SS Slides Singapore Tutorial Chapter 123444

sec 3 singapore

1. Reasons for the policy
Meeting the labour
needs
Aging populationBrain Drain
Sustain the
economy
Fill up the vacancies
Results for the policy
Increase in
socio-economic
diversity
Reasons that make Singapore
attractive to foreign talents/
immigrants
Economic
Opportunities
MNCs
Job
Opportunities
Immigration
Policy
Socio-cultural
environment
Community
Support
Safe
Environment
Education
System
Tensions arise from
integration process
Open-door policy
Reasons for
tensions
Fear of erosion of
Singapore identity
Fear of job security
been compromised
Exchange of skills
and knowledge
Research and
development
AStar
Discovery of
H1N1
Vaccine
Role of government in
promoting the policy
Foreign Manpower
[Construction, retail
and food]
PMET
[Banking and
Finance]
Regulations via work passes
to meet the labour needs
S Pass
Mid-level Skilled
Employment Pass
Qualified PMETs
Work Permit
Unskilled/ Semi-skilled
workers
Entrepass
[Entrepreneurs]
Evolving workforce
policy to meet the
manpower needs
Focuses on
High-skilled workers
for knowledge-based
economy
Foreign
Talent
and
Workers
Policy
Increase in
socio-cultural diversity

2. Reasons for the policy
Aging populationBrain Drain
Fill up the vacancies
Results for the policy
Increase in
socio-economic
diversity
Reasons that make Singapore
attractive to foreign talents/
immigrants
MNCs
Job
Opportunities
Community
Support
Safe
Environment
Education
System
Tensions arise from
integration process
Open-door policy
Reasons for
tensions
Fear of erosion of
Singapore identity
Fear of job security
been compromised
Research and
development
AStar
Discovery of
H1N1
Vaccine
Role of government in
promoting the policy
Foreign Manpower
[Construction, retail
and food]
PMET
[Banking and
Finance]
S Pass
Mid-level Skilled
Employment Pass
Qualified PMETs
Work Permit
Unskilled/ Semi-skilled
workers
Entrepass
[Entrepreneurs]
Focuses on
High-skilled workers
for knowledge-based
economy
Foreign
Talent
and
Workers
Policy
Increase in
socio-cultural diversity

3. SRQ: Type (a) Questions [7m]Planning for Answers
1.In your opinion, why do you
think more than 40% of the
20,000 new citizens were
granted Singapore citizenship
in 2013 were aged 30 years and
below? Explain your answer
using two reasons.
1)Declining birth rate → need the immigrants
(fertile) to repopulate SG
2)Lack of manpower in workforce
3)younger means healthier → less need for
social services → less strain on resources
2.In your opinion, why do you
think MNCs are attracted to set
up their headquarters in
Singapore? Explain your
answer using two reasons.
1)Skill based workforce (we have the right
people for their jobs!!!)
2)FTA, subsidies and attractive packages →
cheaper production costs → more $$$$
3)Stable political, social and economic
environment → good place to do business →
earn more more $$$$
3.In your opinion, why do you
think there is greater diversity
in Singapore today? Explain
your answer using two reasons.
1)Quality in education → attracted immigrants
2)Social stability and security
3)Open immigration policies
4)Ample jobs

4. SRQ: Type (a) Questions [7m]Planning for Answers
4.In your opinion, why do you
think immigrants are attracted
to migrate to Singapore?
Explain your answer using two
reasons.
1)Quality in education → attracted immigrants
2)Social stability and security
3)Open immigration policies
4)Ample jobs
5.In your opinion, suggest two
ways to enhance the integration
between new migrants and
Singaporeans. Explain your
answer.
1)Platforms to promote understanding between
migrants and Singaporeans→ common
experiences such as community bonding
sessions, experiential tour → interact and
understand
2)Programmes to promote understanding→
Singapore citizen journey
6.In your opinion, recommend
two strategies for Singapore
government to increase its
population, so as to maintain its
competitive edge. Explain your
answer.
1)Policies that encourage birth rate →
incentives/ tax rebates to married couples→
cost of family
2)Immigration policy → skilled labour and
foreign talents→ increase its population

