A Singaporean by the name of Edmund Lin has written to the Straits Times Forum complaining about free riders among new citizens “using the Singapore passport as a springboard to greener pastures”.
He proposed putting strong counter-measures in place to prevent the situation from worsening.
One example quoted is how expatriate couples do not take up Singapore citizenship together, leaving one with the native citizenship to bring the family back home to enjoy their retirement there.
“Many expatriate couples from South Asia usually strategise by having one spouse take up Singapore citizenship – to enjoy subsidies in housing, childcare and education – while the other retains the couple’s native citizenship, even though both are equally qualified to take up Singapore citizenship.
They do this so that when they have earned enough in Singapore, the spouse with the native citizenship can easily take the whole family back to their home country to enjoy their retirement. After all, the cost of living in their home country (South Asia) would be far lower than in Singapore,” he wrote.
Mr Lin also cited loopholes within the system which allows the children of new citizens to avoid serving the mandatory 2-year National Service:
“Alternatively, when the child is required to do national service, the spouse with the Singapore passport will apply for another country’s citizenship so the child can cancel his permanent resident status to avoid serving the nation.”
The examples raised by Mr Lin are not uncommon. Singapore is considered a stepping stone to greener pastures elsewhere by many new citizens and PRs who have no thoughts of settling down here permanently.
The Singapore government has opened the floodgates indiscriminately to new migrants in order to boost the country’s declining birth rates in recent years.
According to Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, about two out of every three applications for PR are approved.
Foreigners now make up 36 per cent of Singapore’s 5-million population, up from 14 per cent in 1990.
The issue of immigration continues to be a hot topic lately with many senior leaders taking turns to speak up on it.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has consistently urged Singaporeans to “embrace” the newcomers as they are “essential” for Singapore’s continued growth.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong mused publicly about allowing immigrant “enclaves” to emerge in the HDB heartland.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew exhorted Singaporeans to “bear” with the tide of foreigners which has since become a flood.
Like many others, Mr Lin is sceptical if the new citizens come to Singapore because they really want to make it their home.
“Many new citizens flock to Singapore because they see Singapore as a land of opportunity, which is clean, safe and good for families. But not many think of Singapore as their new homeland,” he wrote.
Mr Lin wants the authorities to impose penalities on “new citizens who give up their Singapore citizenship within, say, five years.” The number of new citizens who do so is not known.
It is highly unlikely that the pro-foreigner PAP government will take concrete measures to safeguard the interests of locals other than to pay lip service to it in order to “sweeten” the ground before the coming election due by 2011.
A $10-million dollars mega Community Integration Fund was unveiled this year to make the newcomers feel “welcomed” in Singapore even as a nationwide program “One Singapore” was launched to raise funds for Singapore citizens affected by the economic downturn.
Minister of Youth, Community and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is even proud to admit that there are 4,500 new citizens who are serving as grassroots leaders in quasi-PAP organizations.
As new citizens are most likely to vote for the government, their increasing numbers will help to keep the PAP in power for the next few decades.
For “true blue” Singaporeans like Mr Edmund Lin, they will have no choice but to “shut up and sit down”.
He proposed putting strong counter-measures in place to prevent the situation from worsening.
One example quoted is how expatriate couples do not take up Singapore citizenship together, leaving one with the native citizenship to bring the family back home to enjoy their retirement there.
“Many expatriate couples from South Asia usually strategise by having one spouse take up Singapore citizenship – to enjoy subsidies in housing, childcare and education – while the other retains the couple’s native citizenship, even though both are equally qualified to take up Singapore citizenship.
They do this so that when they have earned enough in Singapore, the spouse with the native citizenship can easily take the whole family back to their home country to enjoy their retirement. After all, the cost of living in their home country (South Asia) would be far lower than in Singapore,” he wrote.
Mr Lin also cited loopholes within the system which allows the children of new citizens to avoid serving the mandatory 2-year National Service:
“Alternatively, when the child is required to do national service, the spouse with the Singapore passport will apply for another country’s citizenship so the child can cancel his permanent resident status to avoid serving the nation.”
The examples raised by Mr Lin are not uncommon. Singapore is considered a stepping stone to greener pastures elsewhere by many new citizens and PRs who have no thoughts of settling down here permanently.
The Singapore government has opened the floodgates indiscriminately to new migrants in order to boost the country’s declining birth rates in recent years.
According to Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, about two out of every three applications for PR are approved.
Foreigners now make up 36 per cent of Singapore’s 5-million population, up from 14 per cent in 1990.
The issue of immigration continues to be a hot topic lately with many senior leaders taking turns to speak up on it.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has consistently urged Singaporeans to “embrace” the newcomers as they are “essential” for Singapore’s continued growth.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong mused publicly about allowing immigrant “enclaves” to emerge in the HDB heartland.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew exhorted Singaporeans to “bear” with the tide of foreigners which has since become a flood.
Like many others, Mr Lin is sceptical if the new citizens come to Singapore because they really want to make it their home.
“Many new citizens flock to Singapore because they see Singapore as a land of opportunity, which is clean, safe and good for families. But not many think of Singapore as their new homeland,” he wrote.
Mr Lin wants the authorities to impose penalities on “new citizens who give up their Singapore citizenship within, say, five years.” The number of new citizens who do so is not known.
It is highly unlikely that the pro-foreigner PAP government will take concrete measures to safeguard the interests of locals other than to pay lip service to it in order to “sweeten” the ground before the coming election due by 2011.
A $10-million dollars mega Community Integration Fund was unveiled this year to make the newcomers feel “welcomed” in Singapore even as a nationwide program “One Singapore” was launched to raise funds for Singapore citizens affected by the economic downturn.
Minister of Youth, Community and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is even proud to admit that there are 4,500 new citizens who are serving as grassroots leaders in quasi-PAP organizations.
As new citizens are most likely to vote for the government, their increasing numbers will help to keep the PAP in power for the next few decades.
For “true blue” Singaporeans like Mr Edmund Lin, they will have no choice but to “shut up and sit down”.
