SDP - The riot: SDP warned about it

[Cosmos10]

The riot: SDP warned about it

Added on: Monday (Today), 9 December 2013

by the Singapore Democrats

http://yoursdp.org/news/the_riot_sdp_warned_about_it/2013-12-09-5751

In 2006, the SDP had warned that "the social impact of the foreign recruitment policy may yet prove disastrous for Singaporeans.” (See here: http://yoursdp.org/publ/sdp_39_s_al..._in_trying_to_increase_population/44-1-0-1372 )

We cautioned again when we wrote our alternative population paper in 2013: "The population explosion will cause further economic, social and psychological stress for the people, as well as add to national security implications. For the sake of a safe and secure Singapore, the Government must rethink its population policy.” (See here: http://yoursdp.org/publ/sdp_39_s_al...opulation_expansion_not_justified/44-1-0-1378 )

While it is clear that the riot at Race Course Road on Sunday evening was carried out by the massive congregation of foreign workers, what triggered the violence has yet to be determined.

But whatever the cause for the explosive anger, there is always the danger that overcrowding leads to stressful situations where human behaviour becomes increasingly agitated and irrational. Sunday night's conflagration is just such a manifestation of the stressful situation that inhabitants in Singapore face.

While the perpetrators of the riot need to be dealt with firmly, the SDP cautions against tarring the entire foreign-workers' community with the same brush. Singaporeans must focus on policies that create conditions that give rise to such volatility in the first place.

When such events take place, not only are our first responders and frontline uniformed personnel placed in dangerous situations, the general public is also put at risk. Having too big a population on this island with inadequate infrastructure and resources is a recipe for disaster.

The SDP repeats its stand: The Government, while it determines the factors that gave rise to the riot, must also review its population and immigration policy to produce sustainable growth and enhance the well-being of our people, including fostering an environment free of violence and rioting.

We stand ready to constructively contribute to this national debate with our alternative policy: Building A People: Sound Policies For A Secure Future. (See here: http://yoursdp.org/_ld/0/8_Building_a_Peop.pdf )

Read also: The population debate: The optimal size (See here: http://yoursdp.org/publ/perspectives/the_population_debate_the_optimum_size/2-1-0-1257 )

 

[Cosmos10]

BUILDING A PEOPLE: Sound Policies For A Secure Future

http://yoursdp.org/_ld/0/8_Building_a_Peop.pdf

Singapore is a nation: a community and a home to its citizens. It is not a marketplace to which travellers come when times are good and depart when things turn bad. It is where we live out our lives, bring up our children, care for our elderly, and look out for our neighbours - for better or for worse.

 

[Cosmos10]

Govt's reasons for population expansion not justified

Category: Our Population | 30 January 2013

by the Singapore Democrats

http://yoursdp.org/publ/sdp_39_s_al...opulation_expansion_not_justified/44-1-0-1378

The Government’s population White Paper, A Sustainable Population For A Dynamic Singapore, announced its intention to raise the population to 7 million. This is extremely worrying. The reasons for the new target have been offered before and appear to be re-packaged for the White Paper.$CUT$

The Government cites three pillars on which its policy rests: (1) maintain a strong Singaporean core, (2) create good jobs for Singaporeans, and (3) provide Singaporeans a higher quality of life.

These pillars were used to defend its policy of increasing the population to the current level of 5.3 million. The results have been unsuccessful.

A strong Singaporean core

According to the World Bank, in 2010 the emigrant population in Singapore was 6.1 percent of the total population of about 5 million people which is about 10 percent of native-born Singaporeans. Skilled tertiary-educated Singaporeans were leaving at a rate of 15.2 percent. The figure was higher for medical doctors at 15.5 percent.

A survey conducted by Mindshare in 2012 found that 56 percent of the 2,000 Singaporeans polled agreed or strongly agreed that, "given a choice, I would like to migrate". Between 2000 and 2010, an average of 1,000 Singaporeans renounced their citizenship every year.

