5/03/2013
From 6.9m to 10m
Liu Thai Ker, the first chief planner of HDB is throwing a 10m population target for a future Singapore. This is a doubling of the present population of 5.4m. As I have said earlier, I too agree that there is no problem housing 10m or even 20m people in this island and a 50m population is also a possibility.
The main question is what we want. Is this really what our future generations want to have? It will come along with a lot of conditions and consequences to the kind of lifestyle for each population size. The land size and population size will predetermine many things to come. To support the kind of population and a supposedly better quality lifestyle, you would need an economy to produce the goods and services to provide the funding.
With the present 5.4m population, the economy is looking like hitting the wall and the policy makers are at wits end to generate more income to sustain the population and life style here. So far, the only solution is increasing population to grow the economy to support an even bigger population to sustain a bigger economy in a never ending process. Does it work or will it work infinitely? I think we are hitting the end of the road very soon.
There is hope though, that there could be a breakthrough in science and technology to keep this scheme going. And yes, we need to keep casting our net very wide and pray for an exceptional genius to emerge to bring us to the next level or else….
What is the whole purpose of this game of life by growing the population in a vicious cycle? This generation has a responsibility not to create a situation that will make this island unsustainable for our future generation. We owe it to them to keep the whole eco system healthy, the economy and social system in balance and with some room for them to manouvre. An oversize population in a small island without natural resources just does not seem the right thing to do.
The future is not just about building enough homes to house the population. The hardware, the software and the heartware all needs to come together to make living possible, enjoyable and meaningful without the kind of inflation that we are going through now. And this can only get worst. Anyone out there really has the solution to a population of 7m or 10m thought out? Everyone is talking about how crazily good and exciting with 7m or 10m population. Anyone care to share how bad it can be if things did not turn out right, if there is a world crisis, be it financial, food, weather, flood and drought? With 7 or 10m, there is no room for error. It will be disastrous.
How much will a 3 rm flat cost? How much will a COE cost? How much will a plate of chicken rice cost?
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12 comments:
It was not long ago that You posted something that Liu Thai Ker was going against the flow of population growth.
Now, You got to read read him again saying the opposite.
How do You feel? Did You misunderstand him the last time or did You misread him the last time?
This is called managing expectations. Throw up a high figure of 10m, and suddenly 6.9m isn't so bad after all.
Ya the other time also heard him said "HDB should go back to the basics"
Building flats that are afforable during Dr Goh Keng Swee time.
Wonder why he did not raise this during Mah Bow Tan and Tey Cheang Wan's watch.
Every time I take the train and see new plots of land being levelled for more housing I feel very sad. We are carving away every little piece of land left in the name of progress, to sell the land.
At the rate we are going, we would not have much land left and the natural vegetation and flora and fauna would go too.
We must set aside more land as reserves, our reservation. Why is there a need to have 6.9m or 10m or more only to consume more land and natural resources?
If the new people are our children, through organic growth, we can accept that. We are importing new people just to fill up the spaces, treating our island like a dumping ground.
There is a heavy price to pay for this crazy economic activity called growth. It is more than a double edged sword. It cuts many ways.
RB, I think you are a bit conservative. That is what iskandar development is for with the wellness centre. For those non productive sinkie they should move there and make way for young sinkie as land here is tight.
I don't think it's a problem lor.
When they have to dig up an old crony to support what they are doing;
You know that the talent & credibility in their team is extremely thin or maybe even non-existent.
wa lao... looks like this time its a population bubble, must be very bloody when it burst!!!!
IT is a vicious cycle. When it is stopped, something drastic will happen.
Nya nya nya nya nyahhhhh....
I told you so.
6.9 is an arbitrary figure. Try 9 million and beyond.
I have architect and civil engineer friends who've postulated a throbbing ultra-modern Singapore metropolis of 15 million.
So balls to all of you ;-)
15 millions is no issue.
Not only we have not fully develop upward towards the sky.
Our sea is also unoccupied.
We can comfortably add another 5 millions up in the sky and another 5 millions at the shoreline.
One thing can be sure.
Liu Thai Ker is a veteran planner, with his decades of professionalism and experience, he cannot be wrong.
If only he could do Singaporeans a favour by telling us the cost of HDB Flats, we will be grateful to him forever.
patriot
Yeah, all businesses will have to close shops and Sinkies will have to be maids and coolies in other countries.
Or work in the vice industry in Sin.
What say You?
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