In the latest interview with ABC Radio today (June 10), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that globalisation and the import of foreigners create more jobs and higher salaries for Singaporeans:
“In some countries, globalisation is viewed as a monster that wrests jobs from workers. But in Singapore, I see it as a creator of jobs and booster of workers’ wages. This is because as a globalised nation, we can play a role which is servicing the region, which is servicing the world. In doing so, we can have jobs in Singapore which are better paying for a wide range of our people.”
Lee Hsien Loong then said he is placing his bet on technology and that he is “confident that technology will generate jobs”, and then went to his favourite rhetorical questions:
“The question is what kind of jobs and will it be able to use the talents and meet the aspirations of our people? Can we prepare our people for the jobs which we think they should be capable of doing?”
The dictator Prime Minister infamous for suing news reporters and intellectuals then said his government is fostering an environment to create jobs:
“I do not think the answer lies in having the money to do it. What’s crucial, are three factors: One, the mindset that technology can make a big difference and a desire to make full use of it. Two, there must be organisations that run efficiently, not just automating your own way of doing things, you may have to restructure all together. Three, the country must have people with the ideas and technical know-how to make the projects happen.”
Lee Hsien Loong then claimed that his government may not be “techies” but “the leaders know what is snake oil and what is real”.