Unfortunately, from my long term views of Singapore and their PMETs, what has happened was caused directly by SME employers. Middle level PMETs were being filled with other 3rd world applicants for cost reasons, coupled with the gahmen's lax immigration policies making it possible. The local population has been played out to a large extent by their own. Local grads expecting too much (or, to be honest -- a fair wage) while the local businesses are only interested in making profits so they go get foreign PMET's and reduced rates and say the hell with the local PMETs.
While this was fine 20 years ago, it didn't happen as much as there were a lot less locals who were actually qualified and the quality of the foreign imports were quite good back then. But, as more and more locals were getting good degrees, the employers were still opting for foreigners. What rubbed everybody the wrong way, is for the past dozen years after the millennium IT push, the quality of the mid-level foreign PMETs has plummeted drastically. Most should be here at all as most couldn't punch their way out of a wet paper bag. Of course, we here on the forum already know that just looking at the quality of questions from "masters" holders. One cannot blame the locals for being ticked off when they see people of that caliber taking jobs that they are more than qualified for.
