One of our current problems is too many foreigners who directly compete with citizens for jobs. From the Singaporeans' points of view, this problem is easy to solve - import less foreigners and have strong legislation to punish employers for discriminating against Singaporeans. Problem solved. Let's move on to the next problem. Except that, why would any sane government want to do that?
If I were the government, it is in my interests to bring in more foreigners, especially PMETs. They will increase the tax base, they buy expensive properties, they set up companies here, they provide jobs for more foreigners. And most importantly, they cannot vote me out. If they become citizens, they are also more likely to vote for the ruling party.
If I were the government, I would very insecure if too many of my own citizens would get well-paying jobs. You might think I am crazy, but think again. Citizens who are well-educated and well-paid tend to be more confident and more assertive. They will also demand more rights and are less tolerant of misrule. There will always be a minority group of running dogs who will vote for me if I provide them with well-paid jobs, but the majority of citizens will be more assertive. So, while my tax base will grow, my rule will be uncertain. The best way to kill two birds with some stone is to import the foreigners to have the good jobs, and ensure that my citizens do the second-rate work. The second-rate work will pay enough to settle the bills, but not enough to let them feel secure enough to demand for more rights. I would like my citizens to work longer hours too. People who are too preoccupied with work have little time for social rights and politics, just the way I like it.
I follow most of the stories on TRS and TOC. They all have the same common point - how to improve lives for the citizens. The social issues are all treated as Math problems with a simple direct solution. The issue is seen from the perspective of how to improve lives for the citizens. The netizens also follow the same train of thought - the government has a good heart, tries to solve the problem but either doesn't know how to or is out of touch with reality.
However, I propose a darker perspective. I think the government sees things from a completely different lens - how to stay in power perpetually. All solutions to any social problems must first solve this problem - how to ensure the party can remain in power for the next 50 years or more. That is the paramount issue. Improving lives is secondary, and only done if it is in line with keeping the party in power perpetually.
If you see things from the same perspective of any government that wants to remain in power perpetually, then the government's actions are fairly easy to comprehend - such as having having full control over the trade union and mass media, mass import of foreigners to shore up votes, perceived lax enforcement against foreigners who discriminate against Singaporeans at work, using of taxpayer monies in the guise of 'grassroots' activities to win votes for the ruling party.
In school, we are taught that problems are tackled by right or wrong approach. But in real life, problems are addressed based largely on selfish self-interests. That explains why global problems such as discrimination against race or religion, croynism, corruption and harmful government policies often take much longer to address. Sometimes, they are not even addressed decisively if they are perceived to adversely affect the self-interests of the ruling class or strongest group.
The people who misrule are often not stupid nor incompetent. For goodness sake, many of them did extremely well in school and ECA and won scholarships. They are brighter than the average Singaporean. They know perfectly well what they are doing. They could solve the problem if they really wanted to, but chose not to. It is you who are stupid for failing to see things from their perspective.
TRS Contributor