COMPETENT CONSTRUCTIVE COMPASSIONATE
SDP's Alternatives:
Why the SDP does not propose a target population
15 February 2013
Various
ministers have proffered various numbers for our population size: 4
million (Goh Chok Tong), 5 million (Lee Kuan Yew), 6.5 million (Mah Bow
Tan) and 6.9 million (Lee Hsien Loong).$CUT$
Are these numbers
helpful? On what basis have they been determined? If they are a result
of extensive Government study and planning - which one would expect them
to be - then why do they vary so wildly?
SDP population paper to focus on holistic growth
13 February 2013
Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong has walked back the Government's position on
increasing Singapore's population to 6.9 million by 2030.$CUT$
He
announced in Parliament last week that the target was a "worst-case
scenario" after a public furore ensued when the White Paper was
released.
The Government will now stick to the 6 million target for 2020 and, thereafter, review the situation.
The
problem is that even a population of 6 million for this island may be
too high. The Government has not provided any convincing data that this
island can hold so many inhabitants.
SDP to launch alternative paper on population
11 February 2013
In
keeping with our objective to offer Singaporeans an alternative
platform, the Singapore Democrats will present our policy paper on
immigration and population for our country.$CUT$
There has been intense anger on the part of Singaporeans since the launching of the Government White Paper, A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore, in which it was announced that the PAP would increase the population to 6.9 million by 2030.
The population debate: The optimum size
05 February 2013
It
is not true that the more people we have, the better the economy and
the higher the standard of living for all of us. On the contrary, the denser the city, the
higher the cost of housing and taxes.
The more buildings there are,
the greater the likelihood they will block our views, our light and our air.
So
what is the optimum size? In The Next Lap, published by the Singapore
Government in 1993, it is recommended that "…with careful use of
land, we can comfortably house 4 million people..”
Confusion over population target continues
31 January 2013
In October last year, this website published an article
about the lack of clarity of the Government over the target population
size of Singapore. The announcement this week that PAP intends to raise
this to 6.9 million has only added to the confusion.$CUT$
In 1991, under former prime minister Goh Chok Tong, the Government published its blueprint for Singapore called The Next Lap in
which it stated that a 4-million population was a comfortable figure.
Govt's reasons for population expansion not justified
30 January 2013
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.
