De-Globalizing Singapore

An interesting BBC report sounded over the radio as NotTheFirstPirate negotiated his way through rush-hour Shenton Way traffic. BBC reported a growing phenomenon around the world which they term as "de-globalization". NotTheFirstPirate found the report particularly interesting, especially in the context of Singapore. Is this finally an area where Singapore is going her own way, acting in contrary to global norms and throwing caution to the wind? Let us consider.

As the international economy contracts amidst the global recession, countries worldwide are reverting from their expansionary approach and are turning increasingly inward to look for a way out. China is betting on domestic demand to replace international drivers of the mainland's mammoth GDP. US and Europe are hypocritically closing their doors to foreign immigrants while re-emphasizing the importance of international free trade. Japan and other Asian nations are weaning themselves off the reliance on the greenback and refocusing their efforts to strengthen their own domestic currency and economy. The bull run of the past decade has ended and the myths of treasures in faraway lands banished for the moment. So in the face of a worldwide retreat from the global marketplace, what is our beloved city-state's reaction to this change?

Ironically, for a country where safety is sought in majority rather than facts, where convention is to follow rather than lead, Singapore is surprisingly diametric in her dealings with the rest of the world, especially with respect to immigration.

Singapore, especially in recent years, has become a preferred immigration destination for people from around the region. The hordes of China, Indian and Malaysian students flooding NUS or the multitude of "foreign talent" packing our MRT and shopping malls provide ample evidence for my assertion. As NotTheFirstPirate had already expounded, in previous entries, on the pressures these immigrants put on the original Singaporeans, the arguments will not be repeated here. Instead, a more constructive consideration will be to hypothesize reasons for this phenomenon and project possible consequences for it.

A quick comparison between immigration laws across several countries (Australia, USA, Canada etc) will confirm what most original Singaporeans have feared. Singapore has arguably the most lax immigrant requirements available internationally. While NotTheFirstPirate cannot profess to be an expert in immigrant law/requirements, it seems that the basic requirement for Permanent Residency in sunny Singapore is a monthly salary of $2500, barely the equivalent of the starting salary of a fresh graduate. Why is that considered foreign talent that Singapore badly needs when recipients of these PRs (which upon graduation from NUS/NTU will probably earn the $2500 required) could be precisely the people that are denying our local JC/Poly grads from a place in our local universities? Your guess is as good as mine.

An anecdote, related to me by a close friend American Tail, sums up the point pretty succinctly. American Tail's relative, let's call him MsiaMathsKid, just applied for Singapore PR. He is born in Malaysia, educated in Australia and currently works in Singapore. His ultimate purpose is to go back to Australia and is in fact working in Singapore temporarily to await the approval of his Australian PR. Meanwhile, whilst he is here, he decided to also apply for Singapore PR because it allows him to find a better paid job while in Singapore and more importantly, it is so damn easy to get one. But MsiaMathsKid has no desire to remain in Singapore. He does not intend to buy property or build a family or "give back" in any way to our city-state. Singapore to him is but a stepping stone, a rest-stop in his quest to finally migrate to his dream country, Australia. For someone who doesn't really want to be a Singaporean, who may probably deprive another Singaporean of a job, we are rewarding him with a PR nevertheless. There are many others like MsiaMathsKid. MumbaiItBoy, ShanghaiPhdGal, LondonIBMan to name but a few.

While "attracting foreign talent and investment" provides a great soundbite for a STB advert, are we doing the sensible thing by becoming a stop gap solution for migrants who aspire to be in US or Europe but who cannot as yet qualify? While some of these people will grow to like and eventually settle in Singapore, many of such immigrants will not hesitate for a second to pack up and leave once the path to their original destination becomes viable. Is it fair to subject the original Singaporeans, ones who will serve, protect and contribute to Singapore, to the additional pressures these temporary migrants bring? Can you blame Singaporeans from leaving a home who is no longer cares about being fair or gives a hoot to their well-being?

Before Singapore becomes a truly global city, albeit without the original Singaporeans, particularly in a time when the rest of the world is turning protectionistic to preserve the local community and its people, it may be advisable for Singapore to do what it does best. Shut up and follow.