Singapore crowded by foreigners?

Foreigners have been blamed for, among other things, taking away job opportunities, pushing up property prices and filling school places at the expense of Singaporeans.

Assuring Singaporeans that they come first, PM Lee said in his New Year message that the government will “manage and moderate” the inflow of foreign labor so that citizens will not be overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.

But the question is: Can it filter the flow of foreigners?

Ostensibly, the debate about being crowded out has been framed as one between Singaporean workers and foreigners — and sometimes between citizens and the government.

In fact, employers are one critical player.

Alarmed by signals from officials that Singapore will need to reduce its reliance on foreign workers, they voiced off privately and spoke publicly about why they need to hire more, not fewer, foreigners to stay in business.

The government — caught in the crossfire between the demands from Singaporeans and the business community — seems to be in a tight spot.

It has to address the concerns of Singaporeans which, if not handled well, could translate into a backlash at the ballot box.

At the same time, it also has to deal with bosses' manpower concerns and their business costs — factors that could prompt them to move operations elsewhere, to the detriment of the economy here and the livelihood of Singaporeans.

The unease over the influx of foreigners comes on the back of an economic boom. As many as 300,000 foreigners took up jobs in Singapore in 2007 and 2008.

The large numbers have strained infrastructure and caused some social tension. Since last year, the government has spoken about the need to keep a lid on foreigner numbers.

This however has caused some anxiety among employers. A survey released last month by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) showed that almost half the 328 companies that responded were 'unsatisfied' with the foreign worker policy.

One main source of their dissatisfaction: inflexibility in the rules, which bar them from hiring more foreigners to fill jobs which they say Singaporeans shun.

At the same time, some ministers have taken pains to stress the need for Singapore's economy to continue to be open to foreigners. Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, and Law Minister, K. Shanmugam, both made this point recently.

Some had wondered then if such comments indicated that the employers' camp had won the debate on keeping Singapore's doors wide open to foreigners.

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