Singapore
01 Jul 2021 03:39PM (Updated: 01 Jul 2021 03:46PM )
SINGAPORE: Two ministerial statements will be delivered in Parliament next week regarding the importance of free trade agreements to Singapore, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Thursday (Jul 1).
The statements will be delivered by Manpower Minister and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng and Mr Ong, who was a former trade negotiator.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Mr Ong said the ministerial statements will explain "how vital" FTAs are to Singapore and how they work.
“We will address in particular the false allegations that FTAs allow foreign professionals a free hand to live and work in Singapore," he added.
The statements will be open to debate after they are delivered.
Mr Ong also referred to two recent incidents of “verbal and physical assaults on Indians”, which he described as “disturbing and not reflective of what Singaporeans are”.
Without specifying the incidents, Mr Ong said they occurred amid an “undercurrent of sentiment against immigrant Indians over the past two years”.
“There are concerns from Singaporeans that need to be addressed, but the unhappiness is also fuelled in no small part by false allegations by the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) about how the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) has given Indian PMEs a free hand to come here to work,” he wrote in the post.
Following the incidents, Mr Ong said Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam during a parliamentary sitting in May this year called on the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) to file a motion on FTAs and CECA.
This was so Parliament could have a proper debate on the matter, discuss what is at stake for Singapore, and “shine a light on untrue statements about CECA", Mr Ong said.
“In the run-up to the filing of PSP's proposed motion, we have received many parliamentary questions on the matter, including many from PSP,” he said, adding that the purpose of the ministerial statements was to answer these questions.
SINGAPORE SHOULD BE “VERY CONCERNED” ABOUT RACIST INCIDENTS
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said last Friday that Singapore should be “very concerned” about racist incidents because there is "always a risk we will regress and move backwards" on race issues.
In a dialogue moderated by Dr Shashi Jayakumar of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Mr Wong answered a question on whether Singapore is moving in “the right direction” on race issues . He was speaking in the dialogue after delivering a speech at the forum jointly organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and RSIS.
Mr Wong’s comments come after a series of incidents sparked public debate about race and racism. He said that while Singapore has "come a long way" from 20 years to 30 years ago, racism still exists in the country.
“Indeed, the recent spate of incidents are a concern,” said Mr Wong. “We should rightfully be very concerned about this because we cannot assume that progress will always move in one direction. There is always a risk that we will regress and we will move backwards.”
Source: CNA/zl
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Ministerial statements on free trade agreements to be delivered in Parliament
File photo of Parliament House. (Photo: Hani Amin)01 Jul 2021 03:39PM (Updated: 01 Jul 2021 03:46PM )
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SINGAPORE: Two ministerial statements will be delivered in Parliament next week regarding the importance of free trade agreements to Singapore, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Thursday (Jul 1).
The statements will be delivered by Manpower Minister and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng and Mr Ong, who was a former trade negotiator.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Mr Ong said the ministerial statements will explain "how vital" FTAs are to Singapore and how they work.
“We will address in particular the false allegations that FTAs allow foreign professionals a free hand to live and work in Singapore," he added.
The statements will be open to debate after they are delivered.
Mr Ong also referred to two recent incidents of “verbal and physical assaults on Indians”, which he described as “disturbing and not reflective of what Singaporeans are”.
Without specifying the incidents, Mr Ong said they occurred amid an “undercurrent of sentiment against immigrant Indians over the past two years”.
“There are concerns from Singaporeans that need to be addressed, but the unhappiness is also fuelled in no small part by false allegations by the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) about how the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) has given Indian PMEs a free hand to come here to work,” he wrote in the post.
Following the incidents, Mr Ong said Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam during a parliamentary sitting in May this year called on the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) to file a motion on FTAs and CECA.
This was so Parliament could have a proper debate on the matter, discuss what is at stake for Singapore, and “shine a light on untrue statements about CECA", Mr Ong said.
“In the run-up to the filing of PSP's proposed motion, we have received many parliamentary questions on the matter, including many from PSP,” he said, adding that the purpose of the ministerial statements was to answer these questions.
SINGAPORE SHOULD BE “VERY CONCERNED” ABOUT RACIST INCIDENTS
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said last Friday that Singapore should be “very concerned” about racist incidents because there is "always a risk we will regress and move backwards" on race issues.
In a dialogue moderated by Dr Shashi Jayakumar of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Mr Wong answered a question on whether Singapore is moving in “the right direction” on race issues . He was speaking in the dialogue after delivering a speech at the forum jointly organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and RSIS.
READ: 'Take the extra step' to make minorities feel comfortable, says Lawrence Wong in speech discussing racism in Singapore
Mr Wong’s comments come after a series of incidents sparked public debate about race and racism. He said that while Singapore has "come a long way" from 20 years to 30 years ago, racism still exists in the country.
“Indeed, the recent spate of incidents are a concern,” said Mr Wong. “We should rightfully be very concerned about this because we cannot assume that progress will always move in one direction. There is always a risk that we will regress and we will move backwards.”
Source: CNA/zl
Continue reading...