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Joseph Nair / AP
Singaporeans gather at their speakers' corner in a protest against a paper passed in parliament last week that suggests continued immigration that would raise the total population to 6.9 million by 2030, a 30 percent increase, on Saturday Feb. 16, 2013 in Singapore.
Nearly 3,000 people held a rare rally in Singapore on Saturday to protest a government plan to increase the city-state's population by admitting more foreigners, voicing concerns that it will worsen already strained public services and push up the cost of living.
Such demonstrations are rare in the Southeast Asian country, known for its image of political stability and efficient governance, with the ruling People's Action Party stifling opposition voices and placing tight controls on public protests.
The chief organizer of the rally, Gilbert Goh, said the protest was a display of citizens' unhappiness over the population plan, which was endorsed in parliament on Feb. 8. "They want to tell the government, please reconsider this policy. The turnout is a testimony that this policy is flawed and unpopular on the ground," he said.
According to the plan, the government will bolster infrastructure and social programs to accommodate a projected population of 6.5 million to 6.9 million by 2030 — a marked increase from the current population of 5.3 million. Of the projected 2030 population, non-foreigners would form between 3.6 and 3.8 million, slightly more than half of the total.
The issue triggered five days of intense debate in parliament, with both opposition and some PAP legislators expressing concerns that an immigration inflow would hurt public infrastructure and dilute the Singaporean identity. But the plan was eventually approved by a wide majority.
The plan to admit more new citizens comes amid government concerns that the current population will not help ensure the economy remains robust, as Singapore grapples with a falling birthrate and aging baby boomers.
"In my view in 2030, I think 6 million will not be enough to meet Singaporeans' needs as our population ages because of this problem of the baby boomers and bulge of aging people," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in parliament on Feb. 8, adding that 6.9 million was not a target but a number to be used to help plan for infrastructure.
Although Singapore continues to bring in hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries such as Indonesia and China to work as maids and construction workers, it also attracts thousands of higher-income foreigners who find the country's high standard of living and stability appealing.
But the influx has strained public services, with complaints of transport overcrowding, and caused property prices to escalate, sparking concerns among locals about the rising cost of living and fostering a deep resentment toward foreigners.
"Immigrants come at such a fast pace that they're not able to assimilate," said Samantha Chia, 32, one of the rally speakers. "It's unfair for them as well and a lose-lose situation."
Although economic prosperity has turned Singapore into a bustling metropolis, critics have noted the government's continuous pursuit of growth at all cost.
"We want the government to put the vast resources that are at their disposal at the service of us, the people," said one of Saturday's protesters, Vincent Wijeysingha, a university lecturer and member of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party. "Because we are not machines and our neighborhoods are not factories, and our island is not a hotel."
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I guess that we Americans have something in common with the Singaporeans.We are over populated and have the same complaint as they do.
yes, like the influx of illegals who total in the millions, readying to receive their carte blanche free ride at taxpayer expense.
Over-population creates far more problems than it solves. All Singapore has to do is look at us (USA) to realize that.
Wrong, Singapore wants wealthy immigrants! See the difference?
The whole planet is already over populated. And Singapore is so crowded that it is uncomfortable to get around. Where is Al Gore and is ilk talking about this. Silent for some reason, because they few the US as the root of all evil.
Big difference in immigration policy of Singapore & USA. Singapore recruits the highly educated/wealthy & America recruits anyone with a pulse.
It's kind of funny. Apparently, the illegal immigrants are lazy and shiftless and are a drain on our system. And they also steal American jobs, willing to work hard for low pay.
Two different kinds of haters. You guys need to talk to each other and get your story straight.
I can tell you never been to Singapore, your comment couldnt be further from the truth..
@ Byron; you nailed it to the wall in simple terms, but what I find even funnier: these guys really think they're on the same "side", even though they directly contradict each other.
Maybe we should "bus in" these Singaporean protesters and have them march on the White House concerning "legalizing" Illegal Aliens (Immigrants).
After all, this administration "buses in" folks to protest against the opposition and to show support for this administration's Progressive agenda.
When's the last time any of you saw native-born Americans chasing a truck in a Home Depot parking lot trying to get a day's work? Maybe 1939?
