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  Today Online 15 Feb 07
Want to increase S'pore population? Here's how
Letter from seah leong khai

Today Online 13 Feb 07
More people? Singapore is already bursting at the seams
Letter from Lim Boon Hee

We are a nation of people who queue--from automated teller machines and banks to Housing Board walk-in and property sales.

Our public transport can barely cope with the existing populace and struggles to improve its frequency and reliability. Roads and highways are congested with too many vehicles despite increasing Electronic Road Pricing rates.

Queues at hospitals' accident and emergency departments, and to see specialists are chronically and unacceptably long.

And our resources for health, recreation, educational services and social spaces are already stretched to the limit with queues and congestion everywhere.

Yet, we still talk of increasing the population to 6.5 million. The social tensions from such cooped-up living conditions and limited resources can only result in more conflict, mental stress or even emigration, when Singaporeans feel they can no longer stand the claustrophobic conditions and competition from new immigrants.

Are we really prepared in all aspects for an exponential increase in people living on this tiny island?

Today Online 15 Feb 07
Want to increase S'pore population? Here's how
Letter from seah leong khai

I am surprised at the Government's vision of increasing the population to 6.5 million from the current 4.5 million.

As I see it, unless Singapore opens its floodgate to immigrants, it is near impossible to achieve this target.

With our low birth rate, Singaporeans are not even reproducing enough to replace ourselves. There are many reasons for this.

Nowadays, Singapore men and women get married in the later years of their lives. There are many who choose to stay single. Other than for medical reasons, there are also many couples who do not want to have children.

How do you arrest this problem? Even though the Government has given these people more carrots such as tax incentives, baby bonus and longer maternity leave, the baby shortage situation remains.

I believe it is time to dish out some sticks such as imposing more income tax on older singles who refuse to marry and able-bodied childless couples.

Another way is to attract more foreign women who are qualified and who share similar cultural and social background to come to Singapore and allow them to marry the locals. Offer them permanent residence status and citizenship if they can produce two or more children.
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