Tony Tan: we should not make it too difficult for FT...
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Tony Tan: we should not make it too difficult for international talent to come to Singapore
Tony Tan: S'poreans first, but don't shut out talent
By Tessa Wong
PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Tony Tan said yesterday that he believes higher education here should be for 'Singaporeans first' but not 'Singaporeans only'.
Delivering a lecture on higher education at the Singapore Management University, Dr Tan said he had been asked more than once in recent weeks whether he favoured a 'Singaporeans first' policy in higher education.
'I do,' he said.
He then set out what he understood by that.
'Whatever initiatives we launch, we must always put the interests of Singaporeans and Singapore first.'
However, as an international city, it would be a 'grave mistake' for Singapore to close its doors to foreign students, he added.
'While putting Singaporeans first, we should not make it too difficult for international talent to come to Singapore. Finding the right balance is not going to be easy but we must try,' he said.
From 1980 to 1991 and again from 1995 to 2005, Dr Tan oversaw the development of university education.
Yesterday, he outlined the costs to Singapore if it became protectionist in higher education.
Closing the doors would limit the entry of talented individuals who contribute much to Singapore, he said.
Such a move would also restrict the Republic's ability to engage in collaborative research 'that has put Singaporean universities in the very top ranks of universities in the world'.
As a small country, Singapore also has a strong national interest in helping to raise governance standards in the region, he said.
Positioning Singapore's higher education institutions as part of a global network, with alumni assuming leadership positions globally, would secure relations between Singapore and other countries, he added.
At the same time, Dr Tan made clear that in the provision of higher education, 'our primary responsibility is to Singaporeans'.
That means giving Singaporeans and their families 'every opportunity to be first, to be the best that they can be, and to find their own path'.
He pointed out that citizens already have priority entrance to primary and secondary schools. Citizens also benefit from subsidies and scholarships to pursue higher education here or abroad.
To ensure that Singaporeans can take advantage of opportunities, the Government should continue to monitor carefully the proportion of foreign students in Singapore's educational institutions, he said.
This should be done to ensure that the proportion 'matches the present and future needs of the country, and that Singaporeans are the main beneficiaries of our education policies'.
Dr Tan's remarks come shortly after criticism surfaced online about his role in opening the doors of local universities to foreign students.
The source of the criticism was a post by an anonymous blogger, who cited certain statements Dr Tan had made during an exchange in Parliament in 1997 on how best to address Singapore's shortfall in graduates.
At that time, the Ministry of Trade and Industry projected that Singapore would need by the year 2000, close to 17,000 graduates a year to service the economy.
That was almost double the intake of the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University, the two local universities then.
During the parliamentary debate on the issue, Dr Tan had said that recruiting students from overseas was one of three ways to make up for the shortfall.
The other two were to increase the intake at the two local universities, as well as increase the number of tertiary institutions. At that time, the university fee structure was also revised so that foreign students paid only 10 per cent more than local students.
Today, foreign students pay 60 per cent more than local students.
SOURCE: http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/vie...25455913ab9cdf -
yes FT is esstenatial to Singapore
Welcome to Singapore
feel free to use our toilets, trains and seats
fill it all up
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He wont get my vote
All his speeches lately lean towards PAP
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if no vote pap will get punish???
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White hair junk is talking. Soon he will be excited to know the outcome of investigation on his son Patrick Tan.
There is no good excuse for me to vote a minister who abused power by letting the son Patrick. ,,,, Patrick was granted disruption 12 years to go overseas for study. NS men are training hard while the son was enjoying study overseas. To me it is as good as corruption. Power abuse.
Yes, he did that. Now if he is going to be the new President I am thinking what shit he will put Singaporeans through.
Please vote against him.
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not my vote
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Originally posted by jmstar~:
White hair junk is talking. Soon he will be excited to know the outcome of investigation on his son Patrick Tan.
There is no good excuse for me to vote a minister who abused power by letting the son Patrick. ,,,, Patrick was granted disruption 12 years to go overseas for study. NS men are training hard while the son was enjoying study overseas. To me it is as good as corruption. Power abuse.
Yes, he did that. Now if he is going to be the new President I am thinking what shit he will put Singaporeans through.
Please vote against him.
patrick no serve ns?
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Originally posted by Ah Gong:
patrick no serve ns?
NS deferred to let him study overseas. Go read articles on this from TRE. If I can find article I will post to let you read.
Latest news is they will be investigating this case.
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wow ok
i did not know abt this
thx
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Originally posted by Ah Gong:
wow ok
i did not know abt this
thx
The article from Temasek Review:
Dr Patrick Tan and the integrity of National Service
Dr Patrick Tan
For much of the past week, Singapore netizens have been in uproar over the alleged ‘preferential treatment’ given to Dr Patrick Tan Boon Ooi while he was serving his National Service. Dr Patrick Tan is the son of presidential candidate Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence.
