By Lionel Chia
Contributor
A furore has been sparked on the internet over the recent spate of job listings which specifically indicate a preference for foreigners.
One such posting, made on well-known recruitment site monster.com.sg by digital media marketing company Goodstuph for an online content editor, explicitly states that the position is only open to expatriates.
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Job Description
Do you enjoy exploring new places and sniffing out hole-in-the-walls? Are you the adventurous sort who is willing to try all kinds of food – familiar and unfamiliar? Do you enjoy rocking out at concerts and watching musicals and plays? Do you like to be at the forefront of fashion trends and often check out the latest fashion outlets?
If you answer yes to all of the above, we want you. Better still, we want to pay you to do all of the above.
We are looking for an expatriate* who loves Singapore, enjoys attending all sorts of events and activities, and has appreciation for the art of the written word. This succcessful candidate will join the online publication as an online Editor and Writer.
Responsibilities:
- Editing, writing, and curating of content for the online publication
- Work closely with a team of 10 writers to conceptualise story ideas and produce content for the online publication
- Attend loads of events and concerts, and checking out places of interest… for free!
Requirements:
- Excellent command of the English language (spoken and written)
- Preferably, past experience as a writer or editor of any publication
- Have a keen interest of happenings in Singapore
- An ability to work individually or in a team environment.
- Already living in Singapore
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*Emphasis ours
There are no specific laws in Singapore prohibiting discrimination by recruiters or employers, but Article 12 of the Singapore Constitution forbids discrimination on the basis of “religion, race, descent and place of birth”. It is not known why Goodstuph has decided to make the position available to expatriates only – the job description clearly states that the selected candidate must have a knowledge and a keen interest in happenings around Singapore.
As such, it is rather inexplicable that the company has chosen to rule out hiring a Singaporean for the role. Instead, talented Singaporean writers and editors have been barred from applying for the position, disregarding the fact that their local knowledge might be superior.
An angry netizen going by the pseudonym “Angry One”, wrote a letter to controversial news website Temasek Review, saying that he “was infuriated” when he saw the job listing. “Surely we have enough editors/writers in Singapore for this role?” he asked.
Social media marketing firm Goodstuph posted a recruitment notice for an "expat only" position
With the recent influx of foreign talent into Singapore, there has also been an increase in the number of “foreigners only” job openings. This posting, on eFinancialCareers.sg, is specifically targerted at Expatriate Tax Managers and Senior Managers, though it explains that the job description requires the chosen candidate to have a knowledge of US-centric tax laws.
It is little wonder that expatriates continue to be enamoured by Singapore – in a study conducted by ECA International conducted in 2010, Singapore was named as the best place to work for Asian expatriates, with Sydney in second place. In the meantime, Singapore has been plagued by growing income inequality, with many local PMETs feeling that the country’s lax immigration laws have made it more difficult for them to get a job.
During the recent general election, immigration was one of the hot-button topics that resulted in the ruling PAP’s worst-ever performance at the polls. The opposition National Solidarity Party proposed introducing legislation that would require foreigners to earn at least $4,000 per month (up from the current $2,500) before being considered for an Employment Pass, while the Singapore Democratic Party suggested the introduction of a “Singaporeans First” labour policy, which would allow employers to hire foreigners only when they can prove that they were unable to find suitable Singaporeans to fill a particular role.
In reply, politicians from the PAP have argued that such moves would make things more difficult for employers, 44% of whom are already struggling to fill vacancies.
While it might be true that a delicate balance needs to be struck between the respective interests of employers and employees, surely it would not be too far fetched to introduce a law that forbids discrimination in the workplace based on nationality, particularly if the discrimination is targeted at Singaporeans? In the United Kingdom, employers are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of gender, age, nationality or race in their recruitment notices, unless they can prove that such discrimination is necessary based on a “genuine occupational need” (with the typical example being “Chinese waiters in a Chinese restaurant”).
Singaporeans have always been very accommodating towards foreigners, but action needs to be taken in order to prevent us from becoming second-class citizens in our own country.
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The author is a final-year Arts and Social Sciences undergraduate at the National University of Singapore. He has been admitted to a Masters program at the London School of Economics.