The PAP's population policy has not succeeded in maintaining a strong Singaporean core with the current population mix of 38 percent foreigners in our population. Achieving this objective by increasing the population to 7 million with nearly 50 percent made up of foreigners is unlikely to be successful.

Creating good jobs

The second reason of creating good jobs is not convincing. According to a survey conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO), Singaporeans work the longest hours among 12 countries surveyed. The same study reported that at the same time our real incomes have declined.

Singaporean workers are one of the unhappiest in the world. In a survey of 14 economies, Singaporean workers were found to enjoy going to work the least, are the least loyal to their employers and have the least supportive workplaces. Only 19 percent of those polled look forward to their work each day; the global average is 30 percent.

Higher quality of life

The Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) of Singaporeans workers is one of the weakest. A UBS survey showed that Singaporeans’ PPP was 39.9 compared to Zurich (106.9), Sydney (95.9), Luxembourg (95.4), Tokyo (82.2), Auckland (68.9), Taipei (58.9), Hong Kong (58.1) and Seoul (57.4).

According to a worldwide Gallup poll, Singaporeans were found to be the unhappiest people. We were even unhappier than Iraqis, Afghans and Haitians. In the Happy Planet Index, we polled a dismal 90th out of 151 countries surveyed.

There are no justifiable reasons for the PAP to raise the population by such a large number in such a short span of time. The population explosion will cause further economic, social and psychological stress for the people, as well as add to national security implications.

For the sake of a safe and secure Singapore, the Government must rethink its population policy. There are alternative measures which can achieve prosperity and happiness without resorting to such an unsustainable programme. The SDP will offer these alternatives in a population and immigration paper which will be released in the near future.

 

[Cosmos10]

Desperation in trying to increase population

Category: Our Population | 07 August 2006

http://yoursdp.org/publ/sdp_39_s_al..._in_trying_to_increase_population/44-1-0-1372

AFP
7 Aug 06

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060806/hl_afp/singaporepopulationbabiesmigration_060806044730

SDP's comment: After nearly half-a-century of uninterrupted PAP rule, this outcome signals an utter and complete failure of the population-control policy. First in was the Stop-At-Two policy, then came the hare-brained Graduate Mothers Scheme, and now its the the have-more-if-you-can-afford desperate measure coupled with the Foreign Talent Policy. These policies have wreaked untold hardship on the people (the social impact of the foreign recruitment policy may yet prove disastrous for Singaporeans) and yet there is no way that the population can hold the PAP accountable.

Singapore needs to attract foreign migrants to top up the population of the city-state whose birth rate in 2005 remained at an all-time low of 1.24 children per woman, said Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng.

Last year's birth rate of 1.24, the same as 2004, meant only 35,600 babies were born, well below the replacement rate of 2.1 that Singapore needs in order to replenish its population naturally, he said late Saturday in a speech.

"Our total fertility rate is at a low of 1.24... To replace ourselves, we should have 60,000 births each year," said Wong.

"For us, the gap is too large to fill with resident births. We have to top up our population and work force with migrants," he said.

The drive to attract talented foreign migrants was crucial to Singapore's long-term competitiveness as they would boost the local work force and their contributions would expand the economic pie, Wong said.


"We have to continue to attract global talents and people with skills to augment our work force. We should encourage those who can contribute to settle down here," he said.


"This is the way to enlarge the economic pie. There will then be more for everyone to share.

"If not, as other countries get more competitive and if we let our workforce diminish, investments will go elsewhere, and there will be less for us to share."

Singapore has intensified efforts to address the baby shortage in recent years with a raft of measures to encourage married Singaporeans to have more children.

These include longer maternity leave, cash subsidies and a lower levy on hiring foreign maids.

The government has also made efforts to attract talented foreigners to take up citizenship.

Singapore fears a low birth rate will have a long-term economic impact and increase the proportion of elderly citizens relative to those of working age, raising social welfare costs.

The city-state has a population of 3.4 million plus some 800,000 foreign workers and professionals.