The increasing anti-foreigner rhetoric in Singapore is very worrying. I work with a fantastic team from many nationalities and they teach me how they think and understand the world. (Only 2 in my 10 team members are Singaporean.) We can learn from them if we choose to. (1/6)

What I've learnt from them is how hungry they are for opportunities, to step up and to learn more. They know this country is not theirs and they need to work much harder to be here. Less talk, more action. That is a useful skill we should all pick up. (2/6)

In fact, the root cause of anti-foreigner sentiment in SG is much deeper. It truly stems from a confusion of why foreigners are picked for jobs instead of us. Pay differences notwithstanding, we should be looking at how we can level up and be as hungry as them, if not more. (3/6)

We must remember that Singapore at its core is an immigrant country. People came here for a better life. Why should we shut out the rest of the world when that is how this country survives -- by inviting the world to come live, build and make it here? (4/6)

There is however a problem: if you read Teo You Yenn's book on inequality, the problem is not that people don't want to step up; it's that there are too much stresses that prevent someone from having the mindshare to step up into innovation. This is where we can do better. (5/6)

Once we are more enterprising, creative and hungry, with our needs sufficiently taken care of, can we truly compete and not have to worry about foreigners "stealing" jobs. Anti-foreigner sentiment = increasing anxiety among locals. Identify the problem, not the symptom. (6/6)