A government White Paper calls for Singapore’s population to hit 6.9 million by 2030. Citizens protest.
Edwina Lin is 24-years-old and happily married, with a young son turning two this year. In Singapore, a prosperous city-state with a dismal birth rate, this is becoming increasingly rare.
But it’s not all smooth sailing. Lin, a financial planner, and her family are currently living with her parents- and brother-in-law; five adults and one child squeezed into a four-room flat in one of Singapore’s many public housing estates.
She and her husband, a travel sales agent, have applied to buy a five-room flat in a newer estate that will only be ready in 2016. Until then, there isn’t much to do but work, earn as much money as possible and save up. They‘re expecting to have to take out a 30-year mortgage to pay for their home.
It’s a common tale among many young families in Singapore. Property prices have skyrocketed in recent years, and citizens have yet to feel the effects of the “cooling measures” adopted by the government. It’s a bitter pill to swallow as wages stagnate and the income gap widens; all while the country continues to record positive economic growth.
Singapore has often been cited as a success story, the envy of governments around the world. But simmering underneath the gloss and the shine lies a much more complex story of a nation slowly outgrowing a patriarchal government and restrictive system.
Not long after losing a by-election, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) launched a White Paper entitled ‘A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore’. The paper outlined the government’s plans to sustain economic growth and deal with a rapidly aging population, but for the most part only one thing captured the public imagination: the projected population of 6.9 million by 2030.
It’s a very unattractive prospect, especially when strains have already begun to show with 5.3 million people crammed onto an island of only 714.3 square kilometres. Flooding and train breakdowns are only some of the problems that have begun to annoy Singaporeans used to taking efficiency for granted.
Despite the public outcry, criticism from expert economists and five days of intense debate in Parliament, the PAP was able to use its parliamentary majority to push the motion through.
In the past, Singaporeans would have probably just complained in coffee shops before going about their everyday business, but not anymore. For many, the White Paper was the last straw. A protest organized at Hong Lim Park – the only space in the country where citizens are allowed to protest without a permit – drew a crowd of over 3,000 people, all of whom were fed up with the government’s policy and lack of serious engagement.
“It’s a united show of displeasure by the citizens against the White Paper even though it has been passed in Parliament,” says organiser Gilbert Goh. “Singaporeans basically are not happy with the 6.9 million population target by 2030 and are dropping all preconceived fears to step out of their comfort zone.”
Lin, too, had wanted to attend the protest, but had to stay home to take care of her son. Like the protesters, she has many misgivings about the White Paper and the quality of life for future generations: “The most worrying is that my children and grandchildren will have harder lives – and no signs of getting better quality of life – despite hard work put in, unlike our parents’ and grandparents’ generation when opportunities were abundant.”
Placards seen at the protest showcase the people’s frustrations. “We want to be heard, not herded!” one proclaims.
“We are not your ‘sheeple’,” says another.
It’s a sign that the government’s efforts to launch a ‘national conversation’ are not quite going to plan. Despite the social media pages, the love-heart-filled website and the dialogue sessions soliciting citizen viewpoints, Singaporeans still don’t feel like they’re part of the decision-making process.
Photo Credit: Wikicommons
View as Single Page
Reddit
Digg
StumbleUpon
Delicious
Technorati
Yahoo
Google
Plurk
chan
I think the worst thing is to allow and invasion from China. I was shocked at the state of affairs in Singapore when I visited. I think this was a dreadful mistake-Chinese workers serving in Serangoon road Indian shop!!! Does lee Kuan Yew want more Chinese in Singapore than Indians and Malay? Gone are the classy Chinese-I want to laugh –lah!
I think the worst thing is to allow and invasion from China. I was shocked at the state of affairs in Singapore when I visited. I think this was a dreadful mistake-Chinese workers serving in Serangoon road Indian shop!!! Does lee Kuan Yew want more Chinese in Singapore than Indians and Malay? Gone are the classy Chinese-I want to laugh –lah!
LKY
When Lee Kuan Yew campaigned for "A Malaysian Malaysia" and "Malaysia for Malaysians", no one called him a xenophobe did they?
Anti-Lee
That goal of having 45% of the population born outside Singapore is really about minimising risk–the risk of Singaporeans born within the country of having low IQ, with congenital defects, of unproven economic worth, of being from backgrounds with cultural deficits, of criminal and sociopathic tendencies, thus resulting in "a large number of the physically, intellectually and culturally anaemic" and "less bright people to support dumb people in the next generation". (in LKY's words). This kind of social engineering was attempted before, where graduate women were urged to marry with graduate men, and where working class women were offered money if they underwent sterilisation. But there was resistance, because this Singaporean conception of the human being as an economic digit was repellent. But now globalisation has offered another way. Instead of pre-natal screening, screen them at the immigration gates. Artificial selection of desired traits. It's not eugenics when there are no tubal ligations and hysterectomies, no forced abortions, no messy infanticides. We are the society of the future.
James Teo
The methane generated by 5,320,000 or more is already unbearable what more with 6,999,999 or more people!
