Property price is coming down fast

[lajia]

I cannot imagine nowadays the uncle so innovative, can design such nice t-shirt and so free to do such....

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/articl...t-independence

Singapore protest biggest since independence

In rare show of anger, crowd voices opposition to policy of increasing immigrant numbers

South China Morning Post
Toh Han Shih in Singapore
Sunday, 17 February, 2013, 12:00am







Thousands of Singaporeans braved drizzle to attend a rally yesterday to oppose the government's plan to increase the population by bringing in more foreigners - a rare example of protest in the tightly controlled city state.

An organiser, Kwan Yew Keng, estimated that 3,000 people took part, making it the biggest demonstration in Singapore since it gained independence in 1965, barring election rallies.

Rally leaders, who used Facebook and other online platforms to organise participants, openly attacked the People's Action Party (PAP), which has been in power for more than 50 years and controls 80 of the 87 seats in parliament after losing two byelections in the past year.

"The large crowd here shows the PAP government that they [the protesters] are not afraid any more. They don't want to hide behind a moniker on Facebook to show their displeasure," said one of the organisers, Gilbert Goh, a former opposition candidate for parliament.

One sign, apparently directed at Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, read: "Ah Loong sweetheart, 6.9 (million) is a kinky number, but quality, not quantity," referring to his comment that the country's population could reach 6.9 million by 2030. A speaker at the rally, Kumaran Pillay, said he wanted his country to be led by "a man with vision" and did not want Singaporeans' lives to be controlled by "number Nazis".

Another speaker, Sem Teo, a banking executive, said: "Singaporeans should stop being afraid and speak up for change."

Rally participant Tan Jee Say, an ex-civil servant now in opposition who ran for president in 2011, said: "The prime minister has failed us. Make way for a new prime minister."

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse

[seletar]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/wo..._132172546.htm

Large crowd turns up for rare protest against population white paper in Singapore

Xinhua
English.news.cn 2013-02-16 21:44:05



Thousands of residents attend a protest against the White Paper on Population at Singapore's Hong Lim Park in Singapore, Feb. 16, 2013. The Singapore government is looking to grow its population to between 6.5 million and 6.9 million by 2030, from the current 5.31 million, according to the White Paper on Population. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)


SINGAPORE, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A large crowd braved a drizzle to gather at the Speakers' Corner in Singapore on Saturday in a rare protest against a government white paper on population.

The crowd began to gather in the afternoon for the protest organized by Gilbert Goh, a 51-year-old known as an unemployment counselor. Organizers lined up a list of 12 speakers, including activists and opposition party members.

Organizers said close to 5,000 turned up for the protest, which has been rare in Singapore, but local daily Lianhe Zaobao put the number of the people at the gathering at over 3,000.

Many came with umbrellas, braving the light drizzle in the afternoon. One of the banners reads, "Save Singapore -- Say No to 6.9 million," referring to a projection of the population in the city state by 2030.

The White Paper on Population, released recently by the government, projected that the population may grow to between 6.5 million and 6.9 million by 2030, from the current 5.38 million. It says that the government may need to raise the total fertility rate and have 15,000 to 25,000 immigrants per year.

The number 6.9 million made headlines. Many voiced their concerns for continuing to grow the population as it is already getting crowded on the commuter trains and buses.

The crowd shouted "No" when the first speaker, National Solidarity Party member Ravi Philemon, asked if it was acceptable to bring in 900,000 to 1 million foreigners every decade.



Thousands of residents attend a protest against the White Paper on Population at Singapore's Hong Lim Park in Singapore, Feb. 16, 2013. The Singapore government is looking to grow its population to between 6.5 million and 6.9 million by 2030, from the current 5.31 million, according to the White Paper on Population. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

[seletar]

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/asia-...756603968.html

Singaporeans protest over population plan

Thousands in tightly controlled city-state stage rare mass rally against proposal to increase population by 30 percent.

