Arguably the most accurate summary and a very bleak future for stinkies.
http://anyhowhantam.blogspot.sg/2015/09/new-citizen-voters-decided-this.html
4. Why Now and Not in 2011?
But if we already had new citizens in 2011, surely they would have already had an impact. I'm sure they have but it takes time for the full impact to be felt. The seeds of this long term strategy of a guaranteed vote bank needed time for fruition. Of the hundreds of thousands who came here in 1990s and in this century, not all became citizens straightaway. Many first came as PRs or on long term visas, before applying and gaining citizenship by virtue of this extended stay.
And make no mistake this impact is gonna last and be felt for a very long time, if not forever. Don't forget that there's around 5.6 million people here right now. Of that, 3.8 million are considered by the Govt as the Singapore core - citizens and PRs. 2.46 million are citizens for sure - the eligible voters, so of from that 3.8 million we have another 1.34 million. Some are our children of non voting age of course - but the rest are PRs. And that PR list will continue to grow - there's still a pool of another 1.8 million around (5.6 - 3.8 = 1.8 million) Not all these 1.8 million will stay and become PRs or citizens, a majority won't as they include work permit holders and others who have no interest to become citizens. But a sizable minority will and eventually they too will become citizens and can thus vote in future elections.
The PAP had to grit its teeth and bear with opposition vote increase in 2006 and 2011. But it knew it had a winning hand - all that was needed was to wait it out.
http://anyhowhantam.blogspot.sg/2015/09/new-citizen-voters-decided-this.html
4. Why Now and Not in 2011?
But if we already had new citizens in 2011, surely they would have already had an impact. I'm sure they have but it takes time for the full impact to be felt. The seeds of this long term strategy of a guaranteed vote bank needed time for fruition. Of the hundreds of thousands who came here in 1990s and in this century, not all became citizens straightaway. Many first came as PRs or on long term visas, before applying and gaining citizenship by virtue of this extended stay.
And make no mistake this impact is gonna last and be felt for a very long time, if not forever. Don't forget that there's around 5.6 million people here right now. Of that, 3.8 million are considered by the Govt as the Singapore core - citizens and PRs. 2.46 million are citizens for sure - the eligible voters, so of from that 3.8 million we have another 1.34 million. Some are our children of non voting age of course - but the rest are PRs. And that PR list will continue to grow - there's still a pool of another 1.8 million around (5.6 - 3.8 = 1.8 million) Not all these 1.8 million will stay and become PRs or citizens, a majority won't as they include work permit holders and others who have no interest to become citizens. But a sizable minority will and eventually they too will become citizens and can thus vote in future elections.
The PAP had to grit its teeth and bear with opposition vote increase in 2006 and 2011. But it knew it had a winning hand - all that was needed was to wait it out.
