Singapore Democrats
The PAP Government took another SDP idea when it announced today that companies must show that they cannot find Singaporeans to do the job before they are allowed to hire foreigners.$CUT$
The SDP has been championing this policy for more than ten years, repeatedly raising this idea in our publications, events and election rallies.
As early as the 2001 general elections, we had campaigned on the Singaporeans First Policy where we proposed in our campaign flyer that:
While Singaporeans are losing their jobs, the PAP insists on taking in foreigners in order to suppress the wages of the people. The SDP will push for a Singaporeans First Policy which will insist that employers retrench foreign workers first. Foreign workers will only be allowed to come into Singapore, if no locals are available for the job.
Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-jin announced that from August 2014, firms with more than 25 employees must advertise a vacancy for professional or managerial jobs paying less than S$12,000 a month. Only after they have demonstrated that they cannot find a local can the company apply to bring in a foreign national.
Now compare this to what the SDP proposed in our population policy paper Building A People: Sound Policies For A Secure Future:
Before an employer is permitted to hirefrom the pool of successful migrant applicants, the company mustdemonstrate that it has made an effort in good faith to hire from thelocal workforce. For instance, evidence of advertisements taken inthe media for the position and a log of the potential Singaporeanemployees that the company has interviewed should be furnished.(page 20)
The reason why we highlight the fact that the PAP repeatedly adopts our policies is because it has tried to paint the SDP as a destructive and confrontational party. This could not be further from the truth.
The PAP’s adoption of our ideas and policies shows that the SDP has been a constructive and competent party, contributing to the betterment of our nation.
Read also:
Singaporeans come first
SDP to focus on minimum wage and Singaporeans First policies
PM and PAP MPs adopt SDP’s economic ideas
Questions about SDP’s economic proposals
Singaporeans suffer under the foreign talent policy
While we welcome the Government’s move to implement our Singaporeans First Policy because our primary concern is well-being of our people, we ask that the PAP, at the minimum, acknowledge the SDP’s contribution.
Another area is in healthcare. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loongannounced in his National Day Rally speech the Government’s intentionto make our healthcare system universal. The SDP has made this ourkey platform in our National Healthcare Plan: Caring For All Singaporeans.
The statement was sent to the media.