How many foreigners would be considered enough for Singapore?

 Singapore will not have 10m population. So said Vivian Balakrishnan. But how big will Singapore's population be allowed to grow in the future is still a moot point. The population is now 6.1m, with Singapore citizens at 3.2m, PRs at 0.6m and foreigners making the balance of 2.3m. The actual mix of citizens versus foreigners, PRs are not citizens, is 3.2m to 2.9m.

The big question in many Singaporeans' mind is how many foreigners would be allowed in the island without diluting the Singaporean core and the Singapore spirit, ethos, work and social fabric of the Singapore society. A few words in a blog may not do justice to discuss such a big and complex issues and the academics and politicians could talk about it for a long time without coming to an agreement.

The Singapore formula of CMIO, the combination of the various races, seems to work over the years, to turn Singapore from Third World to First World. I fully support the Malays' concern to keep this combination unchanged. Its historical significance must not be taken lightly. This may not be the magic recipe or the best combination, but it has worked in the past till now. The Singaporean core has come with certain values and expectations, work ethics and aspiration, and loyalty to Singapore and the general interests of Singapore. Keeping this combination alone does not ensure that everything will be fine and Singapore can proceed to adopt a laisse faire approach to bringing in foreigners unlimited.

The foreigner package of 2.9m is a mixed of many factors and races that would have its own values, expectations, interests, work ethics and loyalties to their respective countries. First and foremost, would be self interests and interests of their homelands. The combination and mixing of the Singaporean core and the foreigner package would lead to the development and emergence of a new ethos, work ethics and socio and economic fabric that could enhance or improve on what we have with just the Singaporean core, ... or could be otherwise, with negative consequences. How this would work out is too early to tell. The key differences are national identity and competing loyalties as well as different dreams of what is good for them and for Singaporeans. You cannot expect the foreigners to be working for the good of Singaporeans. Can you? Only wishful thinking.

If we assume that the value systems and all that comes with the Singaporean core are good and should be preserved and protected and not diluted too much, the more we add in foreigners to the core, the more difficult it will be to keep the Singaporean identity and spirit in tact. Adding more foreigners can be good and bad, will have good and bad consequences. There are always the good, bad and ugly of every individual and every racial group and how to manage them when the bad and ugly become a dominant force to challenge Singapore's cohesiveness, nation building and interests. In such a situation, it is not the more the merrier.

Take the analogy of kopi susu, with Singapore core as the milk and the foreigners as the kopi. A well balance mix would end up with a pleasant kopi susu. Too much of kopi will eventually turn a cup of kopi susu into a cup of kopi O. Is this desirable? Is this what Singaporeans want? When Singapore turns into kopi O instead of kopi susu, the influence and values of the kopi would become the dominant forces of Singapore society and social fabric, and all the things associated with the Singapore core would be diluted to irrelevance. Returning to our assumption that the original Singapore core value systems are desirable as they have proven to work for Singapore, the impact of more foreigners may not be so desirable and favourable to the original Singaporeans, the Singapore core.

How many foreigners would Singapore take in to keep its spirit, ethos and social fabric, social harmony and cohesion the way we want them is a tricky question and can be a step too far and with no chance of turning back if it turns out bad. Singapore must not push its luck too far. Keeping the combination of the Singapore core unchanged but allowing unlimited foreigners to outweigh the value and interests of the Singapore core would have serious consequences, not something to be trifled with as if nothing will happen or nothing to worry about. There will always be the supporters for more foreigners camp. If it turns out bad, would they be responsible, can they afford to be responsible? The best they can do is to admit they were wrong and say sorry. But Singapore and Singaporeans would suffer the consequences.

What do you think? The admission of foreigners is a voluntary act of who?  Caveat, if properly managed would do a lot of good to Singapore. If mismanaged, miscalculated, it would be a means to self inflicted wounds, and worse, self destruct. Foreigners' presence in uncontrollable numbers is a double edged sword. Up to a point they become a force to be reckoned with and difficult to control. We have gone through that scenario. There is no free lunch. Do not foolishly think that just because the Singaporean core is unchanged, we are safe and we can import as many foreigners as we like without consequences.

What do you think?