Racism exists everywhere, in USA, in China, in Russia, everywhere, but I guess Chinese are among the most hated by many countires, due to the fact more Chinese from China going abroad in the past 10-15 years, the Chinese central gov knew this long ago, and they really have a big headache educating their peasants-turn-rich-people. The mentality of this large group of chinese is about the same as those Singapore chinese men (born around 1940′s) based on my observation: selfish, “how-lian”, brainless, lazy, always blame the next generation….When they accidentally become rich, they said it’s due to their foresight. If they fail, they blame the market, or other countries. Unfortunately most of our national wealth falls into these group of men, and they still want some more. There are many things that their more well-educated, more disciplined and well behaved offsprings can do to contribute, but these old men chose not to let them, causing a waste of local talents and thus the imports of less qualified from 3rd world.
These old men only calculate the few hundreds dollar they save hiring foreign talents, but they forgot to calculate the cost of defence per sq.Km on Singapore land put up by their sons. I think Singapore gov also got a big headache becuase these old men refuse to hire local talents, and thus causing the FT issue, and subsequently the racial issue.
If your sons refuse to work, it’s only logical, as fathers or parents, to find out why: is it because I did not set a good example to my kids? Am I telling too much of my past bullshit hardship success stories to them? Is the cost of living too high, making them thinking it’s not worth working? Am I flashing my 18K gold Rolex and my son wears a Casio watch that demoralize him? Talk to them with respect and Find Out!
I don’t think these old men really been thro any hardship in the past, the only hardship I can think of was that: if his neighbour drove a Mercedes, and him in a Toyata, that’s real “hardship” to them. The only “quality” I see in them is: “cow-peh”, “bang tables”, and blame others…..
I’m happy to see that my tip-off got picked up. Glad that I managed to draw attention to this. And I know this is just the tip of the iceberg. It used to be that companies hire foreigners to reduce costs; today it has gotten more insidious – they hire foreigners and pay them good salaries, because they are creating enclaves for their own race, or because they think certain foreigners bring ‘class’ to the company’s staff.
Only in societies that possess a big inferiority complex we see such things allowed. Try doing that in Europe or other first-world countries. It’s very hard to employ a foreigner. The employer must undergo a lengthy procedure to prove that he cannot find a local to do the job, and the government monitors salaries paid to foreigners to ensure no undercutting.
Please call up and write to GOODSTUPH and to their clients to tell them that their practices are shit.
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GOODSTUPH Studio
271C New Bridge Road
Singapore 088748
SINGAPORE
E: kopiboy@goodstuph.org
T: +65.6438.3505
F: You’re kidding, right?
i think we seriously need to tackle the problem of manpower issues in singapore – there simply isn’t enough protection for the average singaporean – and this policy change must come from the government to signal their support.
as long as the manpower ministry does not do anything about this, such errant malpractices will continue, especially these issues relating to foreigner employment.
Many Singaporean companies hired foreign grads (typically from Philippines & South Asia) for entry level jobs, displacing the local grads. Even though some of these companies are making reasonable or big profits, they still go to such extent to save a couple of hundred bucks a month on each job. These cheapscap companies don’t mind the hassle of the need to keep replacing these “foreign talent” who job hop once they get the working experience.
if you really look at .. all walk in interviews and some other government agencies
sorry to say that there are more aliens than locals and i am really shock and unable to absorbed it.
Let us see what Tharman will do about this kind of matters, now that he is minister for manpower. I want to see if he can solve this FT problem and control their fucking numbers.
Foreigners shd have the jobs if they have skills that our citizens lack/not enough numbers to fill – but they should not be taking jobs from SGeans.
I doubt a non-Chinese SGean would like to work permanently in a prominently ‘Chinese’ environment if given the choice so it will not be taking jobs away from non-Chinese in the first place.
Do forward to facebook and other channels to share frustrated Singaporeans views esp on Teo Ser Luck and Foreigner first initiative as Singaporeans needs to see what is going on. We do not want to become 2nd class citizens in our country and give our space complete for foreign enclaves.
Teo Ser Luck & Foreigners First Initiative by Govt On TV
Teo Ser Luck came on tv news on CNA yesterday night promoting new sports fund set up worth S$200k to promote sports. But first sports Teo S L, Puthucherry and Senkang MP Micheal Palmer choose & endorse out of this SG funds was on live tv news is sports popular with Indian expats, new citizens and PRs from Senkang -Cricket.
