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PAP's mouth piece being used by PAP to acknowledge that a big mistake born out the arrogance of power made, had finally riled the Sinkaporeons enough to be of concern to the MIW's instinct for survival?
Singapore’s population will exceed five million before the year is out. The 3.1 prevent rate of increase, to 4.99 million inhabitants at end – June, has been the slowest since 2007 on account of more foreign workers going home when jobs became scarce. But like Dubai, a fast – growth urban centre in perpetual need of imported labor, the rate will pick up again when boom conditions return. Singaporeons under the state’s rational case for foreign input to achieve higher gross domestic product growth and accelerate the country’s transformation to First World status. But the social variables - friction in adjusting to alien cultures from East and West, foreigners displacing available Singaporeons in jobs, the competition for living space, social services and recreation – will be a challenge for the Government to manage adroitly. At a Nanyang Technological University forum, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong again acknowledged the tension arising and said coping measures were in the works.
The issue is complex because Singapore has sizable numbers of permanent residents, relative to the citizen component. The population profile has a one – third foreigner content of 1.8 million. It breaks down to 1.25 million transients and 533,000 PRs. Two issues arise.
The more substantive and difficult one to manage is how to persuade more PRs to take up citizenships. Native - born Singaporeons will be more accepting of foreigners if PRs who have worked here for a good number of years (South East Asians, Chinese and Indians mainly) would show they have a permanent stake here. The unpleasant truth is that too many of them regard Singapore as a way station to a “better elsewhere,” almost always to mean America. If Singapore loses their smart children raised and schooled here, it would want to snare the high – output parents who set in their ways. But the loss is complete when parents and children decamp as soon as the US green card arrives. Citizenship choice is highly personal, but PRs can do better returning the favour for the comforts they have enjoyed living here.
:oIo::oIo::oIo::oIo:
[COLOR="_______"]For both categories of foreigners, the rate of entry into Singapore has to be more gradual to ensure that matching job fit, social services, and housing are available. This is the second issue, about which many Singaporeons feel strongly enough to demand a slower absorption rate. The Government has heard them and it says it will act, but the policy of foreign top – up to stimulate economic growth and creativity happens to be immutable. Something’s got to give if the rate of growth in amenities does not equal the influx.[/COLOR]
Singapore’s population will exceed five million before the year is out. The 3.1 prevent rate of increase, to 4.99 million inhabitants at end – June, has been the slowest since 2007 on account of more foreign workers going home when jobs became scarce. But like Dubai, a fast – growth urban centre in perpetual need of imported labor, the rate will pick up again when boom conditions return. Singaporeons under the state’s rational case for foreign input to achieve higher gross domestic product growth and accelerate the country’s transformation to First World status. But the social variables - friction in adjusting to alien cultures from East and West, foreigners displacing available Singaporeons in jobs, the competition for living space, social services and recreation – will be a challenge for the Government to manage adroitly. At a Nanyang Technological University forum, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong again acknowledged the tension arising and said coping measures were in the works.
The issue is complex because Singapore has sizable numbers of permanent residents, relative to the citizen component. The population profile has a one – third foreigner content of 1.8 million. It breaks down to 1.25 million transients and 533,000 PRs. Two issues arise.
The more substantive and difficult one to manage is how to persuade more PRs to take up citizenships. Native - born Singaporeons will be more accepting of foreigners if PRs who have worked here for a good number of years (South East Asians, Chinese and Indians mainly) would show they have a permanent stake here. The unpleasant truth is that too many of them regard Singapore as a way station to a “better elsewhere,” almost always to mean America. If Singapore loses their smart children raised and schooled here, it would want to snare the high – output parents who set in their ways. But the loss is complete when parents and children decamp as soon as the US green card arrives. Citizenship choice is highly personal, but PRs can do better returning the favour for the comforts they have enjoyed living here.
:oIo::oIo::oIo::oIo: [COLOR="_______"]For both categories of foreigners, the rate of entry into Singapore has to be more gradual to ensure that matching job fit, social services, and housing are available. This is the second issue, about which many Singaporeons feel strongly enough to demand a slower absorption rate. The Government has heard them and it says it will act, but the policy of foreign top – up to stimulate economic growth and creativity happens to be immutable. Something’s got to give if the rate of growth in amenities does not equal the influx.[/COLOR]
