SINGAPORE, Sept 12 (Askume) – Pope Francis on Thursday urged Singapore’s political leaders to demand fair wages for the country’s more than 1 million low-paid foreign workers. In the final major speech of his ambitious 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania , the 87-year-old pope expressed concern about Singapore’s rapidly ageing population and migrant workforce, mainly in the construction and domestic service industries. “I want to pay special attention to the poor and the elderly … and to safeguard the dignity of migrant workers,” the pope said in an address to about 1,000 politicians, citizens and religious leaders at the National University of Singapore. “These workers have made a great contribution to society and they deserve a fair wage,” he said. Government data showed that as of December 2023, there were 1.1 million foreigners in Singapore with work permits earning less than S$3,000 ($2,300) per month, including 286,300 domestic workers and 441,100 workers in the construction, shipyard and process industries.
Many migrant workers come from nearby countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Bangladesh and India. Pope Francis spoke after a private meeting with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Capitol, where he was greeted by a ceremonial guard of honour and the Vatican’s national anthem was played. He also received a white orchid plant, a new hybrid named in his honour. Singapore is also facing the problem of a rapidly ageing population. Its fertility rate will drop below 1 in 2023, and the country will be recognised by the United Nations as a “super-ageing” society in 2026, when the proportion of the population aged 65 and above is expected to reach 21%. Concerns about immigration have been a common theme with Francis. During his 12-day visit, he previously called on Papua New Guinea’s leaders to fight for fair wages as the country has become a major target for international companies seeking to access natural gas, gold and other reserves. On Thursday, Francis also praised Singapore’s efforts to tackle climate change and called it a model for other countries. Singapore’s government says rising sea levels caused by global warming could have a major impact on its low-lying coastal areas and plans to spend S$100 billion ($77 billion) on the issue this century. “Your commitment to sustainable development and the protection of creation is an example worth following, and your search for innovative solutions to environmental challenges can encourage other countries to do the same,” the pope said, becoming the second pope to visit Singapore after the late John Paul II’s brief five-hour stay in 1986. Singapore has a population of 5.92 million, most of whom practice Buddhism, a religion practiced by about 31% of the population. The Vatican country has about 210,000 Catholics. It also has strong Muslim, Hindu and Taoist communities. Francis praised the country, calling it “a collection of ethnic, cultural and religious communities living in harmony” and said political authorities must “prevent extremism and intolerance from growing or threatening social harmony”. Later on Thursday, Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass at Singapore’s National Stadium, which the Vatican expects about 55,000 people to attend, including Catholics from Hong Kong. The Vatican is currently renegotiating a controversial agreement with China over the appointment of Catholic bishops in China , which is due to be renewed in October. Francis’ 12-day trip also includes stops in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor. He will return to Rome on Friday.
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