Imagine an empty field shown on tv in Sengkang with only majority of Indian FTs playing cricket other than our Singaporean MPs and PR cum new citizen MP Puthucherry on TV.Furthermore the FTs went on TV to say they are planning a major league as many have started and news went to mention Senkang area is popular with large amount of foreign Indian FTs, expats,PRs and new citizens.This has left me and many Sengkang Punngol residents fuming as worst insult is to launch a major sports fund meant for Singapore with first a India Indians only partonised sports cricket (we have nothing agst the sports or FTs) over other Singaporean or SG sports like basketball, soccer,table tennis or anything with Singaporean in it.And that is taxpayers money made Sports Fund isn’t it.
Next No Singaporean want another foreign – India Indians/foreigner enclave in their neighbourhood like East Coast where the government gave hands off & had told cannot do much as most are private property purchases.
How come Sengkang/Punngol which is redenominately HDB flats is being transformed into a foreign enclave. What happened to the ethnic/racial laws which were supposed to prevent such enclaves being developed in SIngapore’s estates.Other than many Indian Fts buying flats in Sengkang/Punggol areas (thanks to “open-free for all” service of HDB Minister-Mah Bow Tan), many have rented flats here to transform our area into a foreign enclave.
What is Teo Ser Luck, Michael Palmer, Puthucherry and govt doing about it as Singaporeans are not amused.
And don’t choose Singaporeans over new FTS and foreigners as Singaporeans who put you in your jobs as MPs and will not hesitate to remove you if choose foreigners over us.
There are Chinese Singaporeans who are racist goes without saying just as they are Singaporeans of other ethnic groups who are also racist. My experience is that there are many Chinese Singaporeans who are great friends and wonderful human beings. We can’t tarnish the whole race for a few bad hats.
I am a non-Chinese Singaporean and I don’t condone race discrimination. I agree with ed, many Malays and Indians who were and are Singapore citizens have been discriminated by Chinese Singaporeans. This is more so if one has the experience of working with Chinese-educated Singaporeans, they will hoard, hide, black-mouth you as lazy to put themselves forward as more capable. I have experienced it from a nasty colleague who was promoted because she black-mouthed everybody else to the new boss who was just as guilty as he was green to the job. She can’t write or string a decent sentence in English. Let me recount one more incident, I was sent by a tuition agency that I had signed up with to teach English to a secondary one student. I was more than qualified, but when I arrived at the residence, the mother told me she preferred a Chinese and could not answer why a Singaporean Indian graduate could not do the job. This happened more than 15 years ago.
But it does not justify the discrimination by employers who use a loophole in the immigration laws and rules to marginalise Singaporeans. Let’s call a spade a spade here. However much, we may pull out past examples of discrimination practised by Singaporeans, it does not in any way justify the discrimination to continue. Singaporeans regardless of race, language, colour or of whatever religious persuasion and lifestyle orientation deserve fair employment opportunities. This is our country, a nation we built on the sweat of our grandparents and parents, if we are discriminated in our own land then what is the meaning, worth and value of our citizenship? We are the stayers here and not the quitters or fliers. We have to put a stop to race and age discrimination. Seeking legitimate employment opportunities is a human right. The government must review its immigration policies. There is a distinct difference between talent and meeting the requisites of the job scope. We invite foreign talent to add value to our economy, we invite foreign workers who are here to fill a demand as in the case of construction workers and foreign domestic workers. We must respect and treat them well. Our laws have to be selective and prudent about economic migrants who are here for the short haul and will leave to build a better life with the resources that they have earned here. America and Europe is in recession, so many would be attracted to come here. When is the Singapore government responsible to provide jobs for out-of-work-Asians who come here accepting wages that are difficult to justify a decent living. Name me one Asian government whose economic plan is to provide employment for non-citizens? Cheaper wages do not mean quality work neither does it spell progress for the nation. The laws must change.
Well, the Malays, Indians, have had to live with the ‘Chinese preferred’ and later ‘mandarin-speakers preferred’ racist nonsense long enough – and which had led to great underdevelopment amongst them. How about the chinese learning some empathy through this for a change eh.
