3/03/2007

6.5 million in 2030?

The foreign talent and 6.5 million population issue were raised in Parliament. The reply, as often repeated over the MSM was regurgitated. We need the huge population to ensure vibrancy and our viability. We need all the talents that we can get. We need to compete with the giants like China the US and Australia for the rare talents. And our birth rate is slowing down and we will not be reproducing ourselves. Giving this kind of explanations, looks like all the small little rich countries in Europe are destined to perish. And they better follow our example and start a frantic drive to recruit talents for their long term existence. Or is it that they have been doing it and we are following their brilliant examples? The population will decline if we add 8,000 new citizens annually in 2030. So in 23 years time, we will face a decline if we add in only 8,000 new citizens. It was also reported that we attracted 13,200 new citizens and 57,300 prs last year alone. Adding another 35,000 new births, we actually add on 105,000 in a year! Knock off 30,000 death rate, it gives a nett gain of 75,000. At this rate, in 20 years we will add 1.5 million to our population or we will hit above 6 million in 2030! It will be even more if the momentum is kept up at this pace. Is the 6.5 million figure just a planning figure for the next 40 or 50 years? It will be realised by 2030 at this rate of growth. There should be a debate among the planners and intellectuals on the pros and cons on this big leap forward. So far the people are hearing only one side of the story. Without the population growth and foreign talents we will perish. And there were all kinds of assurances that nothing will go wrong and everything will be alright and we will have prosperity for everyone. It is important that the people hear the other side of story before we suffocate ourselves to death. I don't trust sales pitch.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

the larger population is inevitable because of the enterprising spirit in this country. they need to build capital labor or modern day coolies to sustain their kind of hubs or a babylon like city. there is no turning back. you are given a one way ticket to a hell raising ride. the climax to this dream movie is in the "last days"

my corns can't wait to pop for a climatic ending. i havent decided to put my bets yet. probably waiting for a much larger prize money before i decide on which IR should deserve my 7 per cents.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

so far we are confidently assured that all is well. all taken care of.

i fully agree. putting up all the infrastructure for 6.5 or even 10 million is a non issue. we can build all that. i will guarantee that we can build higher and dig deeper. i never disagree with that.

the issues are jobs and the mouths to feed. all it needs is an economic crisis and babylon will fall off from the sky.

we are pushing for a bridge too far.