Foreign "talent"

[NorrinRadd]

So who started with this moronic term?

Did foreigners come up with it, the Singapore government, Singaporean people?

Are foreigners in any other country referred to as "talent' or simply "foreigners"?

I suspect this is homegrown. All it does is put some psychological barrier between people to label one side as "talent" as in doing so erroneously elevates them above those who aren't. Creates animosity.

Anywhere else I've lived besides home, I was just a "foreigner".

[nutnut]

It's based on the fact that the visa's given out are based on the talent that the foreigners possess. Therefore, we are allocated this name. I am not really bothered personally, I suspect you should only be bothered if you are not talented and have something to hide!

[NorrinRadd]

Your post adds nothing to the conversation.

[x9200]

A classic, but it's Sunday not Friday. Or this is because tomorrow's Monday is like Friday?

[poodlek]

Your post adds nothing to the conversation.

Charming way to introduce yourself to the forum.

[carteki]

It smacks of the PAP propaganda machine to me. They had to "sell" the hordes of foreigners to the locals somehow.

(and its making more and more sense when you realise that there are more SPR's than citizens in Singapore. I never realised how outnumbered the citizens were here)

[sundaymorningstaple]

Actually there are two terms bandied about, and yes the labeling is courtesy of the government not the locals. However the locals have become somewhat of a laughing stock because they cannot figure out just who they are against and when and why.

Foreign Talent means primarily Foreigners who are hired for the academic and/or skillsets that are needed but in short supply in the little Red Dot. (Unfortunately, the government went a bit overboard hence the current backlash against them because it would see that employers (Singaporean Employers mind you) took advantage of a lot of them from the region were willing to the the same job as locals (the PMETs primarily - professional, managerial, engineering & Technical) in positions that are not a shortage but only because they were cheaper.

Foreign Labour means just what it says. These are the ones that are imported to do the jobs that Singaporean refuse to do. Working in Shipyard, Pest Control, Hospitality/Service industries, landscaping & construction industries plus to a large degree the manufacturing industries as well. While the locals don't bitch about them too much they raise holy hell if the gahmint wants to build a dormitory close to where they live. Mind you, these people have to have a place to live and land is limited in Singapore. These are the ones you see congregating at Golden Mile (Thais), Peninsula Plaza (Burmese), Little India (Indians/Bangla/Sri Lankan/Pakistanis) and land but by far not least and probably the most visible Lucky Plaza/Orchard Road (Filipinos). These people cannot stay locked up forever (the maid are locked up by the locals at least 13 days every two weeks and in a lot of cases 29 out of 30 days a month). That will change come Jan 1, when finally it will be the law that they HAVE to give a maid one day off a week. It's about time.

[JR8]

Did foreigners come up with it, the Singapore government, Singaporean people?

The government I expect, they love pigeon-holing things so they are simple to explain to the locals (plus you can't make an acronym out of 'foreigners').

Why don't you take up your protest directly with them?

p.s. which previous user names had you used and had locked?

[nutnut]

Your post adds nothing to the conversation.

How very rude! Actually, I explained why we are referred to as Foreign Talent, it's due to the visa process that we all go through, SMS has given further explanation, is it because you didn't like my answer that you decided to be rude?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Nah, it just means he has a masters from some "reputed" Indian university (which the rest of the world has never heard of) like all the other rude ones with a sense of entitlement seem to have.

[nutnut]

lol

[JR8]

I thought it might be just another passive-aggressive Asian on the rebound after being locked out....

To enter a topic as a newbie with that attitude you're either a born-aggressive ar$e-hole, or a lock-out working off your frustration by trolling...

[sundaymorningstaple]

Or a combination of both?

[NorrinRadd]

Or neither. Was out all day, just back now.

Thanks carteki, SMS and JR8 for the views.

My post was in response to some of the recent noise I've read in the press (the foreigner who got creamed in the comments on his article about the new school ruling and the effect it was having on getting his kids into a school here), and from some Singaporean FB friends, and from the xenophobe thread.

It's just that the "FT" term is being thrown around so much it's got to be exacerbating things.

No JR, I don't have a protest to take up, just a forum post, that's about as interested as I get about things Singapore anymore. Even that's a reach for me after being dormant so long.

It's probably silly of me to expect that many Singaporeans would read these and therefore get the point, get the other side of the story, but most of us are foreigners here and already know this stuff.

But I do agree with the xenophobe thread, things do seem to be heating up.

[sweetgazebo]

As SMS explained, 'foreign talent' (and foreign labour) in Singapore means cheap labour.

I will tell you what's real talent. It's when the Singapore government writes you a letter, inviting you to consider migrating to Singapore to work when you are happily earning USD$30k / month as a banker in the US and you turn down the offer because you know that Singapore is just cheap!

And the above is from another malaysian based in the US.