IanR
The PAP has been hugely successful in taking a small island with only its people as a resource & making it into a prosperous world city. It has achieved this by an understanding with its people that they will sacrifce some personal liberties in return to prosperity, rising living standards, security & the prospect of a better life. But the PAP hasn't thought through what happens when they achieve this. Singaporeans are now an educated people – often moreso than their politicians - & rightly want more of a say what is their future. At the heart of this issue are 2 things: Singapore is a SMALL island & it is getting crowded – my extended family [native Singaporeans] have been commenting on this for a long time now – combine this with the institutionalsied preference for foreign educated people/workers [often less well educated than Singaporeans themselves - an odd outcome of success] & a great many Singaporeans are feeling that their efforts & taxes are benefitting non-Singporeans at the expense of their opportunities & lifestyle.
EL
I'm curious who the educator you spoke with was. Everyone you quoted in this article has a name except for this educator.
Hun Sen
Singaporeans are not against foreigners per se, but are concerned that Asian immigrants are taking away their jobs and driving wages down, and Western expats have overpaid top jobs in MNCs reserved for themselves. All they want is to protect their livelihoods.
Kim’s Uncle
I hope Singapore can change into a politically mature society where opposition is a fact of life. I think too much paternalism has a shelf life. It is inevatible that people will tire of limited choices and will seek alternative choices given a chance.
VIVA
Singapore is bankrupt of economic policies as it is run like a chinese dynasty.
A familee affairwhere son suceeds father by fair or foul means is in the system
It is a fiefdom run to generate income for familee and sycophants;
Hence no original or creative thinking is allowed to perpetuate dynastic rule.
With no creativity like Scandnavian countries it will be a demographic ponzi scheme.
Good luck to future generations
Tom F
@Viva – "Singapore is bankrupt"
I think you've hit the nail on the head. It was OK during LKY's time, the rulers know how hard it is to achieve autonomy, the current batch have been brought up on milk and honey, and they just want more and more. It is very sad that the Singapore 'Press' has been whipping up anti-foreign sentiments. The real story is much closer to home for the average Singaporean. At the bottom end, we have poor foreigners exploited for their cheap labour <to serve the ruling elites>. At the top, we have property developers, real estate moguls, fund managers etc. selling assets (real, and paper) to the highest bidder, it's a gravy train. Yep, there has been a couple of symbolic regulation made like higher stamp duty for foreigners (read CCP money), but they are largely symbolic.
I don't know whether the Singaporean are too scared of China, or that they're in cahoot with CCP cronies, the evidence however do show that the Singaporean will not do anything of significant to stop the wholesale manipulation of standard of living in Singapore by the highest bidder (CCP Chinese mostly). Singaporean should ask their government, why not introduce solid planning controls that effectively control asset prices, eg in Whistler Canada.
Pol Pot
It's funny how they react to immigrants, when their ancestors were immigrants. It's quite ironic and hypocritical. Singapore is and has alwaysbeen a country that strived in the work of migrant workers, why change it now? Why the hate from the "local" population?
Be Way
Hello, they are not against immigrants per se. They are against their own Government for the increasing costs of living that doesn't commensurate with their stagnant income despite all the publicity of the rosy economy. On top, the blueprint plan of the Singapore Government to increase more immigrants is going to worsen the situation further when Singaporeans are already living in the 2nd top most densely populated country in the world.
sk
We welcome immigrant, but not when 40% or even 50% of the population are new immigrant!
simon
You are the funny one lol. Singapore is such a small country and the white paper want to stuff more people into the country for a better GDP number. Our population already double in 30 years… it is very very dense in singapore already. The white paper project in 10++ year another increase in 30% population.The increase in immigrants and foreign workers has effect on the high cost of living, stagnant salary, overcrowding, break down of train systems…
The locals are sacrificial lambs for the GDP growth. The biggest benefit goes to the government and foreigners. We do not hate immigrants and foreigners but the uncontrolled increase in population, insane cost of living, stagnant salary are killing us. The message is directed to the government for better balance in policies. But currently the government is still using the same old policy that bought about our overcrowding problem now to increase GDP, our voices cannot be heard by the government. So we need to shout louder or change the ruling party. If the locals do not help ourself, who can help us..
John Chan
Because those Singapore “local” has been ruled by the old school racist Brits too long just like those HK “local”, looking down others is their built-in colonized mentality, they want to preserve such retarded tradition or glorious tradition in their eyes in order to show their uniqueness.
Tom F
But don't worry John, it will be ruled by CCP Chinese soon. CCP cronies have been very active in the Singapore property market of late, a bit like what the Hong Kong Chinese did in the eighties (take over insurance). I am guessing, when the CCP fall in China, and the CCP know it will fall sooner rather than later, they will have a nice mansion or luxury apartment in Singapore and other parts of the world to go to. There will be a wave of Citation Jet refugees fleeing Democratic China for Singapore.
Hong Kong Citizen
@ John Chan
You are a mainland Chinese, they are very racists people anyways so please don't try and pull racists card on here. Everybody in Hong Kong do not like the CCP and how corrupt and polluted it is. In fact there are many protests in Hong Kong saying that we want the British back!! The British treated us with equality and respect, CCP is just greedy!!!
EL
I don't understand why this "our ancestors were immigrants too" is used as an argument instead of the weighing the merits and demerits of continued immigration at each stage of the country's development. By this logic Singapore ought to be open to immigration forever and ever and the island's population will increase infinitely.
JohnX
Good points.
1 to you.