Singapore has long been a popular destination for workers from Myanmar seeking high-paying jobs in fields ranging from construction to IT, engineering, accounting and nursing.
However, Myanmar workers living in Singapore told The Myanmar Times earlier this month that the number of job opportunities for foreigners in the city-state has dropped since the global recession hit in 2008, and the recent election has added to fears that job options might become even more scarce.
Although the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) won Singapore’s general election on May 7, the final results saw a 6.46 percent swing against the party from the 2006 elections to 60.14pc, its lowest since independence in 1965.
The PAP had alienated many voters who perceived the party as arrogant and out of touch with the concerns of the less well-off people,” said a May 17 report from Malaysia’s Bernama news agency.
“The rapid influx of immigrants has been a major sore point. Many companies prefer to hire foreign workers rather than locals because they are cheaper, hired through a contract system which does not carry any costly social obligations,” the report said.
This “influx” has resulted in foreigners accounting for 36pc of the country’s population of five million.
Ko Tin Tun Oo, 31, who works as a project engineer in Singapore, is among those worried about the fallout from the May 7 election.
“Job opportunities for foreign workers have definitely decreased since 2008, but more workers keep arriving in Singapore,” said Ko Tin Tun Oo, who holds a Skill Pass (S-Pass), which allows mid-level skilled foreigners such as technicians to work in the country.
“So in this year’s election, the ruling party won but their popularity decreased by something like 7pc, and I heard that this was because Singaporeans complained that there were too many foreign workers, which made it too hard for people to find jobs,” he said.
Ko Tin Tun Oo said voters also complained about the rising costs of housing and commodities, a problem faced by foreign workers as well.
“Earlier this year the Singapore government announced that minimum salaries would increase in July for S-Pass holders [from S$1800 to S$2000 (US$1440 to $1600) a month] and E-Pass holders [from S$2500 to S$2800 (US$2000 to $2240)], but the cost of living is also increasing,” he said. E-Passes, or Employment Passes, are issued for foreign professional workers
Ko Tin Tun Oo said that three months ago his housing costs were S$300 (US$240) a month for a single room, but this has gone up to S$350 (US$280). His other daily expenses have also increased in recent months.
Rising costs have forced some foreign workers and poor Singaporeans to move into small apartments together, said Daw Li Li, 45, who owns a food shop in Peninsula Plaza, a gathering place for Myanmar living in Singapore.
“Last week I met a girl from Myanmar who had only been here for a month. She was crying because she was sharing a room with too many Singaporean girls who treated her poorly. She said her living situation was really terrible,” Daw Li Li said.
She said that aside from suffering culture shock, some migrant workers had trouble adjusting to work days that often extended well beyond eight hours a day without any guarantee of earning overtime pay.
“Most Myanmar girls can’t take the pressure of living in a different culture and working long hours, but that’s the Singapore style. I often counsel new arrivals on how to live here for a long period of time,” Daw Li Li said.
Ma Aeint Zin Htoo, who has worked in Singapore for five years as an accounting and marketing assistant for NOCO Reign Pte Ltd, said new arrivals are often overwhelmed by the city-state’s consumer-oriented culture.
“Some girls who come from Myanmar don’t earn much money but they see many luxurious things to buy in the shops, so they start looking to make money in the wrong ways,” she said.
“Others make enough money to maintain a good living standard here, but they don’t have much left over to send to their families in Myanmar. I make S$1800 [US$1440] a month and I’m in this situation, but I’m not planning on returning to Yangon anytime soon,” she said.
Construction workers, on the other hand, tend to live more frugally and have more opportunities to work overtime, so they are able to send money back home.
“Construction site workers get S$700 [US$560] a month, plus they can sometimes get S$4-5 [US$3.20-$4] an hour for overtime,” said an engineer from Myanmar. “Their accommodation and meals are also paid for, so they can save some money and send it back to their families, but not much.”
Ko Myo Min, 30, a draftsman for Tiong Woon Crane and Transport Services Company, and who earns S$2000 (US$1600) a month, said Myanmar workers who cannot earn enough money to send to their families usually end up returning home.
“I plan on going back to Myanmar soon even if I only earn half the salary I’ve been making in Singapore,” he said.
Source http://www.mmtimes.com/
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