6.5 million

[metalslug]

http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4086-65-million-part-1#JOSC_TOP

6.5 million Part 1
Monday, 06 September 2010
Singapore Democrats

Underline it. Highlight it. Circle it. Whatever you do, don't forget it.

Because that's the number that Singaporeans must wake up to. If it hasn't set off alarm bells in you, you are not paying enough attention. It's the number that the PAP wants to increase our population to. Unbelievable? Here's what National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan: "A recent review of our long-term land use and transportation plan concluded that we have enough land to cater to a population of 6.5 million."

Let's start with the obvious. Singapore is already the third most densely populated country in the world with a density of 7,023 persons/sq km. Even Hong Kong - long known for its crowded roads and housing estates - is less dense (6,349 persons/sq km).

That was the data for 2009 where the number of people on this island was 4.98 million. The Govenment announced last week that the new number is 5.08 million - an increase of 100,000 in just a year.

Out of the 5.08 million, only 3.23 million or 36 percent are Singaporeans. In other words, every three persons you see around you, one is not a Singaporean.

And because of the PAP's very deliberate policy of flooding this country with foreigners, we have housing prices shooting through the roof because non-Singaporeans continue to buy property here like there was no tomorrow.

The MRT trains are at bursting point. One netizen reported that a station was so crowded that people coming up from the escalator could not get off safely because the train platform was filled with commuters.

Our roads are getting ever more crowded despite ERP gantries sprouting up like mushrooms. We're digging more and more tunnels for the trains without knowing whether they are contributing to the unprecedented floods that we have had.

Foreign Minister George Yeo admitted that we needed a masterplan to figure out how to house all the foreign workers here. We're beginning to see fights breakout between the foreign nationals. Violent crime is on the rise.

With all these problems still unresolved the PAP is, quite incredibly, bringing 80,000 more foreigners this year. This will continue until we hit 6.5 million over the next several years, by which time we will see more foreigners than Singaporeans in Singapore.

That is quite a statistic.

But it is more than a statistic. It is our lives and our future that the PAP is playing wth.

Whether our infrastructure will be able to cope with such a load no one really knows. What social impact the mass immigation will have on society is anybody's guess. The Government has not conducted any study or produced any evidence that this small island can cope with 6.5 million.

All we have is Mr Mah Bow Tan's proclamation on his party's website that "so long as we have a leadership that has the foresight to anticipate challenges," having 6.5 million people here will be good for Singapore. This coming from someone who could not even properly anticipate the supply HDB flats to meet the needs of the population.

Leadership? Foresight?

We have the environment minister who can't keep the floods out and the home Minister who can't keep terrorist suspects in.

Then we have the sports minister who, even with an over-sized budget of $387 million, can't properly organise a mini-Olympic games.

We also have the trade and finance ministers who could not see the looming global financial crisis in 2008 despite clear warning signals. As a result, Temasek and GIC lost $140 billion from bad investments.

Then there is the trade union minister who in the depth of the recession tells us that he feels so rich.

Leadership? Foresight?

There has been no public consultation, no debate and no proper scrutiny over this so-called foreign talent policy. All we have is Mr Mah's banal promise. If this dangerous 6.5-million experiment fails, it will be too late. We, the ordinary folks, will be the ones paying for the mess.

The ministers who live in their Gurkha-guarded homes, far removed from the daily stresses that they place upon us, will not be affected. They will ask us to "bear with it" like the prime minister did in his ND Rally.

Singaporeans must rally around this issue and the SDP. We must check the PAP's recklessness and stop it from increasing our population by another 30 percent!

Get us into Parliament. Now more than ever, you need that voice in Parliament.

In Part 2, we will give the real reasons why the PAP is hell bent on forcing this drastic population increase.

 

[loloba]

http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4086-65-million-part-1#JOSC_TOP

6.5 million Part 1
Monday, 06 September 2010
Singapore Democrats

Let's start with the obvious. Singapore is already the third most densely populated country in the world with a density of 7,023 persons/sq km. Even Out of the 5.08 million, only 3.23 million or 36 percent are Singaporeans. In other words, every three persons you see around you, one is not a Singaporean.