Al Jazeera
Last Modified: 16 Feb 2013 19:00


At least 4,000 people have staged one of Singapore's largest-ever protests, a further sign of discontent over immigration policies and growing income disparities under the long-ruling People's Action Party (PAP).

The chief organiser of the rally, Gilbert Goh, said the protest on Saturday was a display of citizens' unhappiness over a population plan, which was endorsed in parliament on February 8.

"They want to tell the government [to] please reconsider this policy. The turnout is a testimony that this policy is flawed and unpopular on the ground,'' he said.

Parliament in the highly regimented city-state had last week approved a white paper that said the island's population of 5.3 million could grow by as much as 30 percent to 6.9 million by 2030. The influx is mostly foreign workers who will be brought in to offset a chronically low birth rate.

Critics say the island is already too crowded, with a population density exceeding that of rival Asian business centre Hong Kong.

"I think a lot of Singaporeans are concerned that the emphasis on growth is not putting enough emphasis on well-being and many of the social security safety nets in an ageing population," Bridget Welsh, a professor at Singapore Management University, told Al Jazeera.

Uniformed police were all but absent at the rally at Speakers' Corner in a park on the edge of Singapore's glitzy financial district, an area exempt from strict controls on assembly.

"You cannot bring in foreigners to compete with your people when you do little to look after them," said Leong Sze Hian, a financial planner, blaming lax immigration for stagnating real wages.

Tan Kin Lian, former CEO of Singapore's largest insurance firm, told the rally that Singaporeans needed "adequate wages, dignity in employment for all sectors of the workforce. Wages must be enough to raise a family".

Income inequality

Singapore, with a land area of 714 sq km, is one of the of the world's wealthiest countries with a per capita GDP of $50,000.

It has been ruled since independence in 1965 by the PAP, the party credited with transforming the island from a British colonial outpost into a global business centre with clean streets, efficient civil service and the world's highest concentration of millionaires.

Income inequality is among the highest in the developed world, however, and many Singaporeans struggle on an average monthly wage of about $3,300. The cost of housing has doubled over the past decade.

The PAP holds 80 of 87 elected seats in parliament despite recent electoral setbacks, including a dip in its share of the popular vote to about 60 percent in the 2011 general election.

Authorities remain wary of social upheaval. A wildcat strike last year by bus drivers brought to Singapore from China, the first such work stoppage since 1986, led to the deportation of more than 20 of the strikers.

The government says without new immigrants, the working-age population will start shrinking in 2020 while the total number of Singaporeans will begin to decline in 2025.

The paper has prompted worries that further immigration could alter the character of the island.

Singaporeans account for 62 percent of 5.3 million residents, down from 75 percent in 2000, and the government plans to give citizenship to between 15,000 and 25,000 foreigners each year.

[Rysk]

Why don't u create another thread call Bad News....just a suggestion if u can hear.

YOUNG KOK cum INEXPERIENCE SELETAR airbase die die wants to prove to u that "Property price is coming down fast" mah..

[seletar]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia...st-immigration

Singaporeans rally against immigration

Bangkok Post
Published: 16 Feb 2013 at 19.10


SINGAPORE - Thousands of Singaporeans demonstrated on Saturday against a government plan to increase the island’s population through immigration.

Allowing more immigrants to enter the city-state will erode the national identity and threaten livelihoods, they said.

Protesters gathered at Speakers' Corner at Hong Lim Park at the edge of the city's financial district on a rainy afternoon, many dressed in black and carrying signs opposing the plan.

Lawmakers from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s ruling party last week endorsed a white paper that outlined proposals including allowing more foreigners through 2030 to expand the workforce.

Singapore has onme of the world's lowest birthrates and successive government efforts to encourage marriage and childbearing, more recently through generous "baby bonuses", have met with little success.

A protester makes his view clear at a rally held to call for a slowdown in immigration in Singapore. AFP


Most young Singaporeans complain that the cost of living is high, job and career pressure is intense, and having children is just out of the question financially for them.

