Population White Paper Explained

A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore: Population White Paper, or simply known as the Population White Paper (PWP), is a controversial white paper released by the government of Singapore in January 2013 that projects Singapore's population as 6.9 million by the year 2030.

Content

The PWP projects an increase of 1.6 million people from 2013, or an average of 100,000 more people in Singapore each year. The PWP argued that up to 30,000 new permanent residents and 25,000 naturalized citizens each year are needed to sustain Singapore's population due to the falling birth rates in Singapore.[1]

It also justified immigration and presence of foreign workers as helping local businesses thrive and "create good jobs for Singaporeans".[2]

The PWP also included additional measures to encourage marriage and increase the birth rate. The motion was passed in Parliament to endorse the PWP by 77 votes to 13 (the 13 opponents included all members of the opposition and three nominated MPs),[3] albeit after amendments made to leave out "population policy" and add focus on infrastructure and transport development.[4]

Political reactions

Several parties opposing the PWP have taken it to be a targeted increase of Singapore's population to 6.9 million.[5] Inderjit Singh of People's Action Party spoke against the white paper and rebutted Minister of National Development Khaw Boon Wan's analogy of catering for guests to a wedding banquet.[6] [7]

In an 8 February 2013 speech in support of the White Paper, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that he expected the 2030 population to be "significantly below" the 6.9 million figure, but that 6 million would not be enough, because of the declining birth rate and the needs of aging people.

Criticism

Citizens reacted to the PWP with shock and anger,[8] [9] and this has led to the largest public protest ever organized in Singapore's history.[10]

Many Singaporeans have attributed the government's population and immigration policy as the cause of overcrowding and falling reliability of its public transportation system, increasing property prices for housing, suppressed wage level, increased competition for jobs (especially for professionals, managers, executives and technicians[11] [12]) and education, increasing income inequality and other social problems.[13] [14] [15] [16] [17] Academics have also criticized the PWP as being "overly mechanistic, economically simplistic and astonishingly sociologically and politically naive".[18] The PWP became one of the largest political issues in the 2015 general elections.[19] [20] [21]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Adam. Shamim. Singapore Projects 6.9 Million Population as Neighbors Catch Up. 6 September 2015. Bloomberg. 29 January 2013.
  2. A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore: Population White Paper, p. 31-32
  3. News: Parliament endorses population White Paper by 77 votes to 13. 6 September 2015. Yahoo! News. 8 February 2013.
  4. http://www.straitstimes.com/microsites/parliament/story/amended-motion-white-paper-adopted-69-million-not-target-20130209 Amended motion on white paper adopted; 6.9 million is not a target.
  5. News: Tan. Heather. Singapore seethes over population plan. 6 September 2015. 17 February 2013.
  6. Web site: Stop the growth in PRs and new citizens: PAP’s Inderjit Singh . 2023-03-31 . Yahoo News . en-SG.
  7. Web site: Migration . 2013-01-31 . High quality of life still possible with larger population: Khaw The Straits Times . 2023-03-31 . www.straitstimes.com . en.
  8. Web site: SMS Tan’s Speech at the Parliamentary Debate on the Population White Paper . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151123204632/http://www.mnd.gov.sg/landuseplan/newsroom_sms_tan_speech.htm . 23 November 2015 . 6 September 2015 . Ministry of National Development.
  9. News: Sim . Fann . 30 January 2013 . Fury over 6.9 million population target for Singapore . Yahoo! News . 6 September 2015.
  10. News: 16 February 2013 . Rare mass rally over Singapore immigration plans . BBC News . 6 September 2015.
  11. News: Opposition, PAP must find common ground for good of the country: SDP’s Chee Soon Juan. 6 September 2015. Channel NewsAsia. 6 September 2015.
  12. News: SDA unveils manifesto, calling for a ‘Singapore for Singaporeans’. 6 September 2015. Channel NewsAsia. 21 August 2015.
  13. News: Singapore tightens rules for hiring foreigners. 10 April 2012. The China Post. 17 August 2011.
  14. News: Job bias against Singaporeans the top complaint. 20 April 2012. Boh. Samantha. my paper. 19 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121202052258/http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Office/Story/A1Story20120419-340668.html. 2 December 2012. dead.
  15. News: Singapore to further curb foreign worker inflow. 10 April 2012. AFP. 17 February 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120221012848/http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/My+Money/Story/A1Story20120217-328618.html. 21 February 2012. dead.
  16. News: Seah. Chiang Nee. Talent buy becomes sore point. https://web.archive.org/web/20121019211757/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F3%2F24%2Ffocus%2F10969821&sec=focus. dead. 19 October 2012. 10 April 2012. The Star (Malaysia). 24 March 2012.
  17. News: Leslie. Shaffer. British banker stirs up storm by mocking Singapore's 'poor'. 28 January 2014. CNBC. 23 January 2014.
  18. News: Tan. Jeanette. Population White Paper triggers nationwide debate. 6 September 2015. Yahoo! News. 27 November 2013.
  19. News: Zi Liang. Chong. GE 2015: WP's East Coast candidates take on hot-button issues at Nee Soon rally. 6 September 2015. Straits Times. 4 September 2015.
  20. News: Yi Han. Lim. Words, not photos, for some opposition parties' posters. 6 September 2015. Straits Times. 4 September 2015.
  21. News: Lee. Amanda. SDA’s list of grievances: CPF, population, educational system. 6 September 2015. Today (newspaper). 5 September 2015.

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