Integration of Singaporeans and new immigrants will require more than just the National Integration Council alone, members of the audience said after the ministerial forum.
Though most of the audience interviewed were positive about the role of the council in fostering integration, some remained skeptical about the extent to which the council alone can effect changes in social and cultural integration.
Mr Pang Li Jian, alumnus from NTU Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said forming such an organisation will lead to integration but it will not be significant.
“It is hard to teach old dogs new tricks,” the Singaporean added, expressing his concerns regarding the inflexible views of the local elderly towards foreigners.
Final year Communication Studies student Ms Toh Lee Hoon also shared the same view. “The general sense I get from hawker talks especially with the elder folk is that they view foreign workers as rivals, instead of ‘team members’,” she said. “They do not see the reasons behind the influx of foreign workers.”
During the forum, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke at length about the issue of integration and the coming initiatives of the council as one of the government’s “greater efforts at fostering integration.”
The council, set up in April 2009, comprised members from the public and private sector, as well as the community. Its goal will be to ‘drive the integration agenda forward through a concerted effort’ according to Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng earlier this year.
The Straits Times reported in February that 20,513 foreigners took up citizenship while a further 79,167 took up permanent residency last year – an increase from 17,334 who took up citizenship and 63,627 who became PRs in 2007.
In addition, the paper also reported of a $10 million fund that organisations can tap for projects to help immigrants and Singaporeans to get to know each other better.
As integration becomes a pressing issue, many whom the Enquirer spoke to gave suggestions to make integration more effective.
“The initiative will be more effective if it targets the younger segment of the society,” said Mr Pang. He believes that children, when imparted with a strong acceptance towards foreign friends and cultures since young, will grow up and continue this drive of social integration to their children as well.
Meanwhile Mr Goh Wei Han, a doctoral candidate in Computer Engineering believes that the desire to integrate has to come from within, local and foreigner alike. “Internally, they must want to open up and mingle with one another,” the Malaysian said.
“All parties must understand the importance of cultural integration and are willing to work together towards achieving it,” said final year Business student Mr Hindri Susanto. The Indonesian added that the government would need cooperation from both Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans.
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The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 18 Sep 2009
says:September 18th, 2009 at 11.52am
[...] Social and Political Thoughts: PM Lee correcting his “hum” mistake – The Enquirer: Council alone not a holistic solution to integration [Thanks Henry] – Yaw Shin Leong: On Slowing the Pace of Foreigner [...]
Panzer
says:September 19th, 2009 at 12.22pm
Having these mechanisms is such a waste of tax payers funds. NS and the $9-10 billion we pour into defence annually into the conscription systems systematically alienates all NSmen from being open to foreigners.
The brutal truth is that jobs are for foreigners and NS is for Singaporeans.
NS retards Singaporean male citizens economic competitiveness by delaying his entry into job market/higher education for 2 years and the 10 years annual 2-40 days in-camp training requirement on top of weekend recall manning, annual IPPT etc. makes us less attractive to foreigners ceteris paribus.
I don’t mind competing for jobs against foreigners.
I mind the Government tying one arm behind my back due to NS/reservist and yet expect me to compete against the immigrant horde?
Give me a break, and spare a thought for my fellow NSmen and NSF who died and will never ever have a chance to compete in Singapore Inc.
Majullah Singapura.
George
says:September 19th, 2009 at 1.51pm
The bottomline is being ignored.
It is natural and instinctive for people of a community to be guarded towards an outsider or newcomer. We see it in the animal kingdom. For example, lions and chimpanzees, elephants and polar bear, even crocodiles for example all have similar instincts.
For good reasons: New comers can and would usurp the group members’ position and well being. This truism has been amply borne out and demonstrated time and again. Why should someone seen as a competitor or a robber (he/she robs you of your job and livelihood) be treated in any kind manner? Are you supposed to like someone who is going to stab you in the back. Can the govt who allow this in the first place reasonably expect any understanding or cooperation for citizens who see newcomers as threat to their lifestyle and source of living? And it would appear that the govt is not only not doing anything to materially help Singaporeans affected by the influx of foreigners, it in fact make it worse by adding to the woes of Singaporeans struggling to make ends meet by polices such as the GST and its unrelenting increase.
Fat hope. Why should citizens who are given the short end of the stick bend backwards, cut themselves, to accommodate a policy/govt that is forever asking them to make sacrifices but continues to add on instead of alleviating the pressure!
Like the story to illustrate the infamous Slater Walker modus operandi: Slater Walker approached a pig to set up a ham producing factory. The catch is that the pig has to be carved up for the raw material to make the ham! This is an analogy very closely to what is happening to us now in Singapore.
tiredman
says:October 14th, 2009 at 11.34am
It is impossible for me to change my lifestyle to fit the foreigners or the “new citizens”… Why should I? They should adjust to our way and not the other way round!!! Why should foreigners or “new citizens” have a say our lifestyle. If they cannot fit in it is their problem and not ours. That 10 million dollars is just a waste of Singaporeans’ money.