Singapore needs more foreign talent, but ‘social norms’ should be respected, outgoing PM Lee says
- Lee Hsien Loong said importing labour has to be done in a manner that does not dilute the country’s ‘social norms and mores and the way Singapore works’
- Lee noted Singapore needs talent to stand out in the world, adding ‘You cannot say I send off all the foreign workers, and then tomorrow we will be OK’
In the interview, he said that managing the “inherent tensions” between wanting social cohesion and bringing in immigrants is the “most difficult” issue he has had to deal with.
“Making people feel comfortable and not feel threatened or having social tensions build up, that is something which is going to be very difficult to manage because we do not have a lot of manoeuvring room on the downside.
“You cannot say I send off all the foreign workers, and then tomorrow we will be OK.”
Singapore needs talent to stand out in the world, he said. “And you can never have enough talent.”
While the prime minister acknowledged that Singaporeans have reasonable concerns over the social impact of the new arrivals, he pointed out that there are jobs – such as in construction – that Singaporeans do not want.
