To date, Leong and Poa have debated in Parliament on an array of issues ranging from education, migrant workers, the economy to sustainability.
Arguably, the one issue that has put the PSP in the spotlight more than any others recently is the India–Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and its supposed impact on Singapore's workforce.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who told Leong that what had been said about CECA was false, in May challenged the NCMP to debate CECA. Without naming anyone, Shanmugam said certain "parties" were engaged in "dangerous" actions over the issue. Leong accepted the challenge and said CECA and other Free Trade Agreements have affected the jobs and livelihoods of Singaporeans.
The CECA issue led to separate Ministerial Statements by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Manpower Minister Minister Tan See Leng on Tuesday (6 July) to defend the government's position on CECA. Ong accused the PSP of using CECA as a “political scapegoat” to discredit the PAP.
Asked if he had a role in encouraging Leong to accept the challenge, Dr Tan said, “I think to a large extent he was also influenced by my opening remarks when I wanted to form the party (a few years ago) and said one of the areas that we should really look into is this review (of) CECA, on our employment of PMETs.
“I'm happy for him, I am glad he took the challenge. If he didn’t take the challenge I would have scolded him,” Dr Tan said with a chuckle.
But Dr Tan acknowledged it was a daunting challenge for Leong to face off the ministers. “I think Shanmugam is a bully…It’s the manner he posed that question to him, it’s very not gentleman for a minister,” said Dr Tan.
CECA reduces tariff barriers, which made Singapore goods more competitive in the Indian market. Partly because of that, bilateral trade between Singapore and India has grown by over 80 per cent, from S$20 billion when CECA came into force in 2005 to S$38 billion in 2019.
Similarly, Singapore’s direct investment abroad in India grew by 50 times, from S$1.3 billion to S$61 billion during the same period. In 2019, 660 companies from Singapore have investments in India, almost double the number a decade ago.
As these companies grow regionally, they hire more people back home. In 2019, they employed 97,000 locals
Challenge accepted: PSP to pursue debate on CECA in Parliament
SINGAPORE — The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has accepted Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam's challenge to debate the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in Parliament.
"The most important economic policies that have affected the jobs and livelihoods of Singaporeans relate to Foreign PMETs and Free Trade Agreements, in particular the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with India," said Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai in a Facebook post on Tuesday (22 June), referring to professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
Leong, who is a member of the PSP's central executive committee, added that his party will seek "further information from the government" in Parliament next month in preparation for the debate, after which it will "decide on a suitable time to file a motion".
"It will be then up to the Speaker’s discretion to confirm the date of the debate," he added.
During a parliamentary session in May, Shanmugam issued a challenge to Leong to openly debate CECA.
"If anyone here believes that CECA is a problem, put it up for a motion debated openly, and let's hear whether Singaporeans benefit or lose from it," said Shanmugam.
"I'm looking at you, Mr Leong," he added. "I invite you to put up a motion to debate CECA. You know that most of what is said about CECA is false."
Earlier during the session, Shanmugam also pointed to certain "parties" that have been deliberately stoking fears of foreigners as well as "encouraging racism and xenophobia" in Singapore, and warned that such actions were "dangerous".
In his Facebook post on Tuesday, Leong said that the PSP believes Singapore is in need of rebalancing the interests of Singaporeans in relation to foreign PMETs in the job market. He noted the process could involve "the recouping of tens of thousands of jobs" from work pass holders through various measures.
While this would affect the number of PMETs in the Singapore workforce, it is a "necessary step" towards creating a "win-win situation for both Singaporeans and foreign nationals", he added.
"The first step in achieving this is obtaining prompt and complete information so as to promote transparency and to eliminate prejudices. All of which is in the spirit against xenophobia and racism," said Leong.
@The Baron All Leong Mun Wai needs to do is demand that the pappies cite specific, concrete examples of how exactly CECA has benefited Singapore since instead of just delivering motherhood statements along the lines of CECA helping to create good jobs, and these jiak liao bees will be completely dumbstruck.
@Fat White KnightWhich is why Tan Chuan Jin shall make himself useful by standing ready to cut Leong off midway or perhaps even shackle his inquisitive ass at the onset with regards to what he could ask, and not ask.
Why do Our NTU/NUS graduates end up driving Uber/Grab?
The government likes to proudly show off the rankings of our schools, in particular that of NUS and NTU. Of course, it serves to demonstrate everyone should aspire to secure degrees from these schools so as to ensure they get good jobs et cetera.
