Recruiter locks FB page amid mounting backlash over controversial remarks

SINGAPORE: A recruiter who landed in the eye of controversy after she warned Singapore workers to be “hungry” and “paranoid” to beat out foreign competition for jobs has locked her Facebook account amid mounting outrage.

Shulin Lee, founder of legal recruitment firm Aslant Legal, cautioned in a recent CNA podcast that companies are increasingly replacing Singaporean workers with foreign hires whom she described as “hungrier”.

Drawing from her experience as a recruiter, Ms Lee said some employers were choosing workers from countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines over Singaporeans. She argued that the issue was not necessarily skill, but drive and willingness to go the extra mile.

“That hunger is now irreplaceable,” she said, while urging workers to remain “paranoid” about the changing job market and to continuously improve their relationship-building and communication skills.

Her comments quickly sparked heated discussion online, with some Singaporeans agreeing that she was simply describing the realities of the labour market, while others criticised her use of the word “hungry” and argued that it ignored deeper structural pressures facing local workers.

Ms Lee initially chose to respond to the criticism and published a series of posts on Facebook defending her choice of words. She said the backlash may have “hit a nerve” and maintained that the trend extended beyond developing nations, citing competition from workers in places such as Hong Kong, China, and New Zealand.

“The entire world is going through disruption,” she said, reiterating that workers should not become complacent.

She, however, only added fuel to the fire by calling those who were offended by her choice of words “triggered”.

As the criticism reached a fever pitch, the recruiter decided to lock her social media page completely. Her posts are now unviewable by the public.

Despite her move, the backlash continues unabated. Netizens say they feel Ms Lee was deliberately fanning the flames with her initial posts and used offensive words to stir controversy. Others felt she did so because she wanted the engagement online.

Prominent Singapore author Gwee Li Sui also weighed in on the issue. Dr Gwee wrote on Facebook, “I think her main issue is her language. She uses way too many inflaming words, thinking they are professional and precise.”