Blog Entry 3

Hi, this is my third entry for my EL Blog.

Our government’s vision for Singapore is that we will live as a society uncontaminated by xenophobia, with doors open wide for foreigners to enter at will. Of course, based on our faithful devotion to the system of meritocracy, the doors are thrown open even wider for foreigners with distinction stamped on their academic certificates, also known as Foreign Talent. They have the potential to give our economy a boost, that extra kick that bestows upon us the international prestige that so many countries around the world are vying for.
However, on the other end of the spectrum of foreigners entering our nation, we have another collection of aliens whose contributions to our economy seem minimal but are most definitely not. They are none other than the Foreign Workers who work long hours at construction sites to erect the skyscrapers that Singapore prides in, and work as domestic helpers to care for the children of Singaporeans who often get too caught up with their work. They, unfortunately, are not given a celebratory welcome when they enter our country. Unlike foreign talents who enjoy the best harvest of our fields, Singaporeans seem to be able to find problems with foreign workers time and again. I believe that we need to change our attitude towards foreign workers, while maintaining the positive attitude that the government has towards foreign talents.
Foreign workers may not be major contributors to our thriving economy, but I believe that they are crucial all the same. The part they play in the advancement of our country can be likened to the role of the smallest toenail of the human body. I draw from the experience of my pastor who said that there was never a time when he missed his small toenail more than when he damaged it and had it surgically removed. That too is our situation – we will only appreciate the part that foreign workers play in the development of our nation when they are not here to build our buildings, look after our children and provide food for us at hawker centres.
Granted, we are not the only ones at fault in this conflict between us and foreign workers. There has been a plethora of complaints against them over the years. However, they all seem to share one common characteristic – foreign workers are not integrated in our society. This is something that no government can solve alone. As citizens of this nation, it is our duty to at least attempt to make foreigners feel welcome.
I totally agree with the writer of the article “Making Singapore a ‘brain gain’ city”. Many Singaporeans have stories similar to those of the foreign workers who come to Singapore searching for better economic prospects. In fact, I can relate to the foreigners who come to Singapore. My father migrated to Singapore because he found a job here. Not one day goes by that I don’t thank God for bringing my family to this beautiful nation. In the same way, I hope that all Singaporeans will adopt this perspective. Weren’t the forefathers of this nation “foreign workers” too? That being the case, by shunning foreign workers, we are being rather hypocritical.
It is time to open those doors a bit wider.