Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung, said that the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has repeatedly made false statements that the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) gives Indians a “free hang” to work in Singapore.
Address PSP’s NMP Leong Mun Wai claims that foreign professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and free trade agreements (FTAs) have affected the jobs and livelihoods of Singaporeans, Ong said:
“These statements are false. They have been repeated for too long.”
He added that FTAs and the CECA have been made into “political scapegoats” to discredit the policies of the government.
Ong also touched on how xenophobia and racism against Indians have been rising over the past few months, noting that PSP has claimed that FTAs and CECA have led to the inflow of Indian professionals into Singapore to displace Singaporeans from jobs.
“This is a seductively simplistic argument that workers facing challenges at their workplaces can identify with, and has stirred up a lot of emotions.”
“Words gradually became deeds, and toxic views turned into verbal and physical assaults on Indians, including our citizens. It is sad, that serious issues concerning the economic well-being of our country and workers, have descended to this.”