Singapore Votes 2025: The Roundtable - How would different parties balance immigration?

Key Concepts

• Priority for Singaporean workers
• Fair consideration framework
• EP (Employment Pass) levy and quota
• Skills transfer
• Tripartism (government, unions, businesses)
• Progressive Wage Model (PWM)
• Minimum wage
• Independent unions
• Zero-sum mentality
• SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)
• Sikka (likely refers to a trade agreement)
• Citizens first hiring policy
• Compass framework
• LTVP (Long-Term Visit Pass)
• PR (Permanent Residence)
• Reskilling and upskilling
• Lifelong learning
• Career conversion program
• Overseas market immersion programs

Balancing Foreign Talent and Singaporean Jobs

PAP's Perspective (Mr. Chi)

• Singaporeans First: PAP prioritizes Singaporean workers in all economic and manpower policies.
• Open Economy: Acknowledges the need for an open economy and complimentary international talent.
• Staying Competitive: Focuses on helping businesses and workers stay competitive rather than closing doors.
• Safety Nets: Emphasizes strengthened safety nets for those who fall through the cracks, providing comprehensive support.
• Tripartism: Highlights the strong model of tripartism (unions, businesses, government) as a key strength.
• Progressive Wage Model: Advocates for the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) with wage and skills ladders over a one-size-fits-all minimum wage.
• Independent Unions: Questions the need for more confrontational relationships between unions and the government.
• Enlarging the Pie: Stresses the importance of growing the economic pie so that there's more to share with Singaporeans.
• Pro-Business and Pro-Worker: Aims to help businesses transform and expand overseas, including SMEs.
• Unity and Stability: Emphasizes the need for unity and stability in a turbulent world.
• Workfare, Not Welfare: Promotes workfare over welfare, and multiple wage and skills ladders over a minimum wage.
• Sustainable Economic Progress: Aims to enable all Singaporeans to share the fruits of sustainable economic progress.
• Immigration: Immigration and manpower policies prioritize citizens, with schemes only extended to locals.
• Foreigners Complementing Workforce: Acknowledges the need for foreigners to complement the local workforce.
• Protecting Jobs: Closing the economy to protect jobs could cause businesses to lose competitiveness and move elsewhere.
• Tripartite Consultation: Policies are developed in close consultation with tripartite partners to find the right balance.
• Reskilling and Upskilling: Emphasizes the importance of reskilling and upskilling Singaporeans for lifelong employability.
• Protecting Singaporeans: While not all jobs can be preserved, the PAP aims to protect all Singaporeans.
• Empowering Singaporeans: Invests in skills development through SkillsFuture, career conversion programs, and skills transfer frameworks.
• EP and S Pass Holders: Over the past decade, the number of EP and S Pass holders increased by 38,000, while resident PME jobs increased by 382,000.
• Welcoming to Foreign Investments: Stresses the importance of sending the right signals to the world, indicating that Singapore is still welcoming to foreign investments and talent.

PSP's Perspective (Ms. Tan)

• Open to Talent: PSP is not against foreign talent but believes it should complement the Singaporean workforce.
• Fair Balance: Aims to find a fair balance between employing local workers and attracting foreign talent.
• Proposals: PSP proposes strengthening the Fair Consideration Framework, imposing a modest EP levy (like SPasses and work permits), and imposing a quota on EP holders (similar to SPasses and work permit holders).
• Government Proposals: PSP's proposals are not entirely new or different from the government's proposals.
• Foreign Direct Investment: Foreign direct investment into Singapore has continued to increase from 2020 to 2023.

RDU's Perspective (Mr. Filmon)

• Citizens First Hiring Policy: Advocates for a citizens-first hiring policy, similar to practices in the US and Canada.
• Fair Rights for All Workers: Aims at fair rights of all workers in Singapore.
• Job Legislation: PAP's job legislation aims at fair chance for Singaporeans.
• Safety Nets: Criticizes the current safety nets for retrenched workers as inadequate.

WP's Perspective (Mr. Tung)

• Immigration as Cornerstone: Immigration should remain a cornerstone of Singapore society, welcoming talent from around the world.
• Lifting Singaporeans: Immigration policy must lift Singaporeans and not sideline them.
• Skills Transfer: Advocates for a more deliberate skills transfer between foreign talent and the local workforce.
• Incentives for Skills Transfer: Companies should have incentives to transfer skills from foreign talent to local workers.
• Measurable Steps: Proposes concrete steps to measure skills transfer, such as requiring companies to invest in training for potential local employees and mentorship pairing with local and foreign employees.

PAR's Perspective (Mr. Ling)

• Priority for Singaporeans: PAR insists on priority for jobs for Singaporeans.
• Employer Preference: Wants to stop the current situation where employers prefer hiring foreigners to locals.
• Nurturing Local Talent: Aims to use vast resources to nurture local talent and ensure they get the best-paying jobs.
• Not Against Foreigners: PAR is not against foreigners, but Singaporeans will always come first.
• Sikka: PAR is totally opposed to treaties such as Sikka and wants them abolished.

Addressing Concerns About Immigration

PAP's Approach (Mr. Chi)

• Priority to Citizens: Singaporeans remain at the heart of immigration and manpower policies, with priority given to citizens.
• Need for Immigration: Acknowledges the need for immigration and foreign talent to complement the local workforce.
• Avoiding Economic Disruption: Closing the economy to protect jobs could cause economic disruption and loss of competitiveness.
• Safeguards and Protection: Aims to offer safeguards and protection for Singaporeans while remaining welcoming to foreign investments and talent.

Conclusion

The discussion highlights the delicate balance Singapore faces in managing its economy and workforce. All parties acknowledge the need for foreign talent to some extent, but they differ on the degree of control and the methods for ensuring Singaporeans benefit. The PAP emphasizes tripartism, skills development, and maintaining an open economy, while other parties advocate for stricter controls on foreign hiring and greater emphasis on prioritizing Singaporean workers. The debate centers on how to best grow the economic pie while ensuring that all Singaporeans share in the benefits and have access to good jobs.