Saturday's rally increases pressure on the government to slow an influx of immigrants that has been blamed for infrastructure strains, record-high housing and transport costs and competition for jobs.

Singapore’s population has jumped by more than 1.1 million since mid-2004 to 5.3 million, stoking social tensions and public discontent that is weakening support for Lee’s People’s Action Party.

"The size of the crowd shows people are angry," said Tan Jee Say, a candidate in Singapore’s 2011 presidential election, who joined the protest.

"It will send a signal to the government and I hope it will react in a sensible way and see that people are concerned. The government should not push the white paper down Singaporeans' throats."

Organisers estimated that more than 3,000 people joined the demonstration at the 0.94-hectare park that served as a venue for political rallies in the 1950s and 1960s.

They sang patriotic songs. Some signs demanded a referendum on the white paper, while others said "we want to be heard, not herded", and "waiting for 2016", when the next general election is due.

Members of the opposition say the government’s policy to spur economic growth through immigration isn’t sustainable.

There may be as many as 6 million people in Singapore by 2020, and the government will boost infrastructure to accommodate a population of 6.9 million by 2030, according to the white paper that was published last month.

The government will take in between 15,000 and 25,000 new citizens and grant about 30,000 permanent-resident permits annually, according to the paper titled "A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore".

Protesters expressed unhappiness with the policy that could result in citizens, including new ones, making up only one of every two people on the island smaller in size than New York City by the end of the next decade should the population reach 6.9 million.

Singapore is the third-most expensive Asian city to live in and the sixth globally, according to an Economist Intelligence Unit ranking of 131 cities around the world published this month

"Instead of increasing the population of this country so quickly, maybe we should focus on those that have been left behind," said Sudhir Vadaketh, author of "Floating on a Malayan Breeze", a socio-economic narrative on Singapore and Malaysia.

"A lot of Singaporeans are feeling a great sense of loss of identity. With continued high immigration, I worry about that sense of identity will be diluted even more."

Demonstrations in Singapore are rare as the government imposes strict controls on assemblies and speeches, limiting outdoor protests to locations such as Speakers’ Corner.

Authorities say such laws help maintain social stability in a country that was wracked by communal violence between ethnic Malays and Chinese in the 1960s.

In a city with 3.3 million citizens and 2 million foreigners, complaints about overseas workers depriving locals of jobs and driving up home prices helped opposition parties win record support in the 2011 general election.

Lee is under pressure to placate voters without disrupting the entry of talent and labor that helped forge Southeast Asia’s only advanced economy.

Since the 2011 polls, Lee's party has lost two by- elections. The government "paid a political price" with the infrastructure strains as a result of a bigger population, the prime minister said last month.

[seletar]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21485729

BBC News
16 February 2013 Last updated at 15:32 GMT

Rare mass rally over Singapore immigration plans



Critics of the government's white paper say they want to see a curb on the numbers of immigrants


Singaporeans have staged a rare demonstration, in protest at government plans to allow more immigration.

Organisers said more than 4,000 people attended the rally, making it one of Singapore's largest ever protests.

They are angry at a recent government policy paper that predicted the population would grow by 30% to 6.9 million by 2030, with immigrants making up nearly half that figure.

Many locals blame immigration for rises in property prices and living costs.

The peaceful three-hour rally took place in heavy rain at a park venue known as Speakers' Corner, where protests are allowed without a police permit. Only a handful of uniformed officers were seen close by,

The crowds, protected from the downpours by a sea of umbrellas, came out to voice their displeasure at the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) immigration policies, rally organisers said.

"The large crowd here shows the PAP government that they are not afraid any more, they don't want to hide behind a moniker on Facebook to show their displeasure," chief organiser Gilbert Goh, a former opposition candidate for parliament, told AFP news agency.

"They are showing their deep displeasure with the white paper."

Singapore is known for its strict social controls and intolerance of dissent.

Saturday's protest came as news emerged that Singapore's first prime minister, 89-year-old Lee Kuan Yew, has been taken to hospital with a brain-related blockage.

