The
arguments put forth by Professor Ng Yew Kwang at the seminar on the Population
White Paper were at best elementary. Any A level students would be able to come
up with better reasons than those put up at the seminar. I was reluctant to
waste my time on this but with the main media giving it so much coverage as if
that view was a good and reasonable view, I would thus offer my two cents worth
to join in the talk cock session. I would not put in too much effort as it is
really a waste of time. So I will just talk about the few points printed in the
media.
.Having a
large population may not necessarily be bad, as it could lead to better
developed infrastructure and employment opportunities.
Who
doesn’t know this? The problem is the will to provide the infrastructure and
what is a large population given a limited space available. At 5.3m, we are now living through the
unhealthy aspects of space constraints and inadequate infrastructure. And the
fact that the population has gone up dramatically over the last 10 years, the
question to ask in response to 1 above is why aren’t the infrastructure be
better developed? It cannot be due to ignorance of the lack of talent or the
lack of foresight. It is elementary. The truth is that large population would
not automatically lead to better developed infrastructure or adequate
infrastructure.
As
for employment opportunities, the question is for who? We have several hundred
thousand foreign PMETs here gainfully employed but our locals, the young
graduates and the older PMETs, are either unemployed or under employed. So what
is the point of creating more employment opportunities for foreigners when our
own citizens are not gainfully employed? I say, keep your employment
opportunities if it is not to benefit the citizens.
2. With a
smaller population there would be correspondingly fewer roads and lower bus and
train frequencies. The degree of competition between companies would also be
less.
Let me answer the second part. With the number of transport
companies we have, is there any real competition? Even if we add in a couple
more, would there be real competition? Come on, let’s not kid ourselves and be
an ivory tower academic.
Smaller population therefore fewer roads and bus and train
frequencies. Agree. Bigger population would mean the other way. Also agree. The
issue is not how many more or how many less but what is adequate or sufficient
or what is comfortable for a good quality service and life style. Over
providing is bad and under providing is equally bad. Bigger population with
more bus and trains and higher frequencies may not be enough. Lesser population
with lesser of the same may be more than enough. See the picture? The argument
is quite stupid isn’t it?
3. Through
immigration, these issues would be addressed and entrepreneurial migrants would
set up businesses that create hiring opportunities.
Really? We can see how inadequate our infrastructure is today
with the influx of immigrants. It simply means that immigration is not the
answer but something else. And only immigrants have entrepreneurial skills, can
set up businesses? Bullshit lah. You mean there are no entrepreneurs among the
locals? And not all the new businesses
are desirable or could complement the economy to better the quality of living
here.
4. These
migrants would also “provide locally unavailable skills which make certain
business ventures possible”.
Such ventures could be provided by some migrants, but the
real stuff is provided by the MNCs, the big corporations, not migrants. True or
not?
I think I have said enough on this seminar. One thing comes
out very clearly, that the professor was looking at one side of the coin and
totally ignoring the negative side that comes with high population. There are
many negative consequences, bad consequences and social and political costs to
pay for. So are the environment and the quality of life for having so many
people squeezed into this small piece of rock, higher cost of living and
stressful competition for jobs, goods and services.
To be a fair and serious piece of work or recommendations,
both merits and demerits must be put out for airing for people to have an
informed view of what is good or bad, or which is better.
KNN.