1 million HDB flat 85% of citizen stay in HDB flat (3.26 million x 85% = 2.771 million staying in 1 million HDB flat) Yet we have so many homeless families and the younger generations are not able to afford one. They are building another 100,000 BTO within the next one to two years?

 

[SotongMee]

Every ELEVEN persons you see, only ONE is a Sinkie.
In some FT enclaves in town, like Geylang, the farangs
outnumber Sinkies 10 to 1, at least.

OKT = FT
FL1 = FT
FL2 = FT
FL3 = FT
Kopitiam waitor=FT
Kopitiam towkay=FT
Road Sweeper=FT
Chicken Caller 1=Sinkie
Chicken Caller 2=FT
Passerby 1=FT
Passerby 2=FT


This kind of statistics only happens in Sinkapoor.

http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4086-65-million-part-1#JOSC_TOP

6.5 million Part 1
Monday, 06 September 2010
Singapore Democrats

Let's start with the obvious. Singapore is already the third most densely populated country in the world with a density of 7,023 persons/sq km. Even Out of the 5.08 million, only 3.23 million or 36 percent are Singaporeans. In other words, every three persons you see around you, one is not a Singaporean.

 

[Glaringly]

And with 6.5 million, if you muster everyone onto the streets, you are able to hold each other hand with a few thousand to spare.

That is how crowded Singapore will be!

 

[SotongMee]

Earthquake hit ChristChurch is New Zealands second largest city with population of only 350,000.

I think AMK GRC is smaller than ChristChurch but has many more people.

And with 6.5 million, if you muster everyone onto the streets, you are able to hold each other hand with a few thousand to spare.

That is how crowded Singapore will be!

 

[soikee]

http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4086-65-million-part-1#JOSC_TOP

6.5 million Part 1
Monday, 06 September 2010
Singapore Democrats

Underline it. Highlight it. Circle it. Whatever you do, don't forget it.

Because that's the number that Singaporeans must wake up to. If it hasn't set off alarm bells in you, you are not paying enough attention. It's the number that the PAP wants to increase our population to. Unbelievable? Here's what National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan: "A recent review of our long-term land use and transportation plan concluded that we have enough land to cater to a population of 6.5 million."

Let's start with the obvious. Singapore is already the third most densely populated country in the world with a density of 7,023 persons/sq km. Even Hong Kong - long known for its crowded roads and housing estates - is less dense (6,349 persons/sq km).

That was the data for 2009 where the number of people on this island was 4.98 million. The Govenment announced last week that the new number is 5.08 million - an increase of 100,000 in just a year.

Out of the 5.08 million, only 3.23 million or 36 percent are Singaporeans. In other words, every three persons you see around you, one is not a Singaporean.

And because of the PAP's very deliberate policy of flooding this country with foreigners, we have housing prices shooting through the roof because non-Singaporeans continue to buy property here like there was no tomorrow.

The MRT trains are at bursting point. One netizen reported that a station was so crowded that people coming up from the escalator could not get off safely because the train platform was filled with commuters.

Our roads are getting ever more crowded despite ERP gantries sprouting up like mushrooms. We're digging more and more tunnels for the trains without knowing whether they are contributing to the unprecedented floods that we have had.

Foreign Minister George Yeo admitted that we needed a masterplan to figure out how to house all the foreign workers here. We're beginning to see fights breakout between the foreign nationals. Violent crime is on the rise.

With all these problems still unresolved the PAP is, quite incredibly, bringing 80,000 more foreigners this year. This will continue until we hit 6.5 million over the next several years, by which time we will see more foreigners than Singaporeans in Singapore.

That is quite a statistic.

But it is more than a statistic. It is our lives and our future that the PAP is playing wth.

Whether our infrastructure will be able to cope with such a load no one really knows. What social impact the mass immigation will have on society is anybody's guess. The Government has not conducted any study or produced any evidence that this small island can cope with 6.5 million.

All we have is Mr Mah Bow Tan's proclamation on his party's website that "so long as we have a leadership that has the foresight to anticipate challenges," having 6.5 million people here will be good for Singapore. This coming from someone who could not even properly anticipate the supply HDB flats to meet the needs of the population.

