Race issues

Many jobs seek Mandarin-speaking candidates

I read with great interest Professor Tommy Koh's opinion piece, "The scourge of racial prejudice in Singapore" (June 11). One of the things he said was: "All our workplaces are racially diverse." I wonder if this is true in Singapore.

In recent weeks, I have been poring through job advertisements for administrative positions and found that more than half stipulated the requirement for Mandarin-speaking candidates to "communicate with Mandarin-speaking counterparts/associates".

Singapore schools teach English as a first language, and English is officially used for business here.

It is possible that some firms conduct business with China. In most cases, however, this requirement to speak Mandarin with counterparts seems to be discriminatory.

Segregated workplaces are not helpful in building trust between the races and in safeguarding minority rights.

P. Richards

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 14, 2021, with the headline Many jobs seek Mandarin-speaking candidates. Subscribe