If you got scroll social media, you confirm got see this post before:
This uncle called Lim Dennis, one day jiak pa bo sai pang, go and post the above photo on his Facebook, trying to stir shit. Want to add oil add vinegar and make more Singaporeans dulan with Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) by implying that majority of the staff working in DBS are Indian nationals.
Gekko (in the end) is FAKE NEWS.
It has since been clarified that this group photo is taken in DBS INDIA OFFICE, NOT IN SINGAPORE.
Then when reporters ask him why he never verify first, why anyhow go spread fake news? You know what this CB kia reply? He ask them back why should he do such checks. WOW, SIBEI GUAI LAN.
Oei, you really think all Singaporeans are stupid and gullible ah? YOU THEN STUPID, YOUR WHOLE FAMILY STUPID!
To the rest of you who titi like to KPKB about CECA, lao niang want to ask you 2 questions:
- Do you really know what CECA is all about a not?
- Or you FOMO, just want to KPKB about CECA because everyone else is doing so?
Please ah before you KPKB, go and read the full legal text of the agreement here. Make sure you click every single link, and then read every single sentence and every page of the agreement hor.
But if you lazy or no time to read but don’t want to make yourself malu when people ask you about CECA, below is a summary of what CECA is really about.
Firstly, CECA is one of the many many free trade agreements (FTAs) Singapore has with other countries. And this CECA is with India loh.
Why we need to have so many FTAs is because we kiasu (or you can also say we kiasi).
Singapore is a small country. We don’t have a lot of resources – we only have people. Sibei qi-cham. We live by trade. Without trade, you die, lao niang die, everybody die. So, we need to make friends with other countries so that we can have access to some of their things like goods, services, investments, and ideas. Basically, things that we need, but don’t have lah.
But bo ko leng (cannot be) you can access other people’s things but don’t give other people something in return, tio bo? Like that is call rob, not trade liao wor.
Anyway, under this CECA, Singapore and India shake hands, become friend friend, kawan kawan, and both agreed to scrape away taxes on imports from either country.
Meaning that when Singaporeans import things from India that are covered under the agreement, we can save money. And when Singaporeans want to bring their business to India and become towkay there, they can also enter India’s market at a lower tariff.
Likewise, when Indian towkay want to come Singapore open shop, set up business here, the barrier of entry also lower for them.
But aiya this part hor average people on the road won’t understand one lah. Because won’t directly benefit you, unless you towkay want to set up business in India. But hor, just because it doesn’t benefit you, doesn’t mean other people don’t benefit from it 🤷🏻♀️ Not everything is about you.
Lai lai, come liao. This is the part where people confirm will say, “YOU SEE! THAT’S WHY THEY COME AND SNATCH OUR JOBS!!!!!!”
Wrong ah, if they come here set up business means they must hire Singaporeans first because Ministry of Manpower (MOM) says one. Meaning they will create jobs for Singaporeans. If they don’t hire Singaporeans first, please go and bao toh them. Tia gong MOM very fast will follow up one.
BUT! Let’s say if they cannot find Singaporeans to qualify and fill in the job roles that they are looking for, then they bo bian, need to import some brains (and body) from overseas loh.
By the way hor, this agreement NEVER say it will grant these Indian national citizenship, residence, or permanent employment when they come to Singapore to work hor. They can only be here for a certain period. Meaning they still need to balek kampong after their time here is up.
So, the idea is let them come here work, squeeze them dry, make them transfer the knowledge to Singaporeans liao then ask them balek kampong.
Confirm some of you will KPKB and say, “Then why limpeh see so many Indian nationals at Changi Business Park? THEY SNATCH OUR JOBS!”
Sorry ah, how you know is YOUR job? You sure you qualify enough to do the job in the first place? If yes, then go and fight for it man! If not hor, go and do something about it. Jiayou!!!!!
And hor, before these foreign talents come to Singapore to work, they also need to meet some requirements and have the qualifications before they can come here work one ah. Not suka-suka any Ramesh or Gupta can come one.
Also, the towkays that hire them also need to make sure that they follow the Fair Consideration Framework one. If towkays and companies never follow the fair hiring practices or they discriminate against Singaporeans, MOM will chong gong (confiscate) their work passes these Indian foreign talents will then have to balek kampong.
So hor, the conclusion is:
- The Indian nationals don’t get any special treatment or privileges because of CECA.
- CECA is not just about movement of people. It is also about many other aspects like trade and investment growth for Singapore – which even if lao niang tell you, you also won’t understand one lah.
By the way, you can also go and be foreign talent in India one lei. But you willing to go mah?
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