10/23/2017

Han Fook Kwang - A happier story to population woes

I just want to quote this from Han Fook Kwang's article on the above.


'For the glass half-empty brigade, they all add up to a future Singapore
that is shrinking and ageing and so will be increasingly reliant on new
citizens, permanent residents and foreigners to make up the shortfall.
 
This sobering view is the dominant narrative whenever Singapore's
population numbers are discussed.
 
So, what's the glass half-full version of the story?
Interestingly, it also borrows from economic theory.
 
Experts say there is a demographic dividend which countries reap when they
bring down their birth and death rates. With smaller families and fewer
young children to feed, more resources can be deployed to each individual,
resulting in better educated and more productive workers. Smaller families
also mean greater opportunities for women to work.
 
The result? High economic growth, provided, of course, the right social and
economic polices are implemented. In fact, the theory is that after this
round of benefits from smaller families, there is a second round to be
enjoyed when significant numbers retire with savings and assets that can be
invested to produce more growth....'

I must say that the experts that thought of reaping rewards from no
population growth really have no intellectual depth. How can there be
economic growth when there is no population growth? This is outrageous
thinking according to the one trick ponies. You want economic growth, then
you must accept population growth. And Singapore can only continue to grow
with growing the population to 10m.  But such one pony theory for stopping
the story at 10m is as far as their intellectual depth would go. For they
presumed that once 10m is reached, the story would end. No need to have
more economic growth, no need more population growth. To them it is a
static thing, with a good ending when 10m is attained.

While in the process of growing the population to 10m it is so easy to
stuff them in high rise housing blocks. But what would happen if they leave
their homes, all 10m of them? Now with half that population everything is
running to a stand still. What about more schools, hospitals, recreation
facilities, transportation network, jobs, water, energy, food, social
security etc etc. So easy to grow population to 10m and everything will
take care of itself meh?

Sorry, my intellectual depth also limited and cannot offer any solution to
a 10m population and when 10m is reached, and if the people want more
economic growth, the 10m would become 20m and on and on to 100m or else how
to sustain economic growth?

What do you think?

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

If economic growth =population growth, then China or US would have achieved it long ago. Is it as ez as that? Sinkieland will sink when plane loads of Ftrashes crowded this red dot. Definitely there r other factors involved in improving the socio-economic aspects of growth. China tries to use other determinants to gauge & measure it's country successes & growth...

Anonymous said...

Right.

In Red Dot's case, when 10m population is reached, then what? Still back to square one, coupled with infrastructure and social problems.

Now, it is technology replacing humans. Using robots for production is a wonderful idea. Everything is cheaper and it is going to work like a fairy tale.

But when humans are replaced by robots or fewer humans are employed, massive production of goods will be sold to who? When more humans have no jobs which are taken away by machines, with what can they afford to buy the goods coming out of those robot factories? Only a select few with jobs will benefit from the products of the robotic factories. Then what? Oh never mind, they can still sell their products to the robots!

When they want to have their way, they surely will tailor their arguments to justify. Like the case of our PE. Count on it! Just like the arguments of the benefits of having a small population that backfired for all countries. Going back is impossible, so they import people. But is that a long term solution or a short term folly for a small country?


Anonymous said...

Please tell that to the one trick pony. They are running out of ideas and can only think of this as THE only solution.

Anonymous said...


Don't talk about singapore.

It is a bit too late too late.

No matter what polices introduced and sufferings, people die die will vote PAP.

PAP knows!

Everyone is so very busy 3M-ing, they bo chap cheng hu.

At most people just kpkb and kpkb but come to voting.......PAP!

Can change now? Can U-turn?

What can you do now?

You tell me lah!

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:38 is the resident robotic parrot here. Has absolutely no intelligence. When switched on, the same 2 lines would be regurgitated daily.

A primary school child would have higher intellect than this no intellect robot.

Rocket said...

The BASIC Economics Mantra is:

Human Wants can never be satisfied (Unlimited); while Resources are Limited.

Human Desire breeds more desires. The only Resource in Singapore is Human Beans.

If Red Beans become aged, they need to be replaced with Green Beans;

and if Green Beans become lazy, choosy, complacent, "kpkb" all the time, then they need to be replaced with Yellow Beans;

and if Yellow Beans become too "garang" because China has risen; then replace them with Black Beans,

and if Black Beans plan and scheme to take over control of Singapore by infiltrating into all the key positions and finally demanding to become the Prime Minister of Singapore, then replace them with White Beans by joining USA as the 51st State, scoring another first again. How nice?

But, but, but ..... after becoming part of USA, suddenly find out to the horror, that there are Red Indians, White Supremacists, Black African Americans, Latinos, Arabs, Hawaiians, Eskimos, etc. etc. etc.

Then how? Go to the Moon? And become Lunatics?

Unknown said...

