Ngiam Tong Dow 'Climbing the global economic ladder', BT, Nov 10).

[Aris]

Excerpt

"My plea is that we should not sell ourselves short. In the 1960s, I served as the EDB desk officer for the immigration deposit scheme. By depositing $1 million, entrepreneurial businessmen from Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong could obtain permanent residence for themselves and their families in Singapore. They were free to invest their funds in any industry which could create employment for Singaporeans.

The first factory in the Jurong Industrial Estate was established by a group of Indonesian Chinese businessmen.

Permanent residents today are no longer required to invest in industry. Most of them invest in property for capital gains. They do not create employment opportunities for our young graduates pouring out of our four universities and six polytechnics. As we are reaching the limits of expansion, we have to move up from a skill to a knowledge-based economy. We need to raise our level of competence.

In my view, the millions of dollars we are now devoting to R&D is only the means to an end. The end is not inventions or patents per se. The real outcome is raising our competence to solve complex problems, putting us ahead of our competitors.

This would be my definition of a knowledge-based economy."

Only the Singapore Government sees fit to allow their own citizens to be disadvantaged. Now we hear about 48,000 permanent residences owned HDB flats. No wonder we have Singaporeans with no homes and the prices sky-rocketing beyond their reach. Those of us with growing children should think whether they have a future and a stake in Singapore.

[globalcookie]

WOW, at last someone from the whites speaks SENSES!!!

Here's a bit background info on this former top civil servant.

Ngiam Tong Dow is a former Permanent Secretary (Administrative Vice-Minister) of the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister’s Office of the Government of Singapore. He has also served as Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry National Development and the Ministry of Communications. He was also the Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board and the Development Bank of Singapore.

Apart from being an Adjunct Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, he is also an Adjunct Professor at Nanyang Technological University's School of Humanities and the Arts, teaching development economics. He serves as an independent non-executive director on the boards of the United Overseas Bank, Singapore Press Holdings and Yeo Hiap Seng Ltd.

Ngiam holds a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) degree in Economics from the University of Malaya (National University of Singapore) and Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.

Source http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/Faculty_Ngiam_Tong_Dow.aspx

More of these patriotic people should emerge from the shadows. Contrary to what the garment believes, opposing views are actually good for Singapore. For too long, we have a culture of accepting only one view from one man, and that has led to a decline in practically every area from housing, education, immigration, transport, and even safety. Safety is fast becoming an illusion and it started when a terrorist escaped from detention and excuses such as "it's an honest mistake" are accepted.
What we need are views that can put pressure on those in power to buck up or face the door.

[Aris]

Apparently EDB was in a hurry to clarify Mr, Ngiam's statement. What she meant is that a foreigner need no longer invest in a property in order to apply to be a PR. What they left unsaid is something we should look at. Foreigners may not be the cause in the rise in prices of properties and the lack of HDB flats for locals, which is debatable. Foreigners need either to buy or rent if they want to stay in Singapore and both rental or purchase of properties is one of the factors that lead to the demand, period.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

EDB corrects Ngiam's statement on PR applicants

I AM writing to correct the statement, 'permanent residents today are not required to invest in industry - most of them invest in property for capital gains', in the article by former senior civil servant Ngiam Tong Dow ('Climbing the global economic ladder', BT, Nov 10). Prior to Jan 1, 2011, an entrepreneur who invested in a business in Singapore could include an investment in owner-occupied property as part of his or her application for permanent residence (PR). Nevertheless, investing solely in property has never been sufficient to meet the eligibility criteria to apply for permanent residence. The applicant is still required to invest in businesses. Since Jan 1, 2011, investing in property has been removed from the eligibility criteria and is no longer a consideration in the evaluation of applicants for permanent residence.

Myrna Poon
Director, Marketing & Communications
Singapore Economic Development Board

Giving few facts but not elaborating further. What are the requirements to be a PR? Do they need to have a minimum investment in Singapore (net of property) and how much is this? Most have the impression it is easy to get PR, if it is not so, EDB should come forward and say so. Why hide behind vague answers?

[therat]

min requirement for PR. Don't know.
Min requirement for citizen
Must buy a good class bungalow like Jet Li

Or famous like Gong Li



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_Li

She married Singaporean businessman Ooi Hoe Soeng in 1996, and became a Singaporean citizen in 2008

I didn't know she marry to Singaporean so long

[therat]

Originally Posted by Spakase

EDB should come forward and say so. Why hide behind vague answers?

EDB..
ha - ha

My ex-VP (US ang mo) told us a story..
when he come to Singapore to set-up office. He try to get a EP for a Indian engineer but can't.

In the end, he went to had a chat with an high level guy in EDB.
Told him.. if not EP for this Indian engineer. he willn't come to set up office in Singapore.
In the end, don't know how .. that Indian guy got his EP approve.

[globalcookie]

Originally Posted by therat

In the end, he went to had a chat with an high level guy in EDB.
Told him.. if not EP for this Indian engineer. he willn't come to set up office in Singapore.

If he had went to them the recent few years, the engineer would hv gotten PR instead

That's what most people think, it's easy to get PR. I think it's a valid point made by Ngiam that this "easy to get PR" policy shortchanges citizens.

[therat]

Originally Posted by globalcookie

If he had went to them the recent few years, the engineer would hv gotten PR instead

that story was 4 yrs ago.