Asia.” He acknowledged the challenges faced by universities, which have to address perennial problems like culture shock and a growing competition for grades, scholarships and campus accommodation. To be “ha r mon iously i ntegrated”, universities have to put more thought into encouraging diversity, such as in hall activities and clubs and societies. This will help both parties – locals and foreigners – learn to accommodate each other’s differences while Singapore stays competitive in the global arena. “(Segregration happens) because there
are higher numbers of foreign students, so it’s easier for two groups to stay apart,” he said. “I think local students have to make an effort to welcome the international students. Pool your strengths together and develop a quality product.” Besides integration in universities, Mr Lee also talked about immigration as a longterm issue in other aspects. While Singapore has taken in more than 100,000 foreigners in recent years, the government is aware that it cannot sustain this influx without considering society’s ability to adapt to these newcomers. “We have to continue bringing people in but we will adjust the inflow so we will not dilute our national identity or weaken social cohesion,” said Mr Lee. “(But) we cannot make it so onerous for PRs and non-residents that they do not want to come,” he added. Meanwhile, citizens will always take priority and their interests will be safeguarded for the long term, PM Lee told the audience, which comprised as many Singaporeans as there were foreign students. This policy of distinguishing between citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs), and between PRs and non-residents like transient workers, will apply to welfare such as Budget packages and housing priorities. He also promised “sharper” differentiation to reflect the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, but did not elaborate further. Si ngapor ea n s mu st a lso be mor e accepting of foreign workers and their sizeable presence in the service industry, since they take on jobs that most locals do not want. See the competition they pose here as added vibrancy and more opportunities, rather than something negative, he said. As for the newly-minted citizens and PRs, Mr Lee said they will “raise the quality of the population, in terms of education, skills, and drive”.
While they are a minority in the country, their impact is felt keenly in the country. They include entrepreneurs like Hyf lux founder Olivia Lum to first-generation immigrants whose sons fulfill their National Service alongside Singaporeans. Just as they put in effort to smooth out social habits that Singaporeans fi nd annoying, the same effort is expected of Singaporeans to understand this is due to a difference in culture. “The government will strive to create pr econd it ion s for Si ngapore to stay competitive over the long term, but we rely on each new generation to push out the boundaries … breaking new ground to make Singapore a different and a better place.” Students’ reaction to the forum on page 31.
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University games in ACTION
R ECOV ERY IS D IFFICULT, BU T POSSIBLE HE ALSO touched briefly on the economic outlook in the two-hour-long forum, describing the situation now as “a hard climb back up” from the bottom. While the stock markets show a brisk recovery from the doldrums they were in early this year, he was quick to caution students not to expect too much good news, yet. “Please be psychologically prepared for a slow pickup and even for surprises,” he said. “Like a W-shaped recovery–up very fast, but there may be a second dip. It is possible.” He attributes one of the reasons why Singapore is coping well with the recession to the fact that foreigners bore the brunt of the downturn, so it is more important for citizens to be more tolerant of them now.
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