Japan seems to be doing a good job of retaining their prosperity while having very little migration/ foreign residents and shrinking population. China also managed 6 percent economic growth this year with a shrinking labor force.

The important thing to note is that total GDP does not matter. GDP per capita is much more important. The increase in the labor supply by foreigners benefits rich employers at the expense of poor workers.

Anonymous said...

History will eventually write about the villians, traitors and criminals that sold this country away. Some would be put into jail.

Anonymous said...

[[[ With smaller families and fewer young children to feed, more resources can be deployed to each individual, resulting in better educated and more productive workers. Smaller families also mean greater opportunities for women to work. ]]] - redbean

And what makes you think your Emperor and his Generals want you, your family and your children to become better educated workers?

Do you want your own maids to be more obedient or to be better educated?
What makes you think your Emperor does not see you as a maid or a slave?

Do you think an Emperor and Generals only want obedient slaves?
Do you think stupid slaves are more obedient than educated slaves?

Do you think Emperors and Generals prefer women to stay at home and make more babies (slaves) for the country?

Anonymous said...

Someone said 3000 yrs more ago: 3 people walk together, there should be 1 wiser than the other 2.
Ex hdb chief old man spoke about to quicken population to 10 mil, harikiri man spoke about underground city for 10 mil, and now this botak head writer also sings song he wants 10 mils ah neh kia to feed on sinking land.

Out of the 3, who are the wiser sperms? All are unable to swim liao then started to want 10 mil instant adults to buy meesiams mai hum as consumers or as unlicensed electricians on motor bikes, or "renovators"/workers for flats, or waitresses, or beer women at geylang shops.

Hospital nurses, doctors, needs 6 years to train, who has the money to pay them from ah neh lands to train them to be pro?

The big question is: what resources does sinking land has to cater for 10 mil instant adults jobs of all kinds and consumers to have money to buy their services?

After Malacca boom with added population of 1 million at Forest city, sinking land might have less quarter or half a million population missing after 2025.

This theory of economic growth goes with population growth is not 100% correlated. China gdp grows at 6.5%, population growth was 0.5% in 2016. North Korea, a place has no immigrants free entry, had gdp growth at 3.9% and population growth at 0.5% in 2016.

Look at sinking land, it has shaking growth at 3% gdp, and population growth (undisclosed) but the total as big as 100% in total From 3.3 millions to 5.8 million now (estimated).

So in next 5 years b4 these old dotards going from the political arena, they might let in another 3 to 5 millions ah neh to boost up the property market, but ruin the jobs markets for NS men to flooding labor salary rate: monthly $300pm have 1 jobs 10 applicants. This situation will be happy ending for these old dotards who might have friends running businesses required cheap labor.

One advise to these instant population growth theorists and dotards: provide NS men guns and bullets to put at home, else they better raise from the coffins to defend the chaos some days with 10 mil instant adults influx.

Anonymous said...

Sinkieland will become Sex City Sin City when population reaches 10millions. ASsPF reported increase in Molest cases in mrt trains for the 1st nine mths this year, can't imagine what crimes will be when population reaches 10millions, some years ago Little India Riots lessons still not learnt & wanna have more people..perhaps Ah Long too lonely or wanna have more fun leading this red dot to justify his grip on power & monies..

Anonymous said...

11:12am
U raised a valid point. One complaint raised by a cna ex staff said her co worker said she had no boobs yet wanted to be presenter. He made many brains pondered why an adult man fantasized about woman s breasts nowadays. Its kinda of culture shock to modern NS men here when hearing such backward cultured characters.
What cna did was unknown.

Another case, one employment pass indian looking at 50s from a local web site indeedpendant s picture: he videoed women sitting on mrt. What is he gonna do with those pictures? It was another culture shock on modern sinking land. Some days there will be employment pass holders got excited when seeing women s feet exposed to them.

How to explain blue cloths said: raise in molest cases in 2017?
Correlate the immigration data growth rate with molest cases. That is the answer.

Virgo49 said...


They think Sinkieland's economy is Labour intensive like in the 60s when we have mass unemployment.

Smart techno cities no need quantity but quality labour force. How many Lab Researchers in the R&D industries? How many qualified Engineers and Technocrats in the newly advanced economy? ?

You don't need millions to boost your economy.

Just simple retain our Core Singaporean Workforce trained to hold these appointments.

You have 10 millions and when the ten millions with their old folks became oldies, now what's? ?

Have 20 millions.

Seow, Siow Gila

Anonymous said...

RB your thinking is limited to the eat & shit theory.

The more people available to eat & shit, the higher the GDP growth.

The obvious problem is that eventually the whole place will be covered with shit.

