[h=1]THE TRUE VALUE OF OUR SINGAPORE CITIZENSHIP[/h]
Post date:
28 Aug 2014 - 4:44pm
Dear The Real Singapore,
I am prompted to write this article for I was shocked to learn of how my colleague got her Permanent Residency so easily though she has been in Singapore with her husband for only three years. She is an S Pass holder, while her husband has a work permit, and they applied for their Permanent Residency last year (when they were in Singapore for only two years). I was truly shocked when she told me that they both have gotten it. Please do not mistake me for being xenophobic, but I simply cannot accept as to how they can receive residency status with such ease.
Would foreigners still value a Singapore Citizenship if it can be attained with such ease (especially for westerners), and would they remain here through their retirement? It does anger me that the government can hand out citizenship with such ease. Is it because they want to reach their goal of a population of 6 million?
Naturally, these questions prompted me to think ahead to the next General Election. Since only holders of the Pink IC are allowed to vote, this gave me momentary relief for I thought that us Singaporeans still had relative power over which party should come in to power. However, I realised that out of the 3.3 million residents, this includes foreigners naturalised as Singaporeans. Looking at SingStat.gov.sg, a website run by the Singapore Government, the Total Fertility Rate per woman has fallen from 1.29 to 1.19 per Female as of 2013. The General Marriage Rate for both genders has fallen, the General Divorce Rate for both genders has been on the rise, and the Total Deaths have risen too.
Yet miraculously, our Residency rate has still been on the rise. All these data can be seen on the official government run website. So evidently, the reason for the increase in residents is due to foreigners naturalising as residents, which then brought the sad realisation upon me that unfortunately, even during the future elections, us born and bred Singaporeans would not be able to bring about much political change as much as we would like to, for we all know whom the newly minted citizens would vote for. It is not the fault of these new citizens, for if I were in their shoes, I too would vote for the party that gave me a new shot at life, as a gesture of appreciation.
Sadly, I would not migrate either, for I can call no other country home. I am indeed grateful for all that the government has done for us, but it is now time for them to up their game and to show us whom they value more. Unfortunately, they are not doing a very good job at it.
Disappointed TRS reader
Post date:
28 Aug 2014 - 4:44pm
Dear The Real Singapore,
I am prompted to write this article for I was shocked to learn of how my colleague got her Permanent Residency so easily though she has been in Singapore with her husband for only three years. She is an S Pass holder, while her husband has a work permit, and they applied for their Permanent Residency last year (when they were in Singapore for only two years). I was truly shocked when she told me that they both have gotten it. Please do not mistake me for being xenophobic, but I simply cannot accept as to how they can receive residency status with such ease.
Would foreigners still value a Singapore Citizenship if it can be attained with such ease (especially for westerners), and would they remain here through their retirement? It does anger me that the government can hand out citizenship with such ease. Is it because they want to reach their goal of a population of 6 million?
Naturally, these questions prompted me to think ahead to the next General Election. Since only holders of the Pink IC are allowed to vote, this gave me momentary relief for I thought that us Singaporeans still had relative power over which party should come in to power. However, I realised that out of the 3.3 million residents, this includes foreigners naturalised as Singaporeans. Looking at SingStat.gov.sg, a website run by the Singapore Government, the Total Fertility Rate per woman has fallen from 1.29 to 1.19 per Female as of 2013. The General Marriage Rate for both genders has fallen, the General Divorce Rate for both genders has been on the rise, and the Total Deaths have risen too.
Yet miraculously, our Residency rate has still been on the rise. All these data can be seen on the official government run website. So evidently, the reason for the increase in residents is due to foreigners naturalising as residents, which then brought the sad realisation upon me that unfortunately, even during the future elections, us born and bred Singaporeans would not be able to bring about much political change as much as we would like to, for we all know whom the newly minted citizens would vote for. It is not the fault of these new citizens, for if I were in their shoes, I too would vote for the party that gave me a new shot at life, as a gesture of appreciation.
Sadly, I would not migrate either, for I can call no other country home. I am indeed grateful for all that the government has done for us, but it is now time for them to up their game and to show us whom they value more. Unfortunately, they are not doing a very good job at it.
Disappointed TRS reader