The tables have turned, thanks to chinese self-absorption and apathy, and now, the Chinese have to face what the native Malay, and Indians, have had to put up with. The Chinese are now experiencing the ’2nd class citizenship’ problem – Though its unfortunate that the non-Chinese will thus be thrust into the 3rd class now. So what are you hoping for, that the ‘native-born’ chinese will get back their 1st class status? I didn’t see you people banging on about it when the non-chinese were similarly disadvantaged prior to the influx of the new foreigners. Since that has never been much of an issue, it is plausible to the point of certainty that that is what is being hoped for. What a hypocritical joke.
I hope more ‘foreigners’ get promoted over the local chinese. Then, perhaps, they might not be biased when ‘preferring’ anyone. However, that’s not going to be the case if the bulk of ‘foreigners’ are from China. If so, its back to square one for the non-Chinese – as was the case with the singaporeans’ China-born ancestors and their progeny.
‘Singaporeans’ may have been ‘accommodating to foreigners’, but it seems, over the past couple of decades, that the local chinese singaporeans have not been accomodating in the face of local difference.
To the author: ‘Arts and Social Sciences’ undergrad? I wonder what they teach at your uni – or i have to wonder what you have failed to learn. For goodness sakes.
I think you need to draw a distinction between “Chinese preferred” and “Mandarin speakers preferred”. The former is blatant discrimination and shouldn’t be practised. The latter reflects a genuine occupational requirement. If the job scope requires the candidate to converse in Mandarin (e.g. because the company has business dealings in China) then it is justifiable. I know of companies who do business with the Indonesians for example and they explicitly say that “Bahasa speakers are preferred”. Nothing wrong with that. That is not racist. A Chinese person might be able to speak Bahasa, just as a Malay/Indian person may be able to speak Mandarin. However, limiting applications ONLY TO EXPATS make no sense at all especially since there is NO occupational requirement to speak a certain language, clearly in the case of this job, the role requires writing in ENGLISH.
You need to be careful with where you are treading here, you are broaching racial issues which can be highly sensitive. Are you alleging that the Chinese majority acts in a racist manner and treats all non-Chinese as second-class citizens? I think that is not true at all especially when you look at minority representation at the highest levels of government e.g. the cabinet has 4 Indian ministers (out of 14 total) and the President is Indian, which is a higher than proportionate level of representation when you consider that Indians make up far less than 33% of the population. I don’t think that this would be possible if minorities were treated as being second-class.
You are accusing the Chinese population of “apathy”.
Are you saying that they are turning a blind eye to the problems faced by minorities?
Well, no offence, but are you suggesting that there should be affirmative action? Should the Chinese be concerned about issues which affect other races and communities? If so, should Malays/Indians also be equally concerned about issues which affect the Chinese? Fair’s fair, right?
There are issues being brought up at a national level which specifically address the problems faced by minority groups, but issues specifically relating to the Chinese community are far and few between. For example, the closure of Nantah hardly gets any airing nowadays, and what about the recent announcement by Ng Eng Hen about reducing the weightage of Chinese language in PSLE scores?
I think you are being very unfair and vindictive when you accuse the Chinese majority of subtle racism. Could you give a few examples to substantiate your claims?
(By the way, I myself am not Chinese, I am Eurasian)
All the expectedly defensive reactions from Chinese and non-Chinese alike when the TRUTH about racial discrimination in jobs is even hinted at.
Get a life, fellas. Here you are, people screaming and venting about discrimination based on citizenship, but they turn a blind, nay, get aggressive when the tables are turned on them and racial discrimination is charged. They try and silence that discussion instead. What makes you think that one type of discrimination should be tolerated more than another?
But on to my response to Lionel Chua’s article. If Singapore has always had laws to ensure fair employment practises – yes, including on the basis of race – do you think that you would have found yourselves in these circumstances in the first place in which foreigners are preferred, much like Chinese-preferred even under the guise of the job requiring Mandarin language skills which is usualy a false pretext for “Chinese preferred”?
Think about it. I don’t have to. I escaped Singapore because I know that with all the racism in that God-forsaken little island, I could not be doing anything close to what I am doing in Canada now.