Right now the shit not so much, can still cover:

1. Squeeze people into smaller pigeon holes.

2. Longer waiting times at govt hospitals & polyclinics.

3. Stretch mortgage repayments longer, nevermind next time cannot retire.

4. MRT breakdown once or twice a day nevermind.

5. Increase molest or robbery or rape cases still OK, 2 or 3 or 4 daily only.

6. Stagnant wages with more people fighting for lesser jobs still alright, more competition more productivity.

7. Cannot retire no problem, ask people to work until 67, next time increase to 87.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Virgo49 said...
/// They think Sinkieland's economy is Labour intensive like in the 60s when we have mass unemployment. ///

Generals only know how to follow SOP (Standard Operating (Procedure).
No brains or balls to write a new SOP for a new economy.

Do you think PAP has updated their SOPs since GKS's time?
Do you think they have the expertise to do so?

If PAP does not have the expertise to write a new SOP;
Then don't you think it's better to change Singapore's economy back to 3rd world standard like in 1960's .... so that they can re-use Goh Keng Swee's SOP.

Anonymous said...

"I believe what is of upmost importance is not any specific policy but an attitude and mindset that values the individual citizen for who he or she is, sparing no effort to develop the person at every stage of his life." - Han Fook Kwang

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/population-woes-theres-a-happier-story
----------------------------------------

Can you believe this guy?
After so many Singaporeans have been sacked and replaced with PAP's foreigners?

Is the above true?

Fake Race Fake Election Fake President said...

In 20 or 30 years time, Malaysia would demand for Singapore to be part of Malaysia.

Why?

Because Singapore would have become a threat to Malaysia due to "excessive" increase of foreigners in Singapore, which can be construed as a clear source (base) for terrorism, and racial and religious tensions, and social ills, overflowing into Malaysia - thereby threatening Malaysia's peace, harmony, progress and prosperity.

Malaysia would likely declare the right for self-defence to annex Singapore as part of Malaysia so as to render it powerless to cause any mischief or troubles upon the Malaysian territory and people.

Do you think this would be a realistic scenario?
.

Anonymous said...

1:27pm
Do not waste time. Rush to Malaysia to hire this one or auntie saw. They made big money on sinkieland. Every citizen envied them.

Dont need to study here. Buy the degrees. Employers here will pay $12800pm to hire. (look hor it is $13k per month). Citizens did not want this kind of jobs so high pay. Offer to foreigners instead.

First important factor to HR is: Must be foreigner.

2nd factor is: He is Malaysian, or indian also considered. Can get employment pass at very high chance. Then computers issue PR letter of offering.

"after his hair salon folded in 2004, Yeo Cheng San bought fake degrees in human resource management from the Florida International University through the Internet for about $8,000.

These included a Bachelor's degree, a Master's degree and a Post Graduate Diploma which he used in his curriculum vitae to secure jobs with three firms where he would earn between $9,000 and $12,800 a month.

Fake Race Fake Election Fake President said...

In 2003, when I was studying very hard to get my CISCO Networking Certificate, a 2-year course, costing me more than $3000 with govt subsidies, I discovered to my consternation and shock that in my class of 21 students, only 4 were Singaporeans. The other 17 were PRs from South Asia, working for Singapore government and sponsored by Singapore government. All 4 Singaporeans had to pay our own fees (albeit being subsidised partially by Singapore government). Every month we had an exam to pass in order to proceed to the next module. During each of these exams, these 17 blokes would wait for us to finish our answers and then copied. Even the hands-on lessons, they simply got no clue how to do and what to do. So they sought our help. When the final exam came, 4 of us pretended to have answered all our questions and they copied. But after that, we revised our answers and then submitted our test without their knowledge. The end result, all four of us top the class. The 17 ah nehs FAILED!

So, how were thy selected by Singapore government agencies? FAKE DEGREES, RIGHT?

That was not all. The IRONY was that the 1st and 2nd in our class were retrenched by Singapore employers, while the ah nehs got our job.

Reasons:

1. They were willing to accept one-third of our pay, because they were fresh graduates. We were already having 10 - 15 years' experience and we had to climb up step by step, to reach that salary of $6,000 pm. while they were willing to accept $2000 per month.

2. They were single. We had children to raise. They needed only a shared rented room. We needed a proper 3 or 4 room flat for a whole family.

3. They ate roti prata or curry with rice. We had to cater for proper nutrients for our growing children.

4. Their medical were covered by the Singapore employer. We had to pay for our families' medical expenses.

5. They did not have children but we have to pay for our children's educational expenses.

6. They need not go for reservist in-camp training every year. We had to be disrupted at least 3 weeks every year.

So, as Singaporeans, we were already worse off since 2003. Now is 2017. How many years have things been going on like that?

What if the population becomes 10 million, with 7 million new citizens from India, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam?

Anonymous said...

Singapore adds one million India nationals coming in yearly = more economic growth yearly !

b said...