Mr Lee, who is the father of current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, will remain in hospital while he recovers from a suspected transient ischaemic attack, which occurs when blood flow to the brain stops for a period of time, a statement from his son's office said.

Falling birth rate

The Singaporean government said last month that it expected its population to increase by 30% to between 6.5 million and 6.9 million by 2030, with foreigners making up 45% of that number.

It said immigration was needed to help offset a slowing birth rate and ageing population, and it needed to find a balance between the number of Singaporeans and foreigners in order to sustain its rate of economic growth.

"If we do too little to address the demographic challenge, we risk becoming a steadily greying society, losing vitality and verve, with our young people leaving for opportunities elsewhere," it said in the white paper.

"But if we take in too many immigrants and foreign workers, we will weaken our national identity and sense of belonging, and feel crowded out of our own home."

Singapore's total fertility rate of 1.2, which represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years, has been below the population replacement rate for more than three decades.

That has led to concerns that the number of Singaporeans may shrink in the coming years.

But many local people say the surge in foreigners in recent years has already put a strain on the small, wealthy island state's resources, and has pushed down salaries while raising property prices.

[seletar]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...254631/1/.html

S'poreans hold protest against White Paper on Population

Channel News Asia
By S Ramesh | Posted: 16 February 2013 1846 hrs


Photo: Channel NewsAsia



SINGAPORE: A protest was held against the government's White Paper on Population at Speakers' Corner on Saturday, organised by Transitioning.org.

Organisers said about 5,000 were present.

The intermittent drizzle did not deter the organisers, who led attendees in singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge.

"I think it's the largest protest in decades. It is also the first one where anger is directed squarely at the government," said Reuben Wong, an assistant professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.

"People are now more willing to air their grievances. They have been doing it on the Internet for the past few years, but it is new for them to physically come down in such numbers," he told AFP.

The 12 speakers lined up for the event included young Singaporeans, bloggers, and opposition politicians. Most of them called for more consultation with the public.

Lawyer Nizam Ismail called on the Singapore government to supersede the White Paper with a Green Paper.

He said such a procedure is in practice in developed countries.

Mr Nizam argued that the Green Paper will contain the views of Singaporeans about the population challenges, and he stressed that this was missing in the formulation of the White Paper.

Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian argued that four rounds of the baby bonus had not solved the problem of declining total fertility rate.

He said at the end of the day, it all boils down to affordability for Singaporeans to first get married and then have children.

Mr Tan said it is important for a policy change on the part of the government to encourage marriage and procreation.

However, he did not offer any new solutions or ideas to improve the total fertility rate.

Samantha Teo, a young Singaporean, also shared her thoughts on stage: "Right now a scarier concept is what Singapore can potentially become in another 20 years. Imagine a place where your cultural identity is slowly eroded away surrounded by unfamiliar faces, a stranger in your own homeland. How different is that from living in another country?"

"The large crowd here shows the PAP government that they are not afraid any more, they don't want to hide behind a moniker on Facebook to show their displeasure," said chief organiser Gilbert Goh.

"They are showing their deep displeasure with the White Paper," he told AFP.

The protest was held a week after Parliament endorsed an amended motion on the White Paper after a five-day debate.

The amendments ensure that the 6.9 million population figure in 2030 is not a target and the projection is for infrastructure planning.

- CNA/AFP/xq

[seletar]

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/popu...115455908.html

Population White Paper protest at Speakers' Corner
An estimated 4,000 show up to protest against the recent population White Paper.

[proud owner]

...you are funny....
.....is this a closed forum where non-registered member could not read?

yes thank you .... i am a funny guy ...
i get that a lot


still i am curious ...why you have been READING this forum so long ...long enough to have read about Mr B who disappeared for a while already ...

and only to finally decide to sign up as a member to start posting your views...


just retired ah ?