Hey Singapore-- You think you circumstance is unacceptable-- Come to America--we have ILLEGALS here demanding special treatment! IT IS INFURIATING, INDEED!
Byron & FeO2 - typical liberal leftys who think we have unlimited resources to house illegals who demand special treatment. Keep your heads shoved in your butts where they belong.
"...this policy is flawed and unpopular on the ground..."
Si.
Population-growth based growth or sustenance?
It is a big mistake allowing Mainland Chinese to Singapore. They just want to move some of their capital out of China, just like my neighbours in Vancouver, BC. Most houses are vacant. Only interested in speculating real estate. They dont care about Canada.
Be careful what you wish Singapore....
This is short sighted. Sooner or later it catches up, you can't just grow your population to get out of every situation. At some point the economies are going to take a hit as the birth rate inevitably falls as the world modernizes and we might as well get it over with now. Waiting does not make it better.
The White Paper was passed by a majority in Parliament only as a result of the Ruling Party Whip not lifted to allow its own Members of Parliament to vote according to their conscience.
All the MPs from the Ruling Party had no choice but to tow the Party's line except for those who "preferred" to absent themselves in the toilet when the vote was called.
Singapore's Parliament is a pseudo-democracy when the Ruling Party obtained 60 percent of the vote and yet control 90 percent of Parliamentary seats. The Ruling Party made this possible only through gerrymeandering the Election Rules by restructuring mosts Constituencies into Group Representation Constituency - where strong candiates will pull weaker candidates into Parliament.
By themselves, the weaker candidate would have lost in a Single Seat Constituency, and more representatives from the Alternative Political Parties would have accurately represented the desires of the population.
That there is the problem. It should only be one seat in parliament per constituency. How in the hell can it work otherwise.
What is the different between USA and Singapore immigration policy? Singapore import only educated people , investors and foreigners that are financially independent. They hire foreigners with temporary visa to meet the blue collar shortage. Canada too has the same policy. Whereas in USA, I am sad to say our government official without upholding the law, create a pool of illegals that abuse our system. Crime on the rise, collapsing of middle class and worst of all, 16 trillion debt and growing!
Not so. From the article: "Although Singapore continues to bring in hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries such as Indonesia and China to work as maids and construction workers, it also attracts thousands of higher-income foreigners who find the country's high standard of living and stability appealing."
Hundreds of thousands of low-skilled and relatively poor, thousands of higher income foreigners, so the ratio is clearly about 100/1 there.
I'd say you're looking at about the same thing in the U.S. or better- because here, wealth equates to political power.
They are now calling it the Obama Plan taking it from his letting illegals into our Country for the influx of votes he has gotten.
That's an oxymoron: if they're illegals, they have no vote.
Otherwise, they're legal.
The fact that the right has chosen to define themselves as the party of bigots, religious extremists, chauvinists and the wealthy has divorced them from every demographic but old white guys- who no longer comprise a majority.
That's the issue for the GOP- which must reinvent itself to stay relevant.
Welcome to Phoenix and Los Angeles and Miami and New York and Houston and ..... your a hater of population?
The situation in Singaprore is a microcosm of the U.S. where our government turned a blind eye to "illegal" immigration over the last three (3) decades in a misguided attempt to bolster the American economy. In a feat of social engineering, the government implicitly encouraged an influx of low-skill labor, which flooded the employment pool and artificially depressed wages. The article also notes that non-foreigners from Singapore fear that an influx of immigrants there will dilute the identity of the city-state. Today, we have a similar issue where citizens and immigrants alike have a distorted view of what it means to be an American.
Actually, it has nothing at all to do with the US. Singapore is not a true democracy and immigration and birth promotion policies are designed to ensure that the lighter skinned but slower reproducing groups (traditionally Chinese.. although the government will take what Koreans, Japanese and Europeans they can get) continue to command massive advantage in numbers over Malays and other ethnic groups. To date, Malays and other darker skinned groups aren't allowed to serve in the military and are often treated as second class citizens in their own country... and they certainly wouldn't be allowed to immigrate to SIngapore. Those Indonesians offered citizenship that the article refers to aren't Muslims.. they're member of Indonesia's Chinese elites.
Israel's a much better parallel.. there's no parallels to the US here.
