I think Singaporeans do not hate foreigners: they just don’t like the fact that they cannot vote and take it out on the foreigners
They want to have the freedom of the foreigners and a real cushion from the government

Your government can waive the profiteering ($172,398) when selling to young Singaporeans and stop new owners from reselling their flats for ten years.

But I am skeptical if your government will do this to help young Singaporeans. I mean, they will lose the chance to earn so much money.

Really feel sad for you people.

Yes I didn’t get across all the points I wanted to. I reviewed the recording, and realised that there were opportunities to do so but I fluffed it by repeating my earlier points. I’ll learn next time.

Good point about NSFs protecting foreigners for “free”. I never saw it that way but I’ll use that point for future arguments. Thanks!

ah gan – Thanks man!

fairoz – I think the tuition grant was there even during your time. It’s just that it is transparent to both you and the foreign students — you just pay the difference between the actual tuition fees (which amounts to $30k+ a year) and the MOE tuition grant.

I’m saddened to hear that the success rate for the NUS bursaries was only 30%. I wonder if you could help me find out what the success rate is now. Your point about Singapore students staying here longer is an excellent point, which I will also add to my repository of arguments.

I did not know that a foreign student receives subsidy, let alone that much subsidy from the state. Its poor policy.Back in NUS as an undergrad, it was difficult for Singaporean students from less well off families to receive NUS bursaries because the amount set aside for each year for bursaries was not enough to be distributed to all applicants. The success rate was about 30-40% i think, back in 2006, when I was in my final undergrad year. This policy should really be rethink, not because this is an exercise in unthinking, angry, knee-jerk nationalism, but because Singaporean students are more likely to be staying here in the long term or permanently,than foreign students, hence making greater direct contribution to Singapore.

keep it up mate!

I’m curious. Did you ask the Malaysian lady why she had not taken up PR?

Also, I feel that you should have brought up how NS provides tangible benefits for PRs and foreigners. For example, apart from the obvious national security benefit of NSFs serving in the SAF, a significant fraction of SPF and SCDF is made up of NSFs who are effectively subsidizing the PRs and foreigners.