Raising the Pay Levels for Employment Passes

[Mi Amigo]

According to the local news outlets the salary levels are going up again in the near future.

Apparently its due to stagnant wages for graduates coming out of the local educational establishments.

Nothing in the policy seems to address the apparent issue at hand: Why do MNC's choose to hire FT over locals? Rather than addressing that, they are instead 'taxing' MNCs by enforcing higher pay levels. In some respects it seems short-sighted, as it prompts MNCs to consider moving lock-stock+barrel to an alternative SEA location.

Who will the locals work for when the last MNC 'ups and offs'?

Is there an election coming or something?

^^^ +1

Shoot Yourself In The Foot

[gailwynand]

Odds are the long run plan is to tighten up for a couple years at the expense of economic growth and FDI, then once people start complaining about the economy doing poorly they can say "well we tried doing what you asked but it didn't work out so well."

As a bonus they can get rid of people who probably never should have been let in to begin with.

[sundaymorningstaple]

The downside to that is that those MNC and SME who close up shop and move to Johor won't be back.