Few acronyms in Singapore have undergone a transformation quite like CECA. Originally, it referred to the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement signed between Singapore and India in 2005. It was a trade agreement covering investment, taxation, professional services and economic cooperation between two countries. However, the term often means something entirely different. In dark corners of the internet, "CECA" is no longer used to describe a treaty. It is used to describe people, in a rude, vile and racist way. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. The evolution of language occured in the darkest recesses of the internet and since then, it is no longer about policy. It has become about ethnicity. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, Singapore experienced one of the fastest periods of population growth in its modern history. Foreign manpower increased rapidly. Housing prices rose. Trains became crowded. Competition for certain jobs intensified. Many Singaporeans felt that the pace of change was simply too fast. People worried about whether their children would find good jobs. They worried about wages. They worried about whether Singapore would still feel like Singapore in twenty years' time. CECA became a convenient container into which every anxiety about immigration, globalisation, housing, competition and national identity could be poured. Over time, the term detached itself from the treaty and became associated with a particular ethnic group. That is unfair. One can disagree with immigration policy without disliking immigrants. One can debate manpower policy without stereotyping entire communities. A mature society should be capable of distinguishing between a policy discussion and a discussion about people. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨. Over the years, a series of measures were introduced to strengthen the position of local workers. Employment Pass criteria were tightened. Qualifying salaries were raised. Companies were expected to demonstrate fair hiring practices. Most notably, the Fair Consideration Framework was introduced to ensure employers considered Singaporeans fairly before hiring foreign professionals. More recently, the COMPASS framework added additional checks and balances, requiring firms to meet broader workforce diversity and local employment criteria. Singapore's success has always depended on diversity. The traders who built the early port came from China, India, the Malay Archipelago, the Middle East and Europe. The entrepreneurs who built many of our institutions came from different cultures and backgrounds. This does not mean immigration policy should be beyond criticism. We should continue debating the right balance between local opportunities and global talent. We should continue discussing integration, wages, housing and social cohesion. But we should do so honestly. If we have concerns about immigration, let us discuss immigration. If we have concerns about employment policy, let us discuss employment policy. If we have concerns about manpower planning, let us discuss manpower planning. What we should not do is use the name of a trade agreement as a derogatory label for people. Singapore is better than that. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 "𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐀" 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞, and it needs to be returned to where it belongs: the pages of a trade agreement.     https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B9t9hjWRC/

Look like Lawrence Wong. He sure like

wah how come shoppee got influenza

no need to introduce her, yummy...