CONTACT Singapore mass-importing foreign workers into Singapore

Posted by Coco Liyi on Yahoo News

Many Singaporean probably wonders how all these so called “foreign talents” can manage to get a job and settle into Singapore in such a short time and large number. The answer is CONTACT SINGAPORE.

According to its website, Contact Singapore is an alliance of the Singapore Economic Development Board and Ministry of Manpower. It aims to attract global talent to work, invest and live in Singapore.

With offices in Asia, Europe and North America, Contact Singapore is the one-stop centre for those who wish to pursue a rewarding career in Singapore, as well as individuals and entrepreneurs who are keen to invest in or initiate new business activities here.

Contact Singapore actively links Singapore-based employers with global talent and provides updates on career opportunities and industry developments in Singapore. We work with public and private sector partners to facilitate the interests of potential individual investors in Singapore.

A large recruitment drive in Shanghai by Contact Singapore was held on Sunday, 17th April 2011. The recruitment fair was held in the grand ballroom of Langham Hotel which is an upmarket five-star hotel located at Xintiandi, an affluent shopping, eating and entertainment district of Shanghai. Most applicants were pre-registered.

There were nine Singapore-based MNCs and Singapore local companies participating in the fair. Some of the participating companies included Panasonic Asia Pacific, MediaTek, UniConnect, DBS Bank, OCBC, UOB, Far East Organization and others. Most of the companies were observed to have tables with staff manning and answering questions.

Companies also took turns to give “recruitment talks” inside the auditorium. There were free flow of refreshments served by waiters and waitresses. I doubt our government will provide this type of five-star service to help our graduating students and out-of-job PMETs to get jobs.

At a TV forum on 12 Apr, They said that the Government is controlling the inflow of foreigners and watching them “carefully” on their impact to Singapore. Five days later, they decided to have the largest recruitment drive for foreigners in Shanghai. The next Contact Singapore Welcome Session is in Chennai (below)

29 April 2011 – Chennai (Chennai)
17 April 2011 – Shanghai (China)
09 April 2011 – Manila (Philippines)

If you need to find out more, just do a search on “Contact Singapore shanghai”..4 users liked this comment:

“Contact Singapore” Was NEVER Mentioned on state TV?

Ex-PAP supporter will vote for opposition in coming GE

I would describe myself as having been a VERY STRONG supporter of PAP for the past 5 general elections, at one stage to the point of hoping for PAP clean sweep. Unfortunately, not any more. I say this out of sadness that the PAP appears completely out of touch with the ordinary people. Over the last two weeks, I have become even more upset each time I read about a PAP candidate denying ground sentiment.

Part of me wants to “punish” PAP in the polls by voting opposition. The other part is concerned about the prospect of PAP losing more than half the seats. It is mathematically possible.

I have no doubt that if the PAP can lose my vote (when I have been such an ardent PAP supporter for a long time), it will most definitely lose many votes. If the opposition had settled for a “by election” effect like it did in previous elections, I would have no doubt PAP will lose two or three GRCs. However, the opposition has sensed that the electorate is fed up, and everyone wants to start contesting all over Singapore.

Whilst most Singaporeans will be happy about having a chance to vote after many years, the real question (and PAP will surely play this card) is that PAP is not returned to government after Nomination Day. In fact, if there is a contest in all GRCs and SMCs, then there is a likelihood that PAP could be voted out of power. If this happens, none of the opposition parties would be in the position to form the government, and the electorate would have traded bad for worse.

To answer your question specifically, if there were a “by election” effect, my thinking is that the swing against PAP would be in the 10%-14% range. If all SMCs and GRCs were contested, the swing could be about 6%-10%

Ex-PAP supporter

Plights of a middle-aged and a young Singaporean

From Yahoo News

Rodney:

I am very disappointed with the Govt this time round. You know, of late MOM sent out a labour force survey to understand the ground recently.

That time I was still jobless and to make end meets, i did ad-hoc works making barely $500/mth or worst $0 if I did not get any assignments at all.

Someone from the ministry called and queried about my unemployment status. After telling her that I did some ad-hoc works to tide over my living expenses, she insisted that i do not belong to unemployment category.

To me this is very misleading, I wonder how many people out there are branded employed by MOM irregardless how much you earn every month, part time or ad-hoc work.

I have been actively earching for a full time jobs but to no avail even in GOV wedsite. I am already 40 plus (Dip), did 2-1/2 yrs NS, completed 13 cycle reservist but in the end what did I get? Low salary and job competition from FT.

They have clearly lost touch of the common people. I need 2nd voice, I need check and balance for the benefit of fellow Singaporean.

Jacob Lim:

I am a young Singaporean who just came back to Singapore after working more than 3 years overseas. On my return, I had to compete with 2 Fillipinos for a job position here.

It is not an unskilled, low paying job but a job paying more than 10k a month. So much for the govt’s claims that the influx of foreigners are to fill in on low to mid level jobs and will not compete with Singaporeans for positions.

Eventually, I did managed to land the job but it sure does not paint a good picture of the Singapore now compared to the Singapore which I know of 5 years back.

I am immensely worried for the younger generation of singaporeans who have not yet step out to society, they are in for really tough times as they would have to compete with Fillipinos, Indians, Chinese from Mainland China who are all willing to dive their rates to get the job they want.

Example of PAP making profits from forced land acquisitions

Posted by Ray Han as a comment on Yahoo News

The big land around Kew Drive & Jalan Haji Salam, and between Eastwood Road & Bedok Ria Drive used to be a freehold land. In early 1970s, the PAP government came knocking and telling the residents saying that the land is needed urgently for national development in defence & infrastructure.

The land around Kew Drive used to be a Muslim cemetery. When this land acquisition notice was enforced on the people staying there, nobody, I repeat NOBODY, dared to say anything as you know who was in charge then!?!? But much later, after the land had been cleared & everybody out (including my Great Aunt & Uncle who owned land there), the affected people found that PAP actually had sold the land to developers based on open tender system.

As you can see now, most house, in fact all houses there are now on 99-year lease. Not a single HDB flat, hospital or polyclinic is been built. My great aunt received less than $8000 for a land that is now worth more than $3m! So much for “national development”. This is one way how the PAP government used trickery, deceit & manipulation to land-grab all the real estate in Singapore. And, this is just one example.

The trick that this PAP government used is simple. They used national policies as a means to generate income to be locked into the reserves. And this reserves actually come from the people of Republic of Singapore, not from the PAP’s reserves!

Source: Yahoo News