HONG KONG PROFESSIONALS (Permanent residence)

Mr Eric Cheong Yuen Chee asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many Hong Kong residents with professional qualifications have applied for permanent entry status under the scheme recently announced by the Government and whether such influx will adversely affect the career prospects of Singaporeans with similar or equivalent professional qualifications.

Prof. Jayakumar: Sir, successful Hong Kong professionals and entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Singapore under the Eminent Entrepreneurs/Professionals Scheme. So far, 81 Hong Kong residents have been granted permanent residence under the Scheme.

High calibre and trained people from abroad are essential to supplement our limited talent pool. Larger and more developed countries like Canada and Australia have also recognized the importance of infusion of foreign talents to help the development of their countries and they are actively recruiting from the same sources as us.

The present inflow of qualified immigrants is still low and is not sufficient to counter our decline in population fertility and offset the number of talented Singaporeans who have emigrated.

Given the small numbers involved, it is unlikely that Hong Kong or other foreign professionals and entrepreneurs can adversely affect the career prospects of Singaporeans with similar qualifications or business acumen. On the contrary, such foreign talents will bring with them the kind of skills, enterprise and drive which will provide additional impetus for our economic growth and, in fact, create economic opportunities for more Singaporeans.