Recently, I attended a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL) training; here's a shocking fact I discovered when my curious self went around surveying for a bit - many of the folks attending the classes were ex-PMETs from polytechnics, NTU and NUS! A lot of them previously were in computer science, electrical and civil engineering jobs before being replaced. I counted a handful of them in their 30s and while most were in their 40s. There were also some fresh graduates who could not land jobs yet and so resorted to driving to earn a living. Dear lord! You mean to say our graduates from these top schools in Asia couldn't find proper employment?! One of the common reasons supplied was that too many foreigners were plying the same trade as them and at considerably lower salaries. In other words, a huge quantity of electrical engineering jobs going instead to Indians FTs and civil engineering jobs snagged by Filipinos.
The clowns at the top echelons of our G are always boasting about the country attaining GDP growth, oh come on even the dumb would know GDP growth can be achieved by importing vast quantities of foreign labour. Ooooh yes that means millions of foreigners, and here's a fun fact: our population is supposed to only hit 7 million by 2030 yet we are already nearing the 6 million mark, mind you this is only 2018. The doors are thrown wide open to the rest of the world, in the process causing so many locals to become underemployed or unemployed. While the government constantly publishes reports about how awesome the Singapore education system is, they prefer to go around hiring cheap labour with dubious academic credentials from third world countries.
Many of our locals live in HDB dwellings and are thus saddled with enormous housing loans; without jobs to fund their debts and living expenses, they are left with little choice but to force themselves to become private hire car drivers. When autonomous vehicles finally arrive at the scene in a big way, what then next? Take an elevator to the tallest floor of Marina Bay Sands Hotel tower and contemplate "migrating" to the netherworld?
My view of CECA: we created a paradise and gave it all away.
PSP being targeted
To date, Leong and Poa have debated in Parliament on an array of issues ranging from education, migrant workers, the economy to sustainability.
Arguably, the one issue that has put the PSP in the spotlight more than any others recently is the India–Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and its supposed impact on Singapore's workforce.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who told Leong that what had been said about CECA was false, in May challenged the NCMP to debate CECA. Without naming anyone, Shanmugam said certain "parties" were engaged in "dangerous" actions over the issue. Leong accepted the challenge and said CECA and other Free Trade Agreements have affected the jobs and livelihoods of Singaporeans.
The CECA issue led to separate Ministerial Statements by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Manpower Minister Minister Tan See Leng on Tuesday (6 July) to defend the government's position on CECA. Ong accused the PSP of using CECA as a “political scapegoat” to discredit the PAP.
Asked if he had a role in encouraging Leong to accept the challenge, Dr Tan said, “I think to a large extent he was also influenced by my opening remarks when I wanted to form the party (a few years ago) and said one of the areas that we should really look into is this review (of) CECA, on our employment of PMETs.
“I'm happy for him, I am glad he took the challenge. If he didn’t take the challenge I would have scolded him,” Dr Tan said with a chuckle.
SHOCKING!!!!! MORE THAN 1/2 OF THE TOTAL WORKFORCE NOT BORN IN SINGAPORE!!!!!
Well fucking done PAP.
Challenge accepted: PSP to pursue debate on CECA in Parliament
SINGAPORE — The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has accepted Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam's challenge to debate the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in Parliament.
"The most important economic policies that have affected the jobs and livelihoods of Singaporeans relate to Foreign PMETs and Free Trade Agreements, in particular the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with India," said Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai in a Facebook post on Tuesday (22 June), referring to professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
Leong, who is a member of the PSP's central executive committee, added that his party will seek "further information from the government" in Parliament next month in preparation for the debate, after which it will "decide on a suitable time to file a motion".
"It will be then up to the Speaker’s discretion to confirm the date of the debate," he added.
During a parliamentary session in May, Shanmugam issued a challenge to Leong to openly debate CECA.
"If anyone here believes that CECA is a problem, put it up for a motion debated openly, and let's hear whether Singaporeans benefit or lose from it," said Shanmugam.
"I'm looking at you, Mr Leong," he added. "I invite you to put up a motion to debate CECA. You know that most of what is said about CECA is false."
Earlier during the session, Shanmugam also pointed to certain "parties" that have been deliberately stoking fears of foreigners as well as "encouraging racism and xenophobia" in Singapore, and warned that such actions were "dangerous".
In his Facebook post on Tuesday, Leong said that the PSP believes Singapore is in need of rebalancing the interests of Singaporeans in relation to foreign PMETs in the job market. He noted the process could involve "the recouping of tens of thousands of jobs" from work pass holders through various measures.
While this would affect the number of PMETs in the Singapore workforce, it is a "necessary step" towards creating a "win-win situation for both Singaporeans and foreign nationals", he added.
"The first step in achieving this is obtaining prompt and complete information so as to promote transparency and to eliminate prejudices. All of which is in the spirit against xenophobia and racism," said Leong.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/challenge-accepted-psp-debate-ceca-parliament-071554054.html
Ouch, Lim Tean just succeeded in making the PAP look bad again.
Sinkie youths can always become GRAB drivers. HUAT AR!!!!!