The Straits Times

18 Feb 2013

Filipino migrants are 'Others'

PASIR Ris-Punggol GRC MP Zainal Sapari asked whether it was true that new Singapore citizens of Filipino origin are classified as Malays ("What about Malay migrants?"; Feb 8).

This is not true. They are typically classified as "Others" under the race category.

Vincent Ng

Head, Public & Internal Communications

Corporate Communications Division

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority

 

<Original Letter>

The Straits Times

8 Feb 2013

 

What About Malay Migrants?

May I know if efforts to attract Malay PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) from other countries are being done, and are these efforts effective? If they’re not effective, how will the percentage of Malays be maintained? There are those who said that citizens from the Philippines (who are) accepted as Singaporean citizens will be categorised as Malays because historically they are considered to have the same roots as Malays. Is this true? If it is true, this would mean that even though the percentage is maintained, the identity and the meaning of the label ‘Malay’ will change.

Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punngol GRC), the latest Malay-Muslim MP to raise the issue of whether immigration will cause the proportion of Malay citizens to fall