Once the farmer has a working farm, all the farmer has to do is to feed, clean, relax and enjoy. Unfortunately, the farmer gets very greedy. He loads more and more pigs into the small farm until the pigs hardly have space to move and they pee and poo at each other. Germs and bacteria grow rapidly in the farm and in the end, all the pigs are killed by the same flu disease.

Anonymous said...

By the time they reached 10m all these fuckers would be dead or run away, cannot be found, missing in action.

Anonymous said...

"In 20 or 30 years time, Malaysia would demand for Singapore to be part of Malaysia."

If that happened, as a NSman I would quickly lead my company to surrender so that we need not die for nothing. We have everything to gain as a commoner and only our lives to lose. As part of Malaysia, we can become more mobile. If we cannot survive in Singapore, we can go to Sabah or Sarawak. Stay near Brunei so that weekends we can go to Brunei for relaxation. Or we can even stay in Malacca, Penang or Cameron Highland.

Anonymous said...

Tiok. What for sacrifice our lives defending the filthy rich ministers and scholar generals, and foreign trash?

So better vote opposition in 2020.

Anonymous said...

By the time they reached 4 million, there will be more India nationals then Chinese Sinkies in Singapore ! And that's employed India nationals !

Anonymous said...

LKY has destroyed a generation of thinkers for his Son, with seat warmer like GCT.
For a small country with very limited land, to grow economy via population is unsustainable and full of downside risks once it goes into a severe recession as foreign population & capital will flee together.

At this point of history, technology & innovation can offer great opportunities for a small nation like Singapore. Unfortunately, the biggest picture from our own PM is why our hawker stalls & HDB retail not using smart phone electronic payment; his vision of Smart city?

The city can only be smart if the people are innovative, brave, thinking, experimenting and ahead of the global economic game. Our politics are such that it made its people dull, one-track mind, as Yes-men are very well rewarded.
Its a nation of very studious people with buried talents living in fear with daily propaganda & OB markers everywhere. Even the Son brother, sister in law, sister, nephew got to "chow law". Bootlickers & yes-men and connect-women like dFS salesgirl ms SAW of SMRT will continue to thrive in this seemat city.

Virgo49 said...

Bro, flased Pop flee, True blue Singaporeans still got chance to survive.

The worst, this POP in recession no Flee and chaos and riots everywhere for Survival and then SINKIE land really "POP"

The Ones who caused this POP will have become Ash or chow lor to their luxurious lives.

Anonymous said...

"using smart phone electronic payment; his vision of Smart city"

This kind of payment thro hp is Barcode technology, similar to retailers click scan, instead using hp. It is widely used in Beijing, no need to bring cash. But at Giant, using hp to pay seems slower for the processing time than using credit card which is slightly faster.

Hp payment requires cashier to double check printed bills for errors. While it could be isolated cases, using credit card is far reliable than using barcode payment thro hand phone. It is not smart city.

Smart city should use AI artificial intelligence to help customer to buy goods through searching and recommendations for examples.

Where is sinkieland s AI? It will take 10 years to appear if pink shirt guy and his gangs are sitting there.

Anonymous said...


Hi 1037am

Don't be so serious leh.

Just try to participate in the tcss here!

Yes! I m not so smart like you.

Very very good for you.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Our politics are such that it made its people dull, one-track mind, as Yes-men are very well rewarded.
Its a nation of very studious people with buried talents living in fear with daily propaganda & OB markers everywhere.
October 23, 2017 4:41 pm

Yes.
Do you think Singapore is an army camp?
Do you think fucking Generals are being installed into positions of power & influence everywhere?

How do you define a military junta?

Anonymous said...

Good News !

Many India nationals are returning home after facing challenging job situations abroad - there's been a decisive turn against migrant workers as evidenced in elections in the US and Europe. Leading recruitment and search firms say they have been inundated with requests from Indians in the US, UK, the Gulf, even Singapore and Hong Kong, who had moved abroad in pursuit of greener pastures but are now actively exploring options in the country. Good riddance! Sinkies may finally breathe.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/overseas-indians-return-in-search-of-better-jobs-and-to-escape-protectionist-regimes/articleshow/61179275.cms

Anonymous said...

Vote more opposition, less immigrants & FTs.
Vote more opposition, much less tariff hikes for 5 years
Vote more opposition, lower salaries for ministers & probably also paper generals
Vote more opposition, slightly more transparency & slightly more accountability
Vote opposition to more than 1/3 of total seats, PAP cannot anyhow change constitution & law
Vote more opposition, ministers more on the ball.

Sinkies be smart.

Anonymous said...

Good news?

You must be joking. Some may lay down the red carpet and say, all are welcome here. The more the merrier. This country belongs to you.

Come, come and take it.

What is the definition for traitors?

Anonymous said...

To the PAP only our votes matter. PAP will only be nicer to us if we vote in more opposition. Talk to the PAP by your votes. Dont forget.