Leadership? Foresight?

We have the environment minister who can't keep the floods out and the home Minister who can't keep terrorist suspects in.

Then we have the sports minister who, even with an over-sized budget of $387 million, can't properly organise a mini-Olympic games.

We also have the trade and finance ministers who could not see the looming global financial crisis in 2008 despite clear warning signals. As a result, Temasek and GIC lost $140 billion from bad investments.

Then there is the trade union minister who in the depth of the recession tells us that he feels so rich.

Leadership? Foresight?

There has been no public consultation, no debate and no proper scrutiny over this so-called foreign talent policy. All we have is Mr Mah's banal promise. If this dangerous 6.5-million experiment fails, it will be too late. We, the ordinary folks, will be the ones paying for the mess.

The ministers who live in their Gurkha-guarded homes, far removed from the daily stresses that they place upon us, will not be affected. They will ask us to "bear with it" like the prime minister did in his ND Rally.

Singaporeans must rally around this issue and the SDP. We must check the PAP's recklessness and stop it from increasing our population by another 30 percent!

Get us into Parliament. Now more than ever, you need that voice in Parliament.

In Part 2, we will give the real reasons why the PAP is hell bent on forcing this drastic population increase.

How to vote for you when simple mathematics you also can't even get it right.

 

[KuanTi01]

Foresight! What foresight? Talking cock in and out of Parliament. No wonder Sinkaporeans are called sinkies. At 5 million, we are pitted shoulder to shoulder! At 6.5 million, we shall all sink! I don't need any foresight to know this! Plain common sense will do.

 

[Watchman]

at 6.5 to 7million we have walkover from all constituencies !

 

[AhBeng]

I hope we get a non sinkie in the parliament and than we shall see the "physical fights" in the parliament .......and maybe the foreigners will take over Singapore, changing the Lee dynasty rule?

 

[metalslug]

http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4091-65-million-part-2#JOSC_TOP

6.5 million - Part 2
Wednesday, 08 September 2010
Singapore Democrats

In Part 1, we talked about the dangers of the PAP's reckless plan to jack up our population to 6.5 million. This is, as National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan puts it, because the PAP is "concerned about the future of Singapore". Yes, and George Bush and Saddam Hussein were best friends.

Make no mistake, the PAP is doing this for its own sake, not Singapore's. Here's why. The party can cling to power only by ensuring that the GDP continues to grow. A decline in our economy would not allow the autocrats to continue peddling the propaganda that Singaporeans must sacrifice their political rights for economic grwoth.



Keeping the GDP number high was relatively easy to do in the first three decades of our independence. There were roads to build and buildings to erect. We made slippers and shirts that others wanted to buy. The economy was not complex.

By the time we reached the 1990s, however, the scene started to change. Our economy had come to a point where it started to wheeze and puff. No longer were we able to achieve the kinds of GDP gains of previous years because other developing economies were doing pretty much the same thing.

Paul Krugman

More important, our growth had come from physical and social changes that could not be reproduced. Economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman summed it up best:


‘[The] numbers should make it obvious that Singapore's growth has been largely based on one-time changes in behavior that cannot be repeated. Over the past generation the percentage of people employed has almost doubled; it cannot double again...So one can assume that Singapore is unlikely to achieve future growth rates comparable to the past.
’
Another economist Alwyn Young pointed out that the growth in Singapore has been built on the Government taxing Singaporeans and using these public funds to build up the physical infrastructure. Compared to Hong Kong, very little of our growth came from increased efficiency and productivity:

‘While the Hong Kong government has emphasised a policy of laissez faire, the Singaporean government has, since the early 1960s, pursued the accumulation of physical capital via forced national savings and the solicitation of a veritable deluge of foreign investment…Singapore has one of the lowest returns to physical capital in the world. The days in which Singapore can continue to sustain accumulation driven growth are clearly numbered.
’
Indeed by the late 1990s, our economy was beginning to run out of steam. And it wasn't the usual cyclical recession that we were in. The basic structure of our economy did not allow us to continue to grow as we had in the past.

