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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapor...on-2178021

Mr Wong’s motion, filed after Mr Leong’s, stated that the House:
(a) acknowledges Singaporeans’ anxieties about jobs and competition in a globalised and fast-changing economy;
(b) affirms Singapore’s need to stay open and connected to the world in order to grow and prosper;
© supports Government actions to manage the population of foreign manpower, ensure fair treatment by employers, and invest in education and upskilling, to create more good jobs for Singaporeans;
(d) calls on the Government to continue to update and improve its policies to secure the well-being and livelihoods of Singaporeans in an uncertain post-pandemic world; and
(e) deplores attempts to spread misinformation about free trade agreements like the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), stir up racism and xenophobia, and cause fear and anxiety amongst Singaporeans.


The Workers’ Party (WP) MPs voted against both motions after their suggested amendments to the motions were turned down by the House.

The final votes were taken at about 12.30am on Wednesday, more than 10 hours after the debate began at 1.45pm on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Lawrence Wong

He criticised the PSP’s arguments as “simplistic and wishful thinking”, and reiterated that squeezing out foreigners would not lead to jobs automatically going to Singaporeans.

“I think all of these arguments miss out on the most important point, and that’s the stark reality that Singaporeans are great in the workforce but there are just not enough of us,” he said.


Mr Wong also cautioned that many firms will not set up shop in Singapore if there are manpower policies that restrict them from hiring international talent, resulting in worse outcomes for Singaporean workers. 

On PSP’s point that there are many underemployed mid-career Singaporeans, Mr Wong said that the Government is trying its best to retrain mid-career workers, but this “does not happen overnight”.

Acknowledging that an open economy has downsides with not everyone benefitting, Mr Wong said: “Some have been knocked down by the winds of change, and it’s not simply a matter of bouncing back on your feet again, especially when you’re older.

To PSP’s protests that they have not been  racist or xenophobic, he said: “If it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, it is a duck.

“Whatever Mr Leong or (fellow PSP NCMP) Ms Hazel Poa may say, the fact is that this is how people see and perceive the PSP campaign.”