Lee’s comments came during an in-depth interview reviewing his two decades as Prime Minister before his handover to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, in coming days
In a recent interview, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong lauded the significant contributions of graduates from India’s prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) to Singapore’s development. Lee emphasized the high calibre of IIT-IIM alumni, comparing their education to that offered by elite institutions like MIT, Stanford, and Harvard.
Lee underscored the importance of continuing to attract foreign talent to Singapore to meet the nation’s workforce needs. “The professionals from IIT-IIM have established associations in Singapore and regularly hold functions. Having such a talent pool working here is tremendously beneficial for us,” he told Channel News Asia in an extensive interview marking the end of his 20-year tenure as Prime Minister.
The influx of skilled workers from India, including IIT-IIM graduates, has been noticeable to Singaporeans due to their significant numbers. Lee highlighted their value to the country, stating, “They are talented individuals and very valuable to Singapore. We should welcome them as we manage the flow.”
The Prime Minister underscored the importance of continuing to attract foreign talent to Singapore to meet the nation’s workforce needs
Singapore’s strategy of sourcing talent globally includes looking to countries like China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and neighbouring Southeast Asian nations, particularly Malaysia. However, Lee noted the importance of integrating these foreign talents into Singapore’s multi-racial society to maintain social harmony.
Reflecting on his time in office, Lee acknowledged that balancing social cohesion with the need for immigration has been one of his most challenging tasks. “Making people feel comfortable and not threatened, and preventing social tensions, is difficult because we lack flexibility. You cannot simply send off all foreign workers and expect things to be fine the next day,” he explained.
Lee’s comments came during an in-depth interview reviewing his two decades as Prime Minister before his handover to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, set for next Wednesday.
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