Clauses in the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Ceca) on movements of people were not used as a bargaining chip in settling the free trade pact, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday.
He was responding to Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai during a debate on free trade agreements and foreign manpower.
Mr Heng, who was Singapore's chief negotiator for the pact that was signed in 2005, recalled that his Indian counterparts were "very keen" on the chapter in question.
"They said, 'What do we get?' Well, I said no... you have a population that's over a billion; Singapore has a population of, at that time, probably about three-odd million. And I said we will be easily swamped, so we must have very strict agreements on this," he said. "I never let go, and we got what we needed."
Chapter 9 in Ceca, on the movement of natural persons, pertains to temporary entry for individuals into both countries. The Government has repeatedly clarified that nothing in Ceca interferes with its ability to regulate immigration and foreign manpower.
Mr Heng noted that leading up to negotiations in 2005, he had a supervisory role as permanent secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Their Indian counterparts had deemed the agreement important enough to involve a permanent secretary of their own. That was how he ended up being Singapore's chief negotiator for Ceca.
"I can tell you the amount of homework I had to do to look at how we can come to an agreement. I went to different parts of India because there were objections from every part of India, from business groups to states," he added.
Mr Heng said he was "terribly troubled" by the PSP's approach to Ceca, and took issue with Mr Leong saying he hoped the Government had the people's interests at heart. "Why do we negotiate free trade agreements and why do we do this public service if it's not with the interest of people at heart?" he asked. "And why do I spend three years of my life doing that agreement? So please be reasonable and don't mislead Singaporeans."
He also rebutted Mr Leong's suggestion that the education system had failed to produce enough local talent, noting the World Bank had ranked Singapore best in the world in educating its people; and university cohort participation rates had increased from 20 to 40 per cent.
"So please do not go around thinking that we have not put in enough effort," said Mr Heng.
He stressed the importance of bringing in the best people to help Singaporeans excel in new tech, innovation and digital realms. "Please do not get stuck in the old world and think that we can excel all on our own. Let us have an open attitude to work with countries around the world which are willing to cooperate and work with us."