It has been revealed that Dr Patrick Tan was granted a 12-year disruption from full-time National Service, during which he obtained a medical degree. However, instead of serving as a combat Medical Officer like most qualified doctors, Dr Patrick Tan was assigned to the Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute (DMERI), serving in the vocation of “Defence Scientist” for the remainder of his full-time NS liability.
It is not the first time that there has been a debate about children of influential people being given preferential treatment during NS. Some years ago, Cedric Foo, who was Minister of State for Defence, admitted in Parliament that MINDEF had an official “white horse” classification prior to 2000. Mr Foo claimed that the “white horse” classification existed to single out the sons of the rich and powerful so that they would not receive preferential treatment.
“All NSmen are treated equally and are deployed in vocations and units based on SAF operational requirements, their medical classification, and their academic and military performance. No NSmen has been accorded special privileges. Prior to year 2000, the term ‘white horse’ was used to identify sons of influential persons to ensure such enlistees were not given preferential treatment. And their medical classification and vocation assignments are scrupulously fair,” said Mr Foo in reply to a question tabled by former Non-Constituency MP Steve Chia.
MINDEF has been known to be completely unwilling to allow for NS disruptions or deferments on personal or compassionate grounds in the past. A case in point would be that of Ike See, a talented violinist who was offered a music scholarship to study at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in the United States. However, MINDEF rejected his request for deferment, putting his plans into a tailspin.
NS is a hated but respected institution in Singapore because it represents a rite of passage that every Singaporean male has to go through. It is a great social equaliser because it forces those from rich and influential backgrounds to interact with people from more disadvantaged backgrounds on a daily basis, subject to the same regimen of strict military discipline. NS is non-negotiable; there are no exceptions. Or so we thought.
The Office of Dr Tony Tan offered a feeble explanation as to how his son had made contributions to Singapore. Claiming that there were “multiple service pathways for NSmen after BMT”, Dr Tan’s administrators went on to assert that Dr Patrick Tan had made significant contributions through his research work. “In line with his research at medical school in genomics, (Dr Patrick Tan’s) research work focused on melioidisis, a disease involving abcesses, pneumonia or blood poisoning caused by a soil-borne bacteria… which was a concern to MINDEF because it was affecting soldiers in the field and is a potential bio-terrorism threat”.
The fact that Dr Patrick Tan made significant contributions to MINDEF is unquestionable – it could even be argued that someone with his background and education would have been expected to make contributions. However, this is a moot point, as the issue in question is whether or not he was entitled to preferential treatment. Many other talented Singaporeans have had to serve their NS in vocations which did not allow them to utilise their skills or knowledge – almost everyone knows of a highly-trained doctor, lawyer, engineer or researcher who had to serve as ordinary riflemen.
The question really is: If Dr Patrick Tan was not the son of Dr Tony Tan, would he have been allowed a 12-year disruption from full-time NS? And would he have been allowed to serve out the remainder of his NS liability as a “defence medical scientist” at DMERI? If these issues continue to be sidestepped, the integrity of NS as a whole could risk being called into question – the morale of both servicemen and reservists could be affected, and more importantly, the incorruptible image of Singapore’s leaders will be placed in doubt.
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Philip Tan
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We should not amke it too difficult for FT?
I think reverse. FT should not make it too difficult for Sporean.
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we shud not make it too difficult.
they should try harder to intergrate and follow local culture
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why do they keep evading the issue?
nobody is against importing talents. but then we see foreigners everywhere. are they all brought in because they have talents?
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To foreigners: lai, lai, lai.
To locals: ......count on me to give my best and more!
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Originally posted by likeyou:
We should not amke it too difficult for FT?
I think reverse. FT should not make it too difficult for Sporean.
Yah reverse is correct. -
How do we make life easier for Singaporeans who are jobless and still need money to pay for their flat, utilities, family expenses? I personally only request for a Singaporean insurance agent, Singaporean bank dealer now. I told any PR frankly in the face that i want to give the job, the fees to a Singaporean now because they also need the money for living.
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ask tony tan to stay in a HDB with ah tiong on the left n ah neh on the right
oso workin with ah tiong n ah neh
then he will say the reverse -
Tony Tan: we should make it too difficult for FT...
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Guys, remember a true story of a prc student given foc to stay here in spore and make remarks? Why not help our local students more?
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Originally posted by lce:
ask tony tan to stay in a HDB with ah tiong on the left n ah neh on the right
oso workin with ah tiong n ah neh
then he will say the reverse -
Tony Tan: we should make it too difficult for FT...
They will never understand locals living in hdb flat woes.They live in landed property. Away fromo ah tiong and ah neh and ah lian and ah hua.
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can make TT not difficult by not voting him.
so TT don't need to crap so much.
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Same PAP bullshit running under the banner of independent candidate.
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TT got shitload of craps to unload
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wah tony...u power leh
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If Tony Tan still get voted to be the President, that goes to show sgforum and stomp is not influential at all.
August 2nd, 2011 | 
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