Around the 1983 period, the corridors of power realised that Malaysian PRs stopped converting to Singapore citinzenship. Prior to that, the demand to convert was so high that they had required M'sian PRs to complete 10 years of residence and work before allowing them to be citizens.
Couple of factors can be attributed to the change.
1) Non Bumi Malaysians realised that grasping the Malay language was not a major issue witn many aceing the language in Malaysian O and A level exams. Note that earlier exodus was due to Malaysia changing the education language medium from English to Malays for all subjects.
2) Overall opportunities in Malaysia for non bumis were more than just crumps despite the NEP.
3) Currency parity gave up and Malaysia became more affordable especially for those working in Singapore.
4) Land and English concept of home being his castle held forth. And they had heaps.
5) Singapore policy of treating PRs and citizens in an identical manner except for NS made little sense to convert.
6) It dawned on a Malaysian PRs ( and I guess for all PRs here) that Singapore is an excellent place for work and business and treats everyone equally and that it is not a country. Work here and retire home became the mantra.
Singapore needed M'sians in huge numbers to fuel its economy and there is no doubt about that and even now. The Policy wonks however failed to tweak the system. In early 1990, they fumbled badly again. They opened up the etlite admin and civil serivice to foreigners and that it is the best paying government in the world made it even worse.
That decade also saw that globalisation had forced many countries to allow dual or multiple citizenship and even worse allowing ex-citizens to reclaim a citizenship. For instance, a PRC who gives up his citizenship can reapply to get it back only once. India and Australia also allows that.
Interestingly Malaysia allows that in practice for a practising muslim but not others thus non-bumi Malaysians will not give up their citizenship.
The failures in this area is so bad that it has effected the social fabric of society and people began questioning the NS sacrifice. To address it, they created a special department in PMO to handle this by someone holding the rank of PS who for some reason is the former director of ISD.
As you know, the Govt of Singapore thinks that the majority of Singaporeans are dumb and these things are never revealed for a discussion to take place. When a policy is decided, they will organise talks to "influential singaporeans" at special locations such as the pyramid club. And you know Singaporeans, they will nod in order to be invited again to rub shoulders but go home and bitch about it. The second front where dessemination takes place is at grassroots organisation low lifes of the country gather and only react angrily when they can't get a seat at the NDP.
SINgaporeans are too blind to see. I have worked with many Malaysian's PR's here, their heart is not with the country; it is for economic benefits that they are here. They will relocate themselves back to Malaysia, once they had made enough etc..
Somewhere in the 1980's, somewhere in an organization in SINgapore, a place where I worked is unionized; the management quietly sent up counter in Johor Baru to recruit staff. They offered the new recruit, housing benefits, and a sponsorship for PR; if they work for a couple of years. Benefits that were much better than the union, could offer to SINgaporeans.
What then is the use of an union, when back then, it can not even protect the ricebowls of SINgaporeans, who pay rates every month!.
That is why I say, SINgaporeans are just too blind to see...the union card is for getting discounts at the supermarkets..etc.. and they are blind lemmings.
One can point out that these PR's pay taxes etc.. but look at this carefully, a Malaysian on the average, working here for years, they can accumulate enought money, to buy a house with LAND, buy a car...live in luxury, when they retire, back to Malaysia..whereas the average SINgaporeans, are burdened with loans, housing, car...and paying for a very EXPENSIVE GOVERNMENT!
Aren't SINgaporeans blind!?