Malays have their own much-bigger country called Malaysia. When Malaysia gained independence from Britain, they (Malaysia) purposely split off Singapore (whose people were primarily of Chinese descent, and non-Muslim) because they didn't want it to be part of Malaysia. Not surprising that now, decades later, Singapore is much more economically successful than Malaysia, considering that the ethnic Chinese were the most prosperous members of pre-independence Malaysian society. It's a little ironic, though, that you complain about the darker skinned Malays being treated like second-class citizens in Singapore, "their own country."
Singapore is a dictatorship (although somewhat benign - just go make some money, and see nothing, say nothing, and hear nothing), and the ruling family is obsessed with having/keeping a Chinese majority. When the citizens of Chinese descent are not making enough babies, the government just import more Chinese from the Chinese mainland. Do they realize that they are importing all that is bad and wrong with China? As "AnaChamp" said, "Be careful of what you wish for..." !!
Jay....
What does it mean to you to be an American citizen?
Wow. A protest in Singapore. What would supreme leader LKY would say about that? He'd have had the lot of 'em waterboarded. hehe.
It's important to note that population increase and even immigration in Singapore isn't organic. The government pays a king's ransom for every Northeast Asian or, these days, Caucasian baby born and now they want to increase foreign immigration, but only of those groups. Any yellow or white foreigner/expat who stays for more than 4 years is offered a path to citizenship. The government regards population increase of northeast Asians and whites as a national security issue.. in order to increase that those groups stay ahead of brown/Malay population growth on the island growth and in the hinterland... to ensure that Muslims and other groups stay permanent minorities.
Singapore isn't a democracy, and this isn't really about population. It's about eugenics and racism.
I arrived in Singapore exactly 20 years ago as the first foreign employee in their state TV news room. I lasted 16 months. It was absolute torture. The lower management hated whites and harassed me until I quit. Something must have changed there in the intervening two decades. White people being offered citizenship? Unimaginable to me but perhaps Singapore is opening up somewhat. I probably wouldn't recognize the city now.
Of course it is the politicians that want this and not the people. Last time I was in Singapore, I saw no politicos riding mass transit or living in the worst part of town. Sounds like the ruling class wants more servants to cater them.
I know how these protesters feel, we are overpopulated here in the US and Obama wants more immigrants. The premise that we need more skilled labor here in the US is ridiculous, we have Americans graduating from college and trade school who can't find a job.
You're partly right; but, too many useless degrees and trade schools training for the trades that are no long there or are shrinking. Right now there are 3.7 million available jobs posted on the Department of Labor website and many with free schooling to retrain. There are 200,000 trucking jobs available for entry level posted on The Truckers Report website. The Military Sealift Command has many job postings for entry level & skilled. It seems many aren't interested in re-training for these available jobs. If you have a useless degree or trade skill, just face it and re-train for what the job market demands.
To CaliforniaFirst - Posting comments in a forum on a news article is a great way to voice opinion and exchange ideas. However, be careful not to disseminate misinformation. Yes, you are right to point out that Singapore is not a true democracy, as much as its government tries to tout it as such. Any unbiased observer would quickly come to that conclusion once it is known that the same party has ruled that country since its independence in 1963. However, if you are familiar with Singapore - either having lived there or having visited frequently - you would know that if the government welcomes Korean, Japanese, European immigrants, it is because they are skilled workers or they are wealthy and able to contribute to the economy, not because they are light-skinned. Simply googling would provide the information that Singapore has a world record of 4 official languages for a country of that size: English (due to Singapore's colonial history and recognition of the importance of English as the language of commerce), Chinese mandarin, Malay and Tamil (Indian language). Two-year national military service is compulsory for ALL male citizens and permanent residents (the second group unless exempted) when they turn 18. So how are "the Malays and other darker-skinned groups ....... often treated as second class citizens in their own country"? What "king's ransom" is paid for Northeast Asian or Caucasian? Did you realize that the ethnic majority in Singapore is Chinese, and that their skin through exposure to the tropical sun is nearly as dark as the Malays'? There is no "brown/Malay population growth on the island". If the government wished to ensure a permanent Chinese majority, they would just need to look to China. Indeed, there has been an influx of Chinese immigrants but more as a labor force. By the way, though I am familiar with Singapore, I am not Singaporean and I don't live there. Just thought I would set the record straight. Not everything should be seen from the American perspective.
