11/01/2005

a city of 7-8 million population

is this a too ambitious plan for the limited land that we have to grow? all or most of our policy decisions are anchored onto this assumption, that we need such a big population to be viable. can we really afford that? the first victim to fall to this ambitious plan is the size of hdb flats. the rooms are getting smaller, not forgetting the price remains or getting higher. they forgot to introduce a drug so that all singaporeans will be no taller than 5 feet high. that may make the new miniature flats more hospitable to live in. how much more land must we reclaim or create, and how much more reserve lands must we convert for the doubling of our population? how many more roads must be built to cater for a doubling of vehicles on the roads, and car parks as well. or maybe by then no cars will be allowed on the roads and transportation is my mass public transport. only a very few would be allowed to own cars to avoid road congestion. and the schools, hospitals, essential services and recreational activities, can they have enough capacities to cope with the demand. have they also forgotten that the water we drink is going to be filtered by double the amount of people? and the air we breathe will be exchanged by the 8 million people in this small little space. would it be too contaminated or too contagious for living? for the moment we can still breathe quite easily, a little more elbow room to push around. when the population is doubled, can we imagine what life will be in this little island? would it be better to let the population grow at its natural pace, with a little assistance instead of applying the instant tree methodology? 4 million, maybe 5 million and stabilise at that?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do not think that we need 7 million,the fact is that we would not be able to achieve 7 million,as confirmed by MM recently.

If we do get 7 million,majority of our population would be in permanent transit.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

it is easy to reach 7 million if they don't rethink and hold their horses and simply open the immigration floodgate. many from the neighbouring countries, india and china, will be most willing to use singapore as a transit to the western hemisphere. get a singapore citizen and then move on.

we will be the real suckers.

if we do reach 7 million, all our resources and facilities will be under tremendous stress. it will be better if we copy some ideas from europe where they sit on their wealth, improve the quality of life of their people and make living a joy rather than a perpetual slogging race.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

with the huge reserve that we have, we are a very rich nation on a per capita basis. but if the population is doubled, our wealth will be halved unless the reserve is doubled.

when will the govt start to use the reserve to better the livelihood of the lesser well off citizens? or shall it continue to build on the reserve and be like the dog chasing its tail and never to catch it.