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4/25/2012
No let up in push for 6m population
Another big convincing article in the ST, and in other news media, telling how precarious the country will be if there is no intake of immigrants. The need for population growth or replacement is a critical issue and without growth or at least replacement it is like we are going to perish. This one track mind on population growth and economic growth will not change and will be the basis for all other policies of the country.
Why must there be population growth to survive? The fact is that if every country goes on this path, the world will come to an end faster. This world, and this island, needs lesser population growth. Lesser population and less growth in economic numbers do not directly lead to lower quality of life. We were 1m and 2m before. We survived very well. Why a need for 6m or 10m? Better economic growth? More people, more demand for goods and services, more jobs, more housing, but lesser space for everyone. And replacing Sinkies with foreigners so that the country can be proud of great economic numbers?
If we have lesser people, if the world has lesser people, there will be lesser demand and pressure for production of goods and services and lesser or slower depletion of the limited resources available. We don’t need to empty the oceans of fishes. There is no need to dig out everything from the earth, no need to burn away fossil fuel at such a rapid rate. They will be more spaces and resources for everyone.
This world and this island need to downsize the population to be sustainable. It is like chasing high property prices and ever increasing salaries but ending like a dog chasing its own tail. It is a circus, a joke. With lesser population, there is no need to build up every little space we got. There will be more people able to own cars and drive around, and living in bigger homes. There is no need for more departmental stores, shopping complexes, more food courts and more housing and more housing. There is a need to rethink this economic growth strategy and ask what is the ultimate objective for all this growth? What kind of life and what quality of life?
We are laughing at the Japanese for no growth and an ageing population. But their quality of life has not gone down despite lower economic growth. And with a smaller population, they will live better and the world will be safer, the whales and tunas will live freer and longer.
Do we really cannot survive without population growth, without more immigrants? Can someone think out of the box please and stop chiding people for not able to think out of the box. This one track mindset is going to destroy our quality of life instead of making it better. The thinkers and policy makers mindset is so fixated and nothing else can do except more people. So what if property prices fall with lesser people and lesser demand? So what if rentals of commercial spaces fall with lesser demand? Who needs to buy so many property and commercial spaces and ended the people being squeezed in every aspect of their lives?
Ya, we need 20k foreign mercenaries every year. Just like we do not need more than 2 kids 30 years ago. I simply do not trust their rhetoric anymore. If other countries can get around and increase their domestic population, why can't we?
ReplyDelete20 more years is all they need to run Singapore into the ground with the current suicidal policies that are being pursued.
ReplyDeleteOur tiny island has a very finite absolute carrying capacity. We have already exceeded the point of comfort and exceeded the point our infrastructure can handle.
I wonder when they will realise that it takes years to change an economic model. They simply can't keep piling on the numbers and then a year away from hitting our maximum population, suddenly realise that we need to have a different plan. It will be too late. And yet to this day they want to cap uni-educated Singaporeans at 25 percent. (China is going to over-take us before the next decade).
The whole argument for having a dominant single party system is that the government is able to make the tough decisions for our long term survival. And yet they are behaving as we already are a two party system. They can't see beyond the next election and they are afraid of the necessary slow down in growth that long-term re-structuring will temporarily engender. Afraid that this might be politicized against them.
Our leaders are not morons, so it has always baffled me at how they can constantly defend such disastrous policies that have failed for the last decade. My conclusion is that ministers are probably too busy with their private sector jobs (they are allowed to hold many) to intervene in policy. The civil service creates policy and civil service culture is highly resistant to change and risk. Furthermore many ministers are in charge of government linked companies which profit immensely from current policies which act as a kind of corporate welfare system.
The blood boils.
Not to worry lah. With a population of 6 to 10 million,there will be more demand for goods and services, everything will cost more especially housing. Soon there will be more millionaires, multimillionaires and billionaires, the likes of whom we have never seen! Our ministers' salaries would be doubled, tripled and may be quadrupled.
ReplyDeleteSoon...we'll need more GRCs..fortunely talented Papayas are NEVER in short
ReplyDeletewhat u say will not get into their numbskulls.but probably they have their own agenda.If S'pore becomes overpopulated , what do u think they will do to get rid of the excess, especially those who in their terminology are not economically productive & not contibuting to the GDP - the old,sick,not educated or talented enough ? Maybe u can write on this intriguing scenario that may come about in the future
ReplyDelete@Holland V
ReplyDeleteI'm looking around after a nice breakfast. Ran into some friends -- all "newbies" who've decided to call Singapore their home. They do indeed live well here.
So what's wrong with that? People are doing ok.
Q: What do you call 6 million population in Singapore?
A: A Good Start
PS. There shouldn't be ANY let up for a push for 6 million, or 7 or 8 and beyond.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what the situation is -- immigration or no immigration -- you'll always have people who'll bitch, moan and complain.
Some people, just cannot be happy, no matter what ;-)
Fuck them
Readbean, you are spot on. Singapore is Overpopulated and Overdeveloped - this is the hard truth. It is sad to see our once happy, tranquil, beautiful little island transform into an overcrowded concrete jungle. Population growth - the groupthink of the PAP - boils down to the fixation of one man on our ageing population.
ReplyDeleteIt is madness to carry on, but it is difficult to reverse course from where we are now - moreover it will be an admission that they have been wrong. What to do? Wait until el supremo octogenario passes away? Or wait until 2016?
There can be no curb on population growth anymore.
ReplyDeleteFor anymore economic growth, Sin WILL HAVE TO DEPEND on population growth. It is ONI GROWTH IN CONSUMPTION that Sin can prosper or at least sustain for a longer period. Ultimately, Sin has face doom.