In addition, our population had become very unentrepreneurial as one would expect from years of authoritarian control by the PAP; creativity has been choked lifeless.

Add to this the fact that our talented and skilled have been emigrating to other countries by the thousands and you have the perfect recipe for economic decline.

Of course the PAP knew all this. It also knew that it had to open up society to allow innovation and creativity to floursh so that it we could graduate into a higher phase of our economic development.

But this would also mean that the party would lose its grip on politics and might even have to relinquish power at some future stage. The autocrats weren't about to let this happen, of course.

At the same time, however, it is clear that with the economy in stagnation, the PAP's dictatorial control of the country would not last very long.

So what do our rulers do? They hatched the plan to dramatically raise the number of people in Singapore. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The benefits would be, at least, three-fold:

One, the sudden and drastic increase in the population would by itself bring in revenue and raise the GDP.

Two, there is the added factor that we would have a bigger pool of consumers which would expand the market.

Three, there would be a healthy supply of cheap labour that would keep the MNCs happy and the GLCs afloat.

The problem is that this strategy is like injecting steroids into a dying man. The massive infusion of one-time human, and therefore financial, capital into the system would cause even a cadaver to rise.

And then what?

And the beneficiary is...

Mah Bow Tan

It is clear that bringing in such massive numbers of foreigners serves the interests of the PAP who will no doubt claim that it can continue to deliver economically. But the Singapore Democrats have repeatedly warned that there is a heavy price to pay for this and it is Singaporeans who are paying it.

Apart from the obvious that forcing another 1.5 million people to our already overcrowded 5 million population is unsustainable, the social impact of the immigration policy will also be profound, if not catastrophic, for this country.

Also, the kind of jobs such a policy creates for Singaporeans and whether they pay decent wages that Singaporeans can live on is a matter that the PAP would rather not discuss.

Instead, Mr Mah Bow Tan soars: "If we look ahead, and start preparing now, we can create an exciting, dynamic, prosperous and livable first world city." Yes, but for whom, dear minister?

The fact that the new migrants, added to the electorate in massive numbers, would vote for the party that brought them in, is something that the PAP would have taken into consideration when implementing the policy.

We are already very near the edge of the cliff. Either we establish a system of checks and balance and reverse course or we plunge headlong into the abyss. Very soon Singaporeans will have the chance to decide.

In Part 3, we will lay out the SDP's alternative proposals on how we can approach the question of keeping our population at a sustainable level while meeting our economic needs.

 

[Ramseth]

Is HK crowded enough?

Singapore is half of HK land area and wants a HK population?

 

[Watchman]

 

[Watchman]

 

[metalslug]

http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4098-65-million-part-3

6.5 million - Part 3
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Singapore Democrats

In Part 1, we talked about the dangers of the PAP flooding this island with foreigners so that it can increase the population to 6.5 million people. In Part 2, we explained that it was in its own self-interest that the PAP is proceeding in such a reckless manner. In this concluding Part 3, we present the SDP's solutions on how we can bring in foreign talent to keep Singapore comeptitive without compromising the social and financial well-being of Singaporeans.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew said that we needed foreigners to make up for the short fall of the population. What he doesn't say is that it is the PAP's policies that have caused the shortfall in the first place.

It was the drastic and feckless Stop-At-Two policy in the 1970s and 80s that caused the population growth to be stunted.

Worse, it continues to implement policies that discourage couples from having children. The high cost of living is a major obstacle to young couples eschewing bigger families.

Additionally, younger Singaporeans are leaving this country in droves chiefly because they prefer to live in countries where their lives are politically free and economically less stressful.

This combination of a low birthrate and Singaporeans emigrating have caused a hollowing out of our economy.

But instead of reviewing these causes, the PAP has turned to bringing in foreigners to replace Singaporeans. This is a one-way ticket to disaster.

Economically, the influx of cheap foreign labour is causing wages of locals to be depressed. The widen income gap is unsustainable. Socially, the immigration policy is causing tensions that are beginning to manifest in unfortunate and ugly ways.

