Social scientists say it is a no-brainer that Malaysia and China lead the pack, as their nationals are seen to integrate more easily into Singaporean society.
"Malaysians in many ways are culturally similar to Singaporeans and it is no wonder that labour policies favour their employment here," said Dr Mathew Mathews, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies.
Labour policies, for instance, allow a higher age limit of 58 for Malaysians applying for work permits, while it is capped at 50 for all other foreigners. Employers must also buy a $5,000 security bond for every foreign worker they employ, except Malaysians.
Migrants from China, meanwhile, "assumedly will find it easier to integrate in Singapore considering the ease of using Mandarin here and the fact that around three-quarters of our population are ethnically Chinese," Dr Mathews added.
For the full article, click
here.