Law minister says Singaporeans should welcome foreign workers

Having foreign workers in Singapore is in the country's national interest, said Law Minister K Shanmugam on Sunday, in response to questions from some Singaporeans who felt that the country could do with fewer foreign workers.

The concerns were raised amidst a worsening economy, with greater competition expected for fewer jobs.

Mr Shanmugam, who took over the Ministry of Law six months ago, made his first community visit on Sunday to Queenstown – one of Singapore's oldest public housing estates.
Besides meeting him, residents there also took the opportunity to raise issues of concern at a dialogue session. Among the matters raised was the social cost of having more foreign workers in Singapore.

The law minister said: "Who builds our HDB flats? Where do we live? Who builds our roads? Can we really even have our basic infrastructure to continue to be upgraded, without foreign workers?

"There are some jobs that Singaporeans won't do, and then there are some jobs that Singaporeans cannot do... We need to be welcoming our guest workers; we need to be welcoming our expatriates, all of that in pursuit of our national interest."

Other issues raised included the recent hike in electricity tariffs and the need for electronic road pricing.

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