Price of char kway teow: Cheap is not always good

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While it has a high-wage sector, too many Singaporeans are trapped in jobs with wages kept low in part by foreign labour. This is true not only at the low end, but also for skilled jobs in the middle that also have large numbers of foreign labour. Examples are nursing and healthcare jobs. Reducing reliance on foreign labour in these sectors will allow local wages to go up, and encourage employers to raise productivity.

"At the bottom, we have a large number of foreign workers and low-wage Singaporeans side by side. This is the price - if we want to reduce inequality and resolve this dual economy, or at least reduce its degree, then we need to bear higher costs and higher prices, and help those who cannot bear the higher prices... We should move, we need to move. The current situation is not good; it traps too many people in low wages.

"It can be a virtuous circle, because when I have high wages and I pay more for your services, you get higher wages and you are able to afford more things."

We must make sure our meritocracy continues to provide the hope that tomorrow can be better than today if we strive. Our meritocracy is still one of hope but less than before. To re-energise a meritocracy of hope, it must recognise a more diverse set of human talents and skills. It must not be fixed too early in life but instead offer opportunities to advance throughout one's life.

Qn: To what extent is reducing reliance on foreigners a realistic goal for your society? (JPJC Prelim 2021)