It depends on how you define the word "diminishing"

                           Business Times (Singapore) 
                               February 1, 1999 

HEADLINE: Ethnic bias by firms a shrinking problem: BG Lee 
BYLINE: Soh Tiang Keng 

BODY: 
    ETHNIC discrimination by employers in hiring staff is a diminishing
problem in Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
With today's modern outfits and modern management, firms and employers
adopting such a practice will find themselves at a disadvantage because they
will deprive themselves of a proportion of talent available here, he stressed.

BG Lee was speaking to reporters after presenting hong bao and food hampers to
71 needy families in Teck Ghee constituency. His remarks were in response to
reporters' questions on recent complaints about some employers using race as a
criterion in hiring staff. These comments appeared in the Forum page of The
Straits Times. 

BG Lee, who is MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, noted that ethnic discrimination in
hiring workers was "an old situation" in Singapore. He explained: "In the old
days, when you are a Chinese shopkeeper or a Chinese bank, you employ Chinese
employees because the whole business is conducted probably not in Mandarin,
but more likely in Teochew or Hokkien." 

"And even board meetings were conducted in dialects. But I think this is a
diminishing problem." 

Today, it is not only organisations like the government but also banks
previously owned by Chinese families which will take in anybody who is up to
the mark, he stressed. "So," he added, "it (ethnic discrimination in job
recruitment) is something which will work itself out over time."

STRAITS TIMES  FEB 2 1999 

 Two out of five job ads show prejudice 

 I WOULD like to thank Mrs Elaine Swinn-Tan, a representative of the Ministry
of Manpower, for her letter, "Education can curb biases" (ST, Jan 28). 

 She stated that the ministry believes that a promotional and educational
approach is the best way to proceed on the issue of discrimination without
having to resort to legislation. 

 If Singaporeans are satisfied with this answer, then so be it. 

 Mrs Swinn-Tan and the ministry should note that in the Jan 28 edition of The
Straits Times, there were 690 advertisements for jobs. 

 Of these, 290 had one or more requirements for age, gender and/or race. That
is 42 per cent. 

 I honestly wish the ministry the very best of luck in its efforts.

LORI SMITH