Chiam See Tong weighs in on Population White Paper 

Published on Feb 07, 2013 9:44 AM

By Andrea Ong

Opposition veteran and former Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong has weighed in on the population White Paper in an online video put up on Wednesday.

Like many other critics, he said he was “appalled” at the projections that Singapore’s population could hit 6.9 million by 2030.

The Singapore People’s Party chief said the “huge figure” surpasses the population of Scandinavian countries and will put tremendous pressure on Singapore’s infrastructure - especially housing - in the future.

“That is the day when Singaporeans will suffer the pressure of high population, truly high population in Singapore,” said Mr Chiam of the 2030 projection.

He criticised the Government for pursuing a “growth at all costs” policy since Singapore’s independence and bringing in foreign workers who took away jobs from Singaporeans.

“You may ask what is the solution. I think the best solution is to open the doors for more Singaporeans to give more of their ideas. Singapore is purportedly a democratic country. For that purpose, we have to invite more Singaporeans to join the opposition so they can give more ideas to the government,” said Mr Chiam.

“I'm sure when you open the flood gates, many many more Singaporeans will come forward with brilliant ideas and the problems can be solved easily,” he said.

Cap population at 6m, says NMP Laurence Lien 

Published on Feb 07, 2013 2:17 PM

Nominated MP Laurence Lien on Thursday urged the Government to cap the population at 6 million and accelerate economic restructuring, as he became the second NMP to oppose the White Paper on Population. --ST PHOTO:  KUA CHEE SIONG

By Robin Chan

Nominated MP Laurence Lien on Thursday urged the Government to cap the population at 6 million and accelerate economic restructuring, as he became the second NMP to oppose the White Paper on Population.

He called for a slower workforce growth rate of 1 per cent each year till 2020 and 0.5 per cent thereafter, and to take in fewer new citizens of about 10,000 to 15,000 than is projected in the population white paper.

Growth could be supported instead by better restructuring efforts to bring in higher-skilled firms and labour, to use the reserves to invest in strategic industries and to make use of Singaporeans' savings "to maintain economic vitality".

"I am having a major disconnect. How did we go from fearing ageing and depopulation to having a potential population explosion? Where does this dependence on growing GDP (gross domestic product) through increased immigration end?" he said in Parliament on the fourth day of the debate.

The goals of raising productivity and slowing down workforce growth gave a sense of deja vu, he pointed out, as they were same targets set exactly 10 years ago by the then-government's Economic Review Committee, as he questioned whether the Government is really serious about moderating foreign workforce growth.

Companies are still addicted to cheap, less-skilled foreign labour, and need "restructuring, or rehabilitation, not more drugs", he said.

Protesting increasing the population much further, he pointed out that many of the top cities of today are smaller cities such as Toronto and Stockholm with populations of 2.6 million and 870,000 respectively, and are challenging the traditional cosmopolitan centres like New York, London and Tokyo.

Low Thia Khiang: Immigration can no longer be the solution 

Published on Feb 07, 2013 2:22 PM

Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang on Thursday accused the PAP Government of kicking the can of economic restructuring down the road and using immigration as the easy way out. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

By Goh Chin Lian

Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang on Thursday accused the PAP Government of kicking the can of economic restructuring down the road and using immigration as the easy way out.

He called on it to stop using this policy tool - which he said is the cause of problems today - as the solution for tomorrow.

Instead, he said he believes the WP's proposal of raising the labour force participation rate among Singaporean women and seniors, is more sustainable.

The party has also said it does not want to take in more foreigners than there are now.

He spoke in English and Mandarin to object to the Government's White Paper on Population and Land Use Plan.

Mr Low also argued that the Singaporean core will be diluted and that it would be hard to ensure integration of new citizens with "thorough-bred Singaporeans", whose ancestors came from overseas but whose national identity was formed over decades of nation building.

He also accused the Government of downplaying the 6.9 million population as a "worst-case scenario" and wanted it to clarify if it has control over the inflow of foreigners or that Singaporeans should be prepared for an impending immigration tsunami.

Describing the WP as the "responsible co-driver", Mr Low also said it is now telling the driver that "he is reading his road map upside down".

White Paper should have been pitched differently: NMP Tan Su Shan 

Published on Feb 07, 2013 3:01 PM

Singaporeans would probably have reacted with less angst if the Government had pitched the White Paper differently, Nominated MP Tan Su Shan said in Parliament on Thursday. --ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

By Leonard Lim

Singaporeans would probably have reacted with less angst if the Government had pitched the White Paper differently, Nominated MP Tan Su Shan said in Parliament on Thursday.

The policy document should have been geared towards the improvement and expansion of public infrastructure to fix current problems, before announcing the headline population projection of 6.9 million in 2030 that many have seized on.

The DBS managing director said the release of the white paper last month has "amplified the social and political divide amongst Singaporeans."

"If these extreme views continue to fester, and the fundamental concerns are not addressed, this lack of balance could destabilise Singapore," she warned.

Lim Swee Say calls for consensus on White Paper on Population, across parties 

Published on Feb 07, 2013 2:42 PM

File photo of a newborn baby. Labour chief and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say said on Thursday that he hopes Parliament can come to a consensus on the White Paper on Population and work together to tackle Singapore's population challenges. "Let us work together regardless of parties," he said, after identifying three points of agreement between the PAP Government and the opposition. These points were: that having more babies is better than having more new citizens, that a smaller total population is better than a larger one, and that living conditions for Singaporeans must improve. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

By Janice Heng

Labour chief and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say said on Thursday that he hopes Parliament can come to a consensus on the White Paper on Population and work together to tackle Singapore's population challenges.

"Let us work together regardless of parties," he said, after identifying three points of agreement between the PAP Government and the opposition.

These points were: that having more babies is better than having more new citizens, that a smaller total population is better than a larger one, and that living conditions for Singaporeans must improve.

On infrastructure bottlenecks. Mr Lim said that where the Government has not been doing well, it must improve, and what it has already done well, it must do better.

Some worried that areas which have started to improve might worsen again as the population grows, he said. But that must not be allowed to happen.

Mr Lim also mentioned other concerns which union and grassroots leaders had. One was the need for good jobs and good wages, and to have a "soft-landing approach"

in economic restructuring in order to avoid structural unemployment and wage stagnation.

"If we hurt businesses by going too far, the ones ultimately hurt are the workers," said Mr Lim in Mandarin.