Job prospects an issue as voters question why so many paid better

Essential: Most foreign workers in Singapore are low-paid domestic workers or manual labourers, but it’s the number in PMET roles that irks Singaporeans vying for similar positions. — Reuters

FOR many Singaporeans, voting on Friday under the cloud of the coronavirus pandemic, a big election issue is job prospects and whether their rich little island needs so many foreigners taking better-paid roles.

No-one expects a change of government on this South-East Asian rock of stability. The People’s Action Party has been in power since independence in 1965, and has always commanded an overwhelming parliamentary majority, even when its vote has slipped.