So if Europeans did this, it's racist? Europeans are losing their identity, but all the countries from which immigrants come from remain unchanged. Japan will also need to do this soon, will they protest as well? There are Indians and Chinese in almost every single country in the world, how many foreigners are in their country? A small minority but clearly never a "threat" to their identity. Look at France now, Muslims not willing to assimilate, trying to push their own laws into Europe, like in Britain.
#TeamSingapore! Seems like the locals are having the same sense of dread that many US citizens are having.
They are protesting excessive immigration?? The libs in the US will call them RACIST, Hill Billy's, Dumb and a lot of other demeaning names. The libs won't look past their rhetoric and try to understand the people's motivation for their feelings. Excessive immigration only helps the rich, looking for cheap labor, and does little to help the native born citizens. Its proven in this country where illegals and other new arrivals have depressed wages for years.
Even in a recession with high unemployment, our leaders don't see that our citizens are the ones paying for excessive immigration, illegals and anchor babies. Politics has ruined this country for the native born.
Globalist Agenda of lowering wages through immigration is not working for you ? Of course not. It only works for the very rich oligarchs that passed the law, just like in the US with open borders, H 1 visas and immigration when 24 millions are unemployed. Same policies, same results - human misery.
It always amazes me that some people think that illegal immigrants vote, that they get SS and medicare. They need to read the requirements for those programs. The main one being you must have put into SS for a minimum of 40 quarters to get SS or be a spouse of someone who put in that much. You must be a US citizen and registered in the area to vote. Medicare also requires payment taken from your SS. Get it?
Our history shows that this country's growth has been enhanced by legal immigrants coming into the country and working to gain their own American dream. Just because a few choose to leach doesn't condemn the many.
Asians are smart-they at least can see the writing on the wall. The Europeans and we are so brainwashed by the Globalist media that we can not put 2+2 together.
I noticed the sign in the above picture - Singapore for the Singaporens- can you imagine that sign in the EU ? There would be an outcry from the Left about racism, neo-Nazis. On television in the EU , I noticed, the people who believe that their country belongs to them are portrayed as SKINHEADS. Are there Skinheads in Singapore ? Can you imagine a sign in Germany that says -GERMANY FOR GERMANS ???? They could even end up in jail for "illigal opinions" under German or other EU countries law !!!! What a bunch of Globalist " freedoms" and nonsense.
The leadership in Singapore is doing something very sneaky, and very dangerous.
They claim the agenda behind immigration quotas is injecting enough younger labor and older wealth into the system with the goal of carrying the burdens which will be placed on their social safety nets by boomers who are aging out of the workforce and into retirement.
But while there's some truth to the idea that the importation of cheap labor and foreign wealth can bolster any economy, this policy also destroys opportunities for the elderly workers who either don't want to or simply can't afford to retire.
They will be forced out of the job market altogether, whether they want to go or not.
That group is already discriminated against for reasons of corporate convenience- they generally know their rights, and they expect those rights to be respected.
That's anathema for any corporation who believes employees are like tubes of toothpaste- something you squeeze dry and throw out- an increasingly common tactic.
Worse, the elderly may even pass the infection on to the other expendables and knock your whole house of cards down- or form a union.
They won't be there to impede "progress" if they get washed out of the job market by a flood of shiny, new, and conveniently disposable faces.
If you actually emulate conservatism, you support the elderly- because they are conservatism incarnate- they generally have the experience required to discern between what's sustainable, and what a flagstone on the road to ruin looks like.
For that group, this policy is the latter.
The people who will be imported into their country are going to be the poor, the criminals, and others that that China does not want in their country and is trying to get rid of.
When Obama and his socialist Democrats open the flood gates here, those are the people we will also get.
We have more people that we can house, feed, give medical care to, or have jobs for, to support themselves without socialist government help, so guess what.
The Singaporeans are right. It will raise taxes, and bring up the cost of living, just like it will here.
At least they have the guts to stand up to China, but here, we just let Obama and his social liberal Democrats walk all over us with a word of protest.