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DPM Teo visited Hong Kong to learn population planning
April 26th, 2013 |
Author: Contributions
Last month, I highlighted in a posting (here)
that Hong Kong and mainland China have a better approach in solving the twin
problems of population ageing and low female fertility that are also faced by
Singapore. This observation followed from my discussions with population and
sociology experts at the University of Hong Kong. I expanded on this theme in a
lecture (here) that
I delivered at Peking University HSBC Business School a few days later on 25
March.
One month after my two postings, DPM Teo Chee Hean, minister in charge of the
Population White Paper, was in Hong Kong where he had discussions and briefings
with senior officials on urban planning issues including population planning (news
report here). His officials from the National Population and Talent Division
held discussions with Hong Kong’s Population Commission.
“Need to think of what people want”
What one commission member Paul Yip said, was revealing : “I shared how we
might be obsessed with big numbers for GDP growth, but we need to think of what
people want and the need to get their support.” This is exactly what
Singaporeans have been telling the PAP government. We will tell them more at the
coming May Day rally in Hong Lim Park. I will be speaking at
the rally when I will spell out what I see as the real and inevitable solution
to the population problem.
Courage to change course?
DPM Teo should have visited Hong Kong earlier and studied how Hong Kong and
other cities tackle population issues before he finalised the White Paper. The
whole world now knows that the White Paper is a seriously flawed document. I
hope he has the courage to persuade his colleagues to change course as it would
be the right thing to do.
The only downside (from his point of view but not that of Singaporeans) is a
serious dent to the ego and image of PAP leaders, but then Singaporeans are
already past the stage of seeing PAP ministers as competent and having
foresight. After all, didn’t the Prime
Minister himself admit in January this year that PAP had no foresight?
.
Tan Jee Say
* Jee Say was a Presidential candidate in the 2011 Presidential Election.
The article first appeared on his facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/TanJeeSay.
Last month, I highlighted in a posting (here)
that Hong Kong and mainland China have a better approach in solving the twin
problems of population ageing and low female fertility that are also faced by
Singapore. This observation followed from my discussions with population and
sociology experts at the University of Hong Kong. I expanded on this theme in a
lecture (here) that
I delivered at Peking University HSBC Business School a few days later on 25
March.
One month after my two postings, DPM Teo Chee Hean, minister in charge of the
Population White Paper, was in Hong Kong where he had discussions and briefings
with senior officials on urban planning issues including population planning (news
report here). His officials from the National Population and Talent Division
held discussions with Hong Kong’s Population Commission.
“Need to think of what people want”
What one commission member Paul Yip said, was revealing : “I shared how we
might be obsessed with big numbers for GDP growth, but we need to think of what
people want and the need to get their support.” This is exactly what
Singaporeans have been telling the PAP government. We will tell them more at the
coming May Day rally in Hong Lim Park. I will be speaking at
the rally when I will spell out what I see as the real and inevitable solution
to the population problem.
Courage to change course?
DPM Teo should have visited Hong Kong earlier and studied how Hong Kong and
other cities tackle population issues before he finalised the White Paper. The
whole world now knows that the White Paper is a seriously flawed document. I
hope he has the courage to persuade his colleagues to change course as it would
be the right thing to do.
The only downside (from his point of view but not that of Singaporeans) is a
serious dent to the ego and image of PAP leaders, but then Singaporeans are
already past the stage of seeing PAP ministers as competent and having
foresight. After all, didn’t the Prime
Minister himself admit in January this year that PAP had no foresight?
.
Tan Jee Say
* Jee Say was a Presidential candidate in the 2011 Presidential Election.
The article first appeared on his facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/TanJeeSay.
