Singapore's demographics has totally changed. Less than 2/3 (66.67%) are Singaporeans. If you exclude newly minted Singapore Citizens, i.e. those who are naturalised from Permanent Resident Status, the figure would be even lower.
Implications for the Citizen Soldier
What does this matter to you, a Singaporean and especially if you are a Singaporean born with a penis?
The crux of the issue is the "country" in the phrase, "duty, honour and country," is becoming more diffused over time. Immigrants help make us a "melting-pot", a "salad-bowl" of various nationalities, ethnicities and tribal groups. However, in this melting point, what is the definitive "dish" that constitutes Citizen Singapore?
What is Singapore? What is this country that we are fighting for? What is the concept of nationhood that binds us who are born with a penis and a pink identity card to the duty of forced conscription into the military, the police and civil defence forces?
As a citizen soldier, you pledge 100% of your life to defend the country because you risk dying in the discharge of your duties. The risk is real. I have encountered two instances where young lives were snuffed out in training accidents in the Singapore Armed Forces. The training accidents can be as dramatic as a tank over-turning or as mundane as collapsing during a 2.4km run for the individual physical proficiency test (IPPT).
Your contributions are benefiting more and more of non-Singaporeans who comprise more than one-third (35%) of the population. This one-third of permanent residents and other foreign workers are here to contribute to the economy. They are also here as your competitor for places in schools, jobs and for public facilities. Unlike what the powers-that-be tell you, every non-Citizen who gets a place in schools means one less place for a Citizen.
The powers-that-be will tell you that every Singaporean who is deserving of a place in our education system will get one. I think it is true for the primary and secondary schools, but it doesn't work in tertiary education and in the Universities. In reality, if your grade is worse than an equivalent foreign student (that is being wooed by taxpayers funds to come over to Singapore to study and subsequently work and contribute to our economic growth), then tough luck. You can't get a place in NUS, NTU, SMU and have to spend more money to go to SIM, MDIS or some other private school for your degree. Or you would have to join the hordes of Singaporean students who are (presumably) not good enough to get into local universities but are good enough for Australian, US or UK universities.
Oh, and your 2 years of contributions to conscription counts for very little. Yes, you get to pay school fees pegged to 2 years old rate when your application to university was accepted (if you are lucky to score better than your ASEAN/China/Indian counterpart) but for taking up arms for your country, you do not get any preference as it boils down to grades, grades and grades.
And all this because you were born a Singapore Citizen with a penis.
Majullah Singapura.
Be safe in NS.
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Singapore News // Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Citizens to remain a ‘sizeable’ group?
WITH citizens now comprising 65 per cent of the total population — the proportion Singapore needs to be “born and bred” here to ensure new immigrants remain rooted, according to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew — will future immigration policies be tightened?
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According to Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, the Government will ensure there remains a “sizeable” group of Singaporeans to form the “core” of society.
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In reply to a question in Parliament from Nominated Member of Parliament Kalyani Mehta, Mr Wong said that while it was natural for Singaporeans to feel threatened by the number of immigrants the country is absorbing, “this Government will always consider the interests of Singaporeans first”, which could be seen in policies for healthcare, housing and education.
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But restricting immigration would be counterproductive and not in Singapore’s long-term interests, he added.
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Notwithstanding the current economic situation, he said, “Overall, our flexible foreign workforce policies have enabled us to maintain a critical competitive edge over competing economies by allowing companies to expand their workforce quickly to capitalise on opportunities, at the same time creating more and better jobs for our citizens.”
WITH citizens now comprising 65 per cent of the total population — the proportion Singapore needs to be “born and bred” here to ensure new immigrants remain rooted, according to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew — will future immigration policies be tightened?
.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, the Government will ensure there remains a “sizeable” group of Singaporeans to form the “core” of society.
.
In reply to a question in Parliament from Nominated Member of Parliament Kalyani Mehta, Mr Wong said that while it was natural for Singaporeans to feel threatened by the number of immigrants the country is absorbing, “this Government will always consider the interests of Singaporeans first”, which could be seen in policies for healthcare, housing and education.
.
But restricting immigration would be counterproductive and not in Singapore’s long-term interests, he added.
.
Notwithstanding the current economic situation, he said, “Overall, our flexible foreign workforce policies have enabled us to maintain a critical competitive edge over competing economies by allowing companies to expand their workforce quickly to capitalise on opportunities, at the same time creating more and better jobs for our citizens.”
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