Thursday, January 14, 2010

PAP Minister is bragging for the wrong reasons.

What is there to brag about? Singaporeans are coming back because they can't find jobs overseas not because Singapore is so good. Look at Ms Teo Hui Sin, she only decided to come back after she got rejected for several jobs in the US so Singapore is not her second or third choice but her 8th choice. What is there to brag about? If the economy was better and she was offered a job in the US, do you think she would return to Singapore?

As for Mr Chia Wee Boon, I wonder whether if he was given the same position at HP, he would choose to stay in the US.
If you look at the reasons for these returning Singaporeans, you notice that there are two main reason- economic and family ties. They don't return because Singapore has the 'best' government in the world or is even the best country in the world. They are returning because they have no visa restrictions to work in Singapore.

I am stressing that I am not attacking these returning Singaporeans. The world economy sucks and it is human nature to want to seek a better life. Under normal circumstances, some of these people would get jobs overseas. What I find annoying is that we have a Minister bragging about Singapore being an 8th place choice. Singaporeans are not returning because the country suddenly got better but because the opportunities overseas got worse. Yet Gan Kim Yong is still bragging about it. Where is the pride?

Anyway to returning Singaporeans, please look at this post on the work culture shock you are going to encounter.
Straits Times: More S'poreans returning
BESIDES a growing pool of foreign talent, more overseas Singaporeans are also returning, attracted by the opportunities back home. There are about 180,000 Singaporeans living abroad currently. Many are making enquiries about jobs back home as well as in the region as some have found it difficult to get a job overseas. 'The global downturn has further accentuated the attractiveness of Asia. We should capitalise on this to make Singapore an even more attractive Home for Talent - both local and global,' said Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday. The Overseas Singapore Unit (OSU), set up in 2006 to engage overseas Singaporeans, has been reaching out to them through initiatives such as online portals and clubs, as well as outreach events like Singapore Day and the Distinguished Business Leaders Series, which enables overseas Singaporeans to stay abreast of developments in Singapore. Contact Singapore and the OSU also regularly hold dialogues and career sessions overseas to reach out to Singaporeans. Speaking at the official opening of the Employment Pass Services Centre at the Riverwalk, Mr Gan said: 'Regardless of where these Singaporeans have relocated, we need to continue to engage and remind them of the ties that bind them to their home country.' Mr Gan said Singapore has established a strong reputation as a great place to do business due to its successful strategy on talent. 'Besides local talent, overseas investors are attracted to Singapore as they know we have a strong pool of global talent which further enhances Singapore's competitive edge,' he added, pointing out that there are now about 100,000 foreign professionals working and living in Singapore.

Why 2 overseas S'poreans returned
MANPOWER Minister Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday cited examples of two overseas Singaporeans who have decided to return home and work here.

- Ms Teo Hui Sin, a Harvard-educated Singaporean, applied for several jobs in the US but had difficulty in getting one there. This eventually accelerated her return home. She has since accepted a position at the Ministry of Finance.

- Mr Chia Wee Boon returned home from the US to be the Chief Operating Officer at NCS as he wanted to help the company succeed in the global arena. He was previously with Hewlett Packard's US office.