TOKYO - Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told the NIKKEI Forum Future of Asia in Tokyo on June 11 that aging economies need foreign workers and global talent, but governments must manage integration, numbers and public trust.
Ong spoke in the Day 2-4 session at 11:30 a.m. JST. NIKKEI listed Fumika Sato, Singapore Bureau Chief of Nikkei Inc., as moderator.
“Our approach is, therefore, one of calibrated openness and deliberate integration,” Ong said in his speech, describing Singapore’s response to immigration pressure as a small, open city-state.
In the Q&A, Ong said societies need foreign manpower, talent and immigration, but the public must see that foreign workers complement local workers. He named aged care, healthcare, services and construction as sectors where foreign workers can fill labour needs.
Ong said immigration becomes politically damaging when people feel governments have lost control of inflows. “When you lose control, what happens, property price goes up, cost of living goes up,” he said, adding that people may also feel their jobs, identity and culture are threatened.
He said governments need to watch total numbers, countries of origin, employment sectors and concentration patterns. He also said foreign workers and immigrants should make an effort to understand local customs, local culture and become part of society.
Singapore had 1,635,700 foreign workers in December 2025, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s annual table, updated on March 20. The total included 203,300 Employment Pass holders, 178,900 S Pass holders, 1,222,700 Work Permit holders and 30,800 other work pass holders.
The migration debate also sits inside Singapore’s aging pressure. Official population data showed the share of citizens aged 65 and above rose from 13.1% in 2015 to 20.7% in June 2025. By 2030, around 23.9% of citizens could be 65 and above if projection assumptions hold.
Ong’s Tokyo visit runs from June 9 to June 13. Singapore’s Ministry of Health said he would meet counterparts and visit local healthcare institutions in Japan.
In a public Facebook post during the trip, Ong also said he visited Takamatsu Junior High School in Tokyo to see how Japanese education is evolving, including school meals and classroom use of digital devices.
