This is true. The 6.9m population for 2030 is only a part of the planning process. Grace Fu announced in Parliament that population growth for 2013 was 80,000 – 30k from newborns, 20k from new citizens and 30k from PRs. And this is the slowest growth in the last 10 years, a pull back after the unprecedented protest at Hong Lim Park. What would it be like without the protest is left to your own imagination.
The govt is ‘pulling back’ its plan for population growth! Really? At this rate, with a population of 5.4m, and if the govt is to add 80k every year, in 10 years, the population will be 6.2m. By 2030 it will add in another 560k to make it to 6.67m, a whisker away from the 6.9m planned.
So, would we have 6.67m or 6.9m in 2030? And after 2030, if growth is a necessity, would the population still continue to grow at the same rate and where will it end?
Anyone wondering why is there such an obsession to grow the population by hook or by crook. No population growth means no economic growth, no jobs for Sinkies but plenty of jobs for foreigners? It is like a drug addict, no matter how many rounds of cold turkeys, or how many times thrown into jail, die die must have the fix. No matter how many times the people protest, the population must grow as planned.
Does it mean that the country will collapse or something worse will happen if the population is not boosted? What is so critical that the govt must ignore the complaints and wishes of the people that it must go against the people?
Why? What is the intent of the govt? What is the real reason for this outrageous and unacceptable policy to be pushed with total disregard of the people’s will? There must be something very serious that the govt is not telling the people for wanting to go ahead with the population growth that the people did not want and opposed to it.
Or is this the best trick pony can do with the millions they are paid? They just cannot think of any better alternatives?
Why? Would the govt tell the people why it is so desperate for population growth? Where is the transparency and accountability? Why the secrecy? Tell the people the alternatives, but not the kind that our women folks will become maids.
Chua Chin Leng aka redbean
* The writer blogs at mysingaporenews.blogspot.com.