Daily Lessons from Life 27 October 2014 - Trade-offs in policymaking in spotlight

"Trade-offs in policymaking in spotlight - My Paper  Oct 27, 2014

SINGAPORE - The trade-offs that society has to make were at the core of a dialogue yesterday, where Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin explained some of the hard-headed considerations that the Government must contend with for a balance in policies.

There are numerous solutions to issues as diverse as foreign labour quotas and carving out more cycling paths. But each has its own trade-offs, he said.

"While we want to look after the interests of Singaporean businessmen who feel the pinch the broader situation is that you'd want to keep the growth (of foreign labour) at a more sustainable rate," he said to those seeking a relaxation of foreign labour quotas.

"At the same time, you have some Singaporeans who... want jobs for Singaporeans only. Ultimately, that's a fallacy because we only hurt ourselves.

"Competition is happening whether foreigners are here or not. Jobs are being outsourced, and if the company isn't here, the jobs are not even in Singapore."

Yesterday, Mr Tan said that even on some straightforward issues, decisions are often hard to make as resources are finite. He challenged residents to step up and play their part where they can, to deal with such constraints.

Recalling suggestions for the People's Association or welfare organisations to hold more activities for the elderly who are lonely, he said: "(We) cannot absolve our own roles in this. There are not enough social workers around to do the heavy lifting." Most present also raised their hands when asked if they were interested in serving the community. Calling this a good starting point, he said: "If everyone is able to contribute to his constituency in whatever way he can, the country will undergo real change.""

Lessons for me are:

1. it is IMPORTANT to have citizens that are aware that resources are finite, if not already been done through our 1st world educational system and the constant exhortation by our political leaders that we are a small country subject to the wild winds and storms of the BIG WIDE WORLD out there!

Once this is understood, the concept of the need to trade-off is easy to accept PROVIDED the explanation or the policies REALLY MAKE sense of thee trade-off Minister Tan is talking about!;

2. on the issue of foreign labour - until today, the government STILL insist that without the foreigners, jobs would NOT be in Singapore!

My take has always been:

a. if government is prime-pumping with the massive infrastructure build-up to create GDP growth, we will need a lot of FOREIGN WORKERS (FWs). This is especially so since our construction industry HAS NOT or DID NOT work on the PRODUCTIVITY area in the past and with seemingly limitless CHEAP available FWs!

This type of PROJECT-based surge CAN BE MANAGED with Project-In-Project-Out method. i.e. bring in the FWs for these specific projects and return them after the PROJECTS are COMPLETED.

There will be NO spill-over into the 'normal business of Singaporeans';

b. the Population White Plan foreseen in the future that Singaporeans will take up 75% of jobs as PMEs!! That is wonderful. Where will they come from? Because of Foreign Talent or due to abundance of LOCAL TALENT that are skilled, competent and competitive against ANY talent around the world? Hopefully it is the latter.

Q. how can Minister Tan said that the jobs would not be here without foreigners? If the government has created such a conducive environment for the foreign companies and MORE IMPORTANTLY the foreign companies see and have a market in this part of the world; with WORLD CLASS LOCAL Talent, there is NO reason NOT to have the jobs in S'pore!

The challenge or the ugly truth may be: OUR LOCAL TALENT are simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

If so, we have a deeper problem. Even with the 1st world educational system, our LOCAL TALENT are STILL UNCOMPETITIVE in our own backyard!!??

3. on volunteerism and 'help yourself instead of relying on the government only' - this is a great initiative. I joined the volunteer movement in 1998 when the National Volunteer Initiative was launched. Many MORE people volunteered. Those healthy Seniors especially.

The PAP supposedly has a lot of grass-root organizations that have a lot of volunteers helping. It is already there. The issue Minister Tan raised of: 'Will you give up car lane for a cycling lane?' is another story altogether. Before we even contemplate this question, it may do more good if we consider the issue of: 'why can't cyclists keep to their track at the PCNs which were ALREADY built?'

It is about the QUALITY of our citizens and residents. It is about behavioural change. It is about public spiritedness and being civil and considerate about others.

It is NOT, in this case, about trade-off, BUT about selfishness. It is about entitlement mentality.

As long as the government shied away from 'educating and re-educating' our people on the right values, many good-hearted but hard-headed policies will STILL be abused!