EDITORIAL: The Straits Times says- Parliament: More debate, less division

MPs in Parliament have got down to business to tackle the country’s worst crisis since independence. Issues crucial to Singapore’s economic and social future are being addressed with the urgency and deliberation that they require at this critical juncture. The need to sustain a Singaporean labour core, the need to balance the greater demands on social security with fiscal sustainability and responsibility to future generations, and adherence to societal values are themes around which the Government and the opposition have found common ground to unite on at a time when the country needs constructive politics of the highest order. This ensures that people’s concerns are clearly heard, and addressed.

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The Singapore core is not a new idea, of course. It has been at the heart of policymaking since independence. However, a growing global economy has necessitated the entry of foreign labour on a large scale to help power the country’s capacity for the export of goods and services. But the severe contraction of external demand has required an accompanying recalibration of the presence of foreign labour. It will still be needed, although Singaporeans must not be unfairly disadvantaged in an increasingly competitive labour market. The sentiments raised in Parliament – on the need to prevent errant employers from getting around already enhanced entry requirements for foreigners – are an indication of shifting public mood.