Friday, January 7, 2011 @ 7:11 AM
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As a country, Singapore has grown much from what it was when it was a young, independent nation. From a small colonial trading port, it has grown to become one of the world’s finest cities. Over the years, globalization is continually redefining Singapore and its people.
As a small nation, Singapore as a limited population and faces a shortage of manpower. Thus, foreign workers are often brought in to do unsavoury jobs which otherwise no Singaporean would be willing to do. Foreign talent is also brought in to help add value to the workforce. Students from various nations overseas are also sent here to complete their education.
Over time, these people are exposed to the Singapore way of life and are slowly but surely, integrated into Singapore’s society. Bringing in their own culture and experiences into the Singapore society.
However, many Singaporeans are unhappy with how the government is handling the influx of foreigners into the country. Workers overseas were taking jobs and were willing to worker for longer for a lot less. High level jobs are also going out to foreigners instead of locals with similar qualifications. In fact, many Singaporeans feel that their country is changing so fast that they feel displaced.
As an Indonesian-born Chinese, I migrated herewith my parents when I was 2 years old. Singapore has been my home ever since. However, I do understand why Singaporeans feel displaced. With more foreigners coming into Singapore daily, competition for jobs is bound to get fiercer.