By: Frank Doe
The truth is out on why PM is pushing way too hard on Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) while the two US Presidential candidates, Hillary and Trump are opposed to it. Its reported in the Straits Times today that “The TPP is co-founded by Singapore”.
Its not as much of a harm to the standing of the United States as it is a harm to the standing of Singapore as a co-founder on the international stage.
Evidences of the social drawbacks of neoliberal globalization are in abundance and quite certainly TPP will not be ratified in the United States by January next year and likely never will be in its current form.
It does Singapore no good to be egoistic to push any further on TPP by an egomaniac.
Its not the principles of free trade that matters, its the poor execution as such that causes great harm and the political divide seen today.
Look at Singapore, it is pushed to second position by New Zealand as the best place to do business in but among the top ten nations listed as the best places to do business in, none and absolutely none has an unfettered foreign manpower policy like Singapore.
Maybe Hong Kong, but Hong Kong’s immigration rate is nowhere close to the 40% that we have, and theirs are largely from mainland China.
Yet Hongkongers are crying foul for the “locusts infestation” from across the boarder despite Hong Kong being a “Special Administration Area”, really a part of China.