Anyone think there are other alternatives?
patriot
not to mention their flip flop ways. before election, they promised they would slow down. man, they went on to break that promise when they let in even more foreigners in the election year. after securing the government, they then try to bluff again with all this nonsense about the need for more foreigners. my toes are laffing...
ReplyDeleteForeigners are needed to prop up the high property prices. Foreigners are needed to prop up the high salaries.
ReplyDeleteRedbean,
ReplyDeleteThe magic number is when the govt calculates that it has enough new and loyal (to PAP) newbies to tip the scale at the next GE.
Govt is simply behaving very irresponsibly by importing and fast tracking people who would vote for it at the GE to remain in power. I don't think there has been much thoughts given to the future population demographics when many in the 6 million become senior citizens who need to be supported- by another few million newbies. Eventually, we would all be living in double deckers block, not unlike our forefathers in Chinatown who has a bed space all to themselves. Not unlike what the FW (not FT) are now 'enjoying' in their their 20 to a room crashes.
The good news would be that individually each would only have to pay very little (as compared to current prices) of perhaps $10-20 K apiece. So a family of four should be able to afford up to $80K for a 99 lease with a little inconvenience of having to share with 56 others ( assuming a 3 bed room outfit) communal bathrooms, and living room etc. There would be strictly no cooking and sex - all these have to be accomplish off sites at restaurants/hawker centres/food court for the former and Hotel 88 for the latter. Wow, what a style of living, like the good old pioneering days of our great and great great great grandparents! A future to look forward to for our descendents.
But I digress...
Foreigners are needed to help create "jobs" for Singaporean..LOL
ReplyDeleteSinkies must demand to know what is the targeted population for this piece of rock and how many percentage should be citizens, how many PRs and how many floating immigrants. And Sinkies must have a say in this, not 87 MPs or 5 ministers or one man.
ReplyDeleteOnce this is settle as the social contract, all policies should work around them. We do not want the citizens to become a minority in our homeland. We do not want a prosperous country when the rich are foreingers and the locals the poor.
Matilah has a lot of people to fiak. No wonder he has no complain.
ReplyDeleteWikipedia data on the top 5 countries with the highest population density on this planet.
ReplyDelete#1 Singapore. population 5.18M, population density per sq km = 7,301
#2 Bahrain. population 1.23M, populaton density per sq km = 1,646
#3 Bangladesh. population 142M, population density per sq km = 964
#4 Taiwan. population 23M, population density per sq km = 634
#5 Mauritius. population 1.29M, population density per sq km = 631
Singapore's population density is more than 4 times that of Bahrain, ranked #2 in the world, and more than 11 times that of Taiwan, ranked #4 in the world.
Any wonder why many in SinCity are feeling it is damn bloody crowded ?
Now imagine what it will be like when the populaton is rammed up to 8 million ?
HDB will have to start building vertically downwards and artificial sunlight may become a premium.
That is the trouble when 60% keep voting for PAP buggers who make it point to keep them in the dark.
And the lunatics want to have more!
ReplyDeletePS. Since when has Singapore NOT been crowded?
ReplyDeleteI agree, Singapore is crowded, but it is also pumping with energy and life.
Let's keep it up. My sweet, glorious hotel.
Pumping with energy and life? Wait till the effects of drugs go off and it will be turning blue, turning cold turkey.
ReplyDeleteDoes the govt really think that it can go on and on adding foreigners to our shores without the people's consent?
ReplyDeleteNo matter what are their assumptions and premises or agenda, this country belongs to the people and such a major policy must need the people's consent. If the govt continues to act in such an arrogant way, to act like deaf frogs, they will have to answer to the people in the next GE.
If the people are with them, good, if not, then it will show in the election results.
Redbean is simply just tooooo hopeful.
ReplyDeleteYou will be badly disappointed.
redbean,
ReplyDeleteyou make the assumption that ALL Singaporeans are against an increase in population.
I can tell you that you are making a wild-ass assumption. Most folks I talk to are either indifferent or in favour of it.
No I never say all. And how many is your 'most folks'? I bet my wild ass assumptions have more supporters than your most folks.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you are referring to those party animals in the bar, you can be sure that with the alcohol in their hands, nothing else matters. It is always a jolly good time, especially if they have one foot here and one foot there.
Clarification: Most folks I talk to : includes the following "general categories" -- retired aunties and uncles in their mid 80's and beyond, secondary and HSC school kids and a few of their teachers, people in media, art, entertainment, tertiary students, and business people.
ReplyDelete>> I bet my wild ass assumptions have more supporters than your most folks.
Balls to you lah, redbean. You can't even begin to prove that. All you are doing is making another .wild guess.
>> [...] especially if they have one foot here and one foot there.
Yes, some people have succeeded better than others ;-)
Anyway the fact is whether we agree or not is irrelevant. At the end of the day govt policy is reality.
ReplyDeletePart of my commentary is to blast away the myths and xenophobia about immigration.
I like my hotel. I don't want it to die. For that reason, it needs "fresh blood" and the sooner the useless entitlement-mentality CPF-junkie kpkb dead shits die out or fuck off to Malaysia or China or Sydney, the better.
Fuck you Matilah_Singapura!
ReplyDeleteYour commentary to blast away myths and xenophobia about immigration is more like a whore sucking PAP cocks. hor kao kan!
your mum hor kao kan, so that means we cannot determine what you are :)
ReplyDelete@anon cum gargler:
ReplyDeleteDon't you worry about who I am, kaypoh kia.
My identity is on official record, at the ICA Building, which means I have a legal right to be in the cuntry...and to speak my mind to defend the Hotel aspect of the cuntry I once called "mine".