Most Singaporeans remain open to foreigners here: Poll

Those who are jobless are more likely to express unhappiness in poll by govt feedback unit Reach

The majority of those surveyed agreed that it is important for Singapore to remain open to foreigners, with 63 per cent selecting this option. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

More Singaporeans feel positive about the presence of foreigners here rather than negative, although such sentiments are influenced by one's employment status, a poll by government feedback unit Reach has found.

About half of the more than 2,000 people surveyed said they were neutral about non-citizens in Singapore, while 35 per cent felt positive and just 14 per cent were negative towards them.

Those who were unemployed were more likely to express unhappiness, with 26 per cent saying they felt negative or very negative about foreigners here. Job-related concerns about foreigners were also more pronounced among this group, Reach said in releasing its results yesterday.

The majority of those surveyed, or 63 per cent, agreed that it is important for Singapore to remain open to foreigners, with only 10 per cent disagreeing and 25 per cent neutral. Respondents who were unemployed were more likely to be neutral, at 34 per cent.

The findings were based on a telephone poll of 2,100 randomly selected Singapore citizens aged 15 and above in August.

The issue of foreign professionals in Singapore's workforce has been a hot-button topic, as rising unemployment and uncertainty amid a recession have fuelled debate over discriminatory hiring practices.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said in Parliament last month that 400 firms are on a Fair Consideration Framework watch list because they may have engaged in such practices.

These companies have an unusually high share of foreign professionals, managers, executives and technicians compared with the rest in their industry, she noted.

Until they improve, their work-pass applications will be rejected or held back as the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices helps them hire more Singaporeans, Mrs Teo said.

Respondents in the Reach survey were also presented with an open-ended question on the top three things that bothered them most about foreigners.

Nearly half did not cite any, while 23 per cent mentioned job-related concerns and 16 per cent said they were bothered by the social habits of foreigners, such as talking loudly.

A separate online poll of 1,050 Singaporeans found that the majority felt the country's status as a regional hub is beneficial for job creation. But one in five said it would be better for the Republic to do away with this status in order to reduce the number of foreigners, even if this meant fewer job opportunities for Singaporeans. Respondents who were unemployed were again more likely to indicate this.

Reach chairman Tan Kiat How said in a statement that Singaporeans are understandably anxious over job security and career opportunities during this difficult period.

The Government is committed to helping them keep their jobs or find new ones, said Mr Tan, who is Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office and for National Development.

"Nevertheless, it is heartening to know that many Singaporeans understand the need for Singapore to remain open to global talent," he said of the survey findings.

A spokesman for Reach said it regularly conducts surveys on topics that may be of interest to the public, and, in this instance, the survey was meant to understand public sentiments towards foreigners during this time of economic uncertainty.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on October 11, 2020, with the headline Most Singaporeans remain open to foreigners here: Poll. Subscribe