5. Factors that have contributed to the increased diversity in Singapore today
Immigration PolicyEconomic OpportunitiesSocio-cultural Envt
●Singapore's immigration policy is tied
in with her labour needs
○In the 1980s, Singaporean
professionals could speak English
well, they could find jobs easily in
other countries → created serious
brain drain situation
○Government had to encourage
immigration to Singapore →
make up for this brain drain
●Singapore has developed into a major
global business hub, with more than
700 multinational corporations
(MNCs) in the country. MNCs choose
Singapore because:
○of its stable political and
economic climates → high
investment potential
○of its efficiency in administrative
procedures and low corruption
rating (least corrupt country in
Asia) → easy place to do
business
●MNCs' preference for Singapore has
resulted in plenty of jobs available
here → Singapore beingan attractive
place for many workers in regional
countries who cannot find
employment in their own countries
●Foreigners choose to come to
Singapore because of the community
support they can get here
○Many migrants and immigrants
feel at home when they arrive
because the support they can
receive from the people of their
same ethnicity who are already
here
○Many of these ethnic groups live
in the same districts, and this
helps them to adapt to their new
life in Singapore better [State
examples]
●Foreigners also choose Singapore
because of the safe environment→
international study in 2015, Singapore
is the ninth safest country in the world
○This is due to the low number of
crimes committed here because
of a strong system of criminal
justice and the absence of
corruption
○Most of the major crimes are
solved by the justice system

6. Factors that have contributed to the increased diversity in Singapore today
Immigration PolicyEconomic OpportunitiesSocio-cultural Envt
●Singapore also faced ageing
population issue.
○An ageing population means that
the proportion of younger working
citizens is getting smaller
compared to the proportion of
elderly citizens
○The declining age-dependency
ratio will result in higher tax on
younger working people higher in
order to support the increasing
number of retired elderly in
society
○Companies being unable to find
enough labour in Singapore →
result in a shrinking customer
base, with companies being
unable to sell their products in
sufficient numbers
○Government thus had to bring in
more immigrants to mediate the
impacts of ageing population
●Due to increased economic growth,
there is a need for skilled and
unskilled foreigners to come and work
in Singapore
○Foreign workers are needed to
sustain our economy → take up
many jobs in the construction,
food and beverage services and
marine sector, which are usually
shunned by Singaporeans.
○Foreign workers are also needed
in Singapore homes where small
children and senior citizens need
to be looked after → with foreign
domestic help, Singaporean
women can go out and work.
Singapore needs foreign workers
to sustain its economy
●Singapore's quality education system
makes it attractive for foreigners
○international education
assessments have shown
Singapore students performing
very well → evidence of the high
standards we have in our public
schools
○many new migrants and
immigrants are convinced that
their children will receive quality
education in Singapore
○local polytechnics and universities
have also become very popular
with the foreigners
○the facilities, number of options
and high standards have made
tertiary institutions attractive to
them

7. Challenges of living in a diverse society
Competition for resources:
Concern for livelihood and living standards
Competition for resources:
Concerns for social mobility
●Competition for resources between locals and foreigners
include areas such as employment, housing and
transportation
○There are also concerns over the rise in prices of goods
and services
○Many Singaporeans are especially worried that
foreigners will take away their jobs, especially the older
white-collar workers, as foreigners are willing to work
for much lower salaries
○Some Singaporeans believe that it is the influx of
foreign workers that has depressed wages for
Singaporeans with lower skills
○Singaporeans also have concerns over public transport
which has become more congested, beds not being
available in public hospitals and the significant rise in
prices of housing
●As the wage levels between skilled and unskilled jobs have
widened greatly in Singapore, some Singaporeans have
expressed their frustrations that the influx of foreign labour
has affected Singaporeans' social mobility
○Lower-skilled Singaporeans have also found it difficult
to get jobs in Singapore because jobs that require such
skills have moved to other countries in the region, which
offer lower labour costs → affected the social mobility of
this group of Singaporeans

8. Challenges of living in a diverse society
Competition for resources:
Concern for livelihood and living standards
Competition for resources:
Concerns for social mobility
●Government has acted to meet these concerns:
○the government has increased the levy for Work Permit
holders (lower-skilled) and reduced quotas for the S
Pass and Employment Pass (higher-skilled) applicants
○the government has also made it mandatory for
employers who wished to hire workers on Employment
Pass to advertise the positions in the Jobs Bank first
○the companies can hire foreigners only if no suitable
Singaporeans are found for the jobs
○government helped the bus companies finance the
buying of new buses to reduce congestion and increase
the frequency of bus trips
○more trains and railway lines were also added to
improve the situation at the MRT stations
○government implemented policies to control the prices
of housing and began construction of many housing
units to meet the growing demand and also to keep
prices in check
○government also announced the building of new public
hospitals to meet the healthcare needs of the growing
population
●Government has responded by emphasising retraining and
learning of new skills for this group in order for them to
remain relevant in the new economy [Elaborated in
skills-future credit]
○the government has also continued to emphasise the
need for meritocracy, which will ensure that people from
all socio-economic backgrounds will have opportunities
to move up the socio-economic ladder