Foreign Talents, or Workers?

My fellow true-blue Sporean brought my attention to this article:


Melding the old with the new
A more inclusive approach is needed to help old and new citizens find common ground
05:55 AM Sep 26, 2009
by EUGENE KB TAN

Immigration will impact our society indefinitely given the economic and demographic imperatives. Securing the cognitive buy-in is the easy part. Most Singaporeans understand the need for immigration.

But, affectively, the immigration policy has not resonated so well and has a long way to go in terms of popular acceptance.

The grudging acceptance - at best - of new citizens and PRs is a cause for concern. Quite a few Singaporeans see the newcomers as taking away their jobs and depriving locals of university places, among other things.

The National Integration Council (NIC) has just unveiled its Community Integration Fund for activities and initiatives that promote integration. But the lack of integration has nothing to do with a lack of money. Crucially, changing mindsets and correcting misperceptions will be key determinants in integrating old and new citizens.

How can we facilitate and promote a positive mindset among both newcomers and long-standing citizens towards each other? Clearly, there is a need for a sustained engagement since integration is an extended process.

The crux of the matter is the perception that "old" citizens are doing the heavy lifting, while the newcomers have it easy. In particular, long-standing citizens shoulder the defining duties and responsibilities of citizenship like National Service, which makes wealth-making possible.
The solution is not to make NS compulsory for first-generation newcomers, notwithstanding that first-generation new citizens in their 20s and 30s are also completely exempted from National Service. Yet, isn't it ironic that some employers here prefer employees with no NS commitments?

The Government has indicated it will make the differentiation between citizens, PRs and non-citizens sharper. Should we go further and differentiate "old" and "new" citizens as well, to take into account their NS contributions to nation-building?

Even as we seek to recognise the contributions and sacrifices of citizens, recognition urgently needs to be more nuanced, and not always denominated in pecuniary terms. The citizens' constitutional right to vote in parliamentary and presidential elections is also regularly cited as well. But such a right of membership is only exercised once every few years and, even then, not every eligible Singaporean has the opportunity to vote.

The Government's constant reminders of the perks of citizenship, such as HDB upgrading subsidies and the baby bonus scheme, indulges citizens and prospective citizens alike in a materialistic "balance sheet" approach in tallying the pluses and minuses of bearing a pink identity card. For a young nation-state, we should avoid commoditising citizenship.
How can we promote integration? For starters, stop using the phrase "foreign talent". This superlative buzzword, used in official discourse to signal that newcomers add value to our society, is marginalising and patronising. Indeed, many of the newcomers are very much like you and me. More significantly, it harks of a neo-colonial mindset that the locals are "not good enough". But, mind you, we built this fine city, and made it an attractive place to live, work, study and play in.

Secondly, we should engage the newcomers even before we grant them citizenship or PR status to help them appreciate the sort of society they are seeking to be a part of. It is probably too late to meaningfully integrate them at a later stage since they would have formed their particularistic networks of support and information.

Much as we need to right-size our population, it is crucial that those who seek the Singapore franchise understand our society, our foundational ethos, our shared values and heritage, and our limitations. They need to know what they are pledging allegiance to.
Thirdly, anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of new citizens and PRs come from China and India, joining the fairly large numbers here already. As such, they have little need to break out of their enclaves in the transition process. Instead of a cookie-cutter approach, a targeted approach is needed in integrating such groups.

Let's make our approach to citizenship more inclusive of both old and new citizens. If Singaporeans feel appreciated and their identities secure, they will be more welcoming of our new citizens. For citizenship, ultimately, is about how and where we belong and feel rooted to regardless of our talents.

Born and bred in this little red dot, the writer is assistant professor of law at the School of Law, Singapore Management University.
URL http://www.todayonline.com/Weekendvoices

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