PM Lee during National Day Rally 2012: "But I am worried by some of the nasty views which are expressed, especially online and especially anonymously... When the foreigners say or do something wrong, especially to Singaporeans, the response is overwhelming."
1. Immigration hugely exacerbates cost of housing for everyone.
2. Singapore is already the most overcrowded place (other than central Hong Kong): it is the most densely populated country – and increasing population density just damages quality of life for everyone. Once upon a time it was relatively easy to get a seat on public transport. Now, it is really the exception.
3. Immigration damages the employment prospects of citizens. It brings down salaries.
4. Imposing immigration on a society that doesn’t want just changes the mix and damages the existing relations between the communities that are already here.
5. Immigration increases inequality in society by increasing the wealth of those who employ immigrants (who tend already to be rich) and reducing that of those who compete with them (who tend to be less well off).
6. Immigration is no solution to an ageing society, because immigrants grow old at just the same pace as everyone else. What may be needed is babies and not all immigrants are bringing babies with them or making babies themselves. And they may not even stay.
7. Migration means citizens often cannot develop the skills and get the experiences and it also reduces the incentive to be more economic productivity.
8. Much if not most of the supposedly temporary or short term migration is permanent.
9. Singaporeans, fed up with the changing nature of the community, e.g. heavy influx of Mandarin-speakers and other foreigners, are themselves migrating in large numbers to places like Australia and US so fragmenting communities and changing Singapore even further. Then the government only feels justified to allow in more foreigners and the cycle continues, till we cannot recognize Singapore and fellow Singaporeans.
Dinners are just dinners