Ministry of Finance Be open to foreigners
I refer to Heng Swee Keat's call for Singaporeans to be "open to foreigners" as he cited former chief planner Liu Thai Ker's view that Singapore should plan for a 10 million population. I beg to differ. 

To grow the economy by simply importing more foreigners is not difficult. Almost all governments can do that and not just the PAP government. But there are very serious trade-offs for our country if we pursue that policy. Already, Singapore is the world's third most densely populated country with about 18,500 people per square mile. Unlike many other densely populated cities, we do not have natural countryside that people can retreat to. 

With an even larger influx of foreigners, many aspects of our quality of life must be compromised. There must be even keener competition for jobs than it is now. With an easy and larger supply of foreign manpower, many local salaries must be further squeezed and stagnate. Stress levels among our citizens, both the young and old, must inevitably go up. 

Goh Chok Tong's kinder and a more gentle society rhetoric will certainly become a distant pipe dream. Crime rates must also climb and not to mention, schools, hospitals, transportation etc must all be stretched. 

As it is now, it is not uncommon that many appointments at public hospitals can take up to months. The thought that our boys who train in NS and some may even perish to protect foreigners who come more to take than to give in our country must suck even bigger time. 

And last but not least, when foreigners, permanent residents and new citizens become old, they will greatly compound our own severe aging problems.

PAP ministers do not get bullied by foreigners in Singapore but many citizens can attest to the fact that we are seeing a growing numbers of foreigners bullying the more vulnerable members of our society, especially at the workplaces. Openly official welcome and endorsement of their presence will only enbolden such attitudes and behaviours.

I like to watch wildlife documentaries and I know that hyenas, if in large enough numbers, bully lions even. What more about foreigners?

Among the people who welcome more foreigners will be property owners, developers and the government because foreigners support property prices and not forgetting PAP ministers will also be among the first to laugh all the way to the banks because their annual bonuses are tied to GDP growth but growth at all cost has a very severe downside and a heavy price for our citizens to pay.

This incompetent PAP government is at its wits end to grow our economy but if they allow greed to blind them and choose short term fixes and gratifications over long term considerations and swallow more than our country can digest, we are simply courting our own demise. 

Simon Lim

Add Comment

---