So what can we do to resolve this problem? Too alleviate the situation, there are a few important urgent that we can take:


1. Legislate minimum wage. A mimimum wage policy will make businesses more judicious in employing cheap foreign labour and force them to upgrade the workforce. This has the effect of raising productivity. In addition, workers will not be exploited which will lift their morale leading to increases in labour output and efficiency.

Not only will minimum wage reduce the income inequality in Singapore, it will also increase the spending power of the people which benefits businesses and the overall economy. Ultimately prosperity comes to all segments of society, not just the rich.

2. Democratise the political system. A more democratic system will encourage Singaporeans, especially young and talented Singaporeans, to stay put. Such a system cause them to be less alienated from the public process as their wants and interests will be heeded by a democratically elected and responsive government. This will stem the brain drain and foreign talent would not be needed in such frightening numbers.

3. Rely less on multinational companies (MNCs) and government-linked companoes (GLCs). We can do this by encouraging innovation and creativity to flourish in Singapore. MNCs have a voracious apetite for cheap labour, the cheaper the better. This means that they want workers from our neighbouring countries who are willing to work for wages that Singaporeans simply cannot survive on.

By encouraging home-grown entrepreneurs, we reduce our dependence on MNCs and, in turn, our reliance on foreign workers. Not only do we upgrade our economy, we also keep our population at a realistic and sustainable level.

Dismantling GLCs will also encourage local entrepreneurs to come to the fore, and add to the effort to upgrade our economy beyond one that simply relies on a cheap labour force.

A stark choice

Unfortunately, the PAP will not change course without political pressure. Such pressure can be brought to bear on the PAP by voting for the Singapore Democrats in this upcoming elections. SDP MPs will push hard to amend the current immigration problems to ensure that only genuine talent will be allowed in to work in Singapore.

Only a system of checks and balance can prevent the PAP from dragging our country down this dangerous road. Say no to 6.5 million. Our country will suffer irreparable damage if we allow the regime to go ahead with its reckless move.

The SDP needs the people's support and the people need the SDP's unyielding leadership in Parliament. We are the party that has through the years demonstrated our resolve to stand up to the PAP. We are the party that has gounded our fight on principles.

Help us be the opposition that you want to see in Parliament.

 

[jw5]

Whether 6.5 million or not, there are only 2 ways to prevent overcrowding and erosion of basic personal space in public places.
The first is to vote as many pappies out as possible, and tell the remaining ones that this is one big reason for the result.
The second is to find a way to ensure that the pappies have constant and close contact with the foreigners they have let in.
The first way is much easier than the second.

 

[Equalisation]

6.5 million .... are you fxxking serious ?? ...with another 1.5 million FTs coming in making a total of 3.3 million .... this is preposterous !! Singaporeans becomes a minority. !!!

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Talk and talk and kao peh all u want it will happen. Sinkees only bully other sinkees

 

[Equalisation]

This is unacceptable !!!

We Singaporeans become the minority in our own country !!! Good God !!!:o

 

[Char_Azn]

How U can help stop more FTs from coming in

10% of the Foreigners actually came in via pple marrying foreigners

http://www.transitioning.org/2009/10/21/foreign-brides-in-demand-in-singapore-asiaone-20-oct/

Last year, 24,596 marriages were recorded in the city state – a third were between Singapore grooms and non-citizens.

And that number is not even counting local gals + Ang Mohs.

 

[johnny333]

like some one said up there ...SDP pls get your numbers right. Three point something million over 5 million is not 30 plus percent please. Primary school kids also know.,

Not that I agree totally with PAP in all their policies but if you cannot get something like figures correct - I am afraid I don't have much confidence in you as well.

PAP has shown themselves to be the irresponsible party. Anyone who still thinks the PAP is the perfect party should look at the billions Temasek loss, the regular floods, the crush of foreigners, the increasing costs in Spore,...

We don't need a perfect opposition but we need enough of them in parliament to question some of the self serving policies that the PAP is implementing.

We can no longer trust the PAP. It's become a class issue "lesser mortals" vs elites Who would have believed that in only 20+ years LKY & son has single handedly created a class system in Spore