I refer to "PAP Policies Have Caused People in IT Industry to Suffer" and "Why Companies in Singapore use Indian IT Workers"
Many Singaporeans should have known that IT industry is very vulnerable.
One of my 37 year old IT executive in NCS National Computer Singapore keeps complaining to me that his salary is depressed by his Pinoy counterparts and during lunch, he also has no common topic with Pinoys. He might as well put NCP National Computer Philippines as he is the minority Singaporean working there which is very shameful as NCS was first started off by the PAP Government.
Recently, many government offices and stats board are on the major hiring trend to hire more security IT executives and systems analysts in the wake of online cyberhackers and The Messiah.
This friend diligently applied to all these posts but alas, he wasn't even shortlisted for an interview. He told me that it could be his age as he is reaching 40 and blames his age for being a stumbling block.
When I told him that the only way to get job security and to get a government job is to vote against PAP and join opposition politics, he refused.
This is what he said:
"PM Lee says it's better for kao pei kao bu Singaporeans to join PAP. http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/pap-leaders-call-activists-fight-what-it-believes
Do you think I should listen to PM Lee's advice and refrain from participating in opposition party outreach activities ? I am still very keen to work for govt in future (eg any position in MSF, PA, NCSS, MOE, NTUC or PAP Community Foundation etc) although I know the chances are very slim as I am too old . Maybe I'll just keep a low profile and stay out of politics. If I join opposition party or participate in their outreach activities, there's totally zero chance of me securing a government job in future if I should ever get Stomped or captured on Facebook."
As a former PAP member and volunteer, here are some myths and fallacies.
1) I have seen some volunteers who do their work for some ulterior purpose. Some actually wanted to get some special favours from MP. The MP may get the volunteers CV and forward it to government bodies, NTUC and NTUC Co-operatives but ultimately, the hiring decision lies solely with the interviewer. Unless you are related to the MP by blood, chances of you getting a good government job is very slim.
2) Having worked in People's Association as a temp staff, quite a lot of salaried staff are also not even PA volunteers in the first place. Some are average performers in schools and not very active in PA activities in their student days. It boils down to how much the interviewer likes you and whether your interview skills sucks or you fumble with answers in front of the panel.
3) As a temp staff in People's Association, I was parked under a recruitment agency. People Association outsourced the recruitment of temp staff to agencies so effectively, I am not on the People's Association headcount/ payroll. I have met one temp staff who has been working for more than 3 months but the supervisor did not even convert her to perm and gave some excuses that 3 months is too short time to assess her performance. And when she found a full time job, the supervisor wanted her to stay but then again, did not have the powers to convert her to perm as the decision lies with HR.
Such is the cruel reality of contract workers and temp staff.
The above reasons can safely attest to the fact that supporting PAP will not bring IT personnel any job security. In fact, in 2001 General Elections, PAP received a high mandate of 75% of the votes, one of the highest since 1980. After that, PAP flooded the whole IT industry with cheaper workforce from Philippines and India until it hurt Singaporeans.
Many opposition parties have made it clear that they will give job security back to Singaporeans and grow their wages. It's time for all IT Singaporean personnels to unite together, gotong royong and take down PAP.
CJ
TRS Contributor