[seletar]

http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2013...hong-lim-park/

Protest against White Paper on Population at Hong Lim Park

[seletar]

http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2013...hong-lim-park/

Protest against White Paper on Population at Hong Lim Park

[seletar]

http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2013...hong-lim-park/

Protest against White Paper on Population at Hong Lim Park

[Rysk]

25th Nov 2011

no $800 psf no buy....can get it in 2-3 yrs time....

NB!! MR B (aka DAVID LIM from sghouse) had promised me on 25th Nov 2011 that by end this year till next year.. River Valley condo/apt will crash from $1500-$2000psf to $800psf... So where is MR B now??!! I am wait to buy The Cosmopolitan..

Helo, SELETAR airbase (aka SMARIAN from sghouse).. help me call him come back & don't act blur.. I'm sure you know where he's hiding now.. since you are his long time parrot..

http://www.sg-house.com/classifieds/...perty-215.html

[minority]

25th Nov 2011


NB!! MR B (aka DAVID LIM from sghouse) had promised me on 25th Nov 2011 that by end this year till next year.. River Valley condo/apt will crash from $1500-$2000psf to $800psf... So where is MR B now??!! I am wait to buy The Cosmopolitan..

Helo, SELETAR airbase (aka SMARIAN from sghouse).. help me call him come back & don't act blur.. I'm sure you know where he's hiding now.. since you are his long time parrot..

http://www.sg-house.com/classifieds/...perty-215.html

Technically speaking not yet 2 yrs

[dare2]

yes thank you .... i am a funny guy ...
i get that a lot


still i am curious ...why you have been READING this forum so long ...long enough to have read about Mr B who disappeared for a while already ...

and only to finally decide to sign up as a member to start posting your views...


just retired ah ?

...hahaha you are a good detective....somehow the server just refused my registration for a while.....maybe because of firewalls.... a friend finally helped to register....but i missed all the fun, the resurrected Mr B seemed to have lost all his fire.......

[seletar]

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/fea...114441474.html

Singapore seethes over population plan

Proposal to boost city state's population prompts rare protest, signalling growing dissent over influx of foreigners.

Heather Tan Last Modified: 17 Feb 2013 12:55
Al Jazeera



Thousands of Singaporeans demonstrated Saturday against plans to boost the population [Heather Tan/Al Jazeera]


Singapore - Thirty-year-old Hayatt Shah made the most difficult decision of his life last month.

The Singapore native gathered his belongings and left behind his family and friends to begin a new life in Japan with his wife and six-month-old daughter.

High housing prices drove him to move from Singapore, explained Shah, who added he has no regrets leaving a country he no longer recognises. "I refuse to pay such a high price to live in a box that I have a lease on for 99 years. It's crazy that property prices here in Saitama [in Japan] are more affordable than properties in Singapore."

Like many of his fellow citizens, the musician and English instructor found it increasingly difficult to sustain a comfortable lifestyle in Singapore, where he was born and bred. "It is the simple fact that I don't feel like I am home anymore in Singapore," he said, which spurred him to move.

Singapore's success story is relatively well-known. Having transformed itself from a tiny island nation with no natural resources to one of the richest countries in the world, Singapore prides itself on its booming economy, sustained by encouraging foreign investment and migrant labourers.


Disenchanted Hayatt Shah recently moved his family to Japan


But despite being the third-most densely populated country in the world, Singapore's government recently announced plans to increase its total population from 5.3 million to 6.9 million by 2030. The move caused a public outcry, with thousands taking to the streets on Saturday in protest.

An aging population coupled with dwindling birth rates, escalating housing prices, overcrowding, and caving infrastructure are just some of the factors responsible for the rising dissent among Singaporeans.


Population plans

In January, Singapore's government - which has been led by the People's Action Party since 1959 - introduced two proposals. The first was its "White Paper on Population", which outlined a strategy to ensure sustainable population levels in the face of low birth rates and an aging society. Shortly thereafter, a plan to increase Singapore's land area by nearly 8 per cent was announced to accommodate the new population.

In addition to the number of foreigners, an estimated 30,000 new permanent residents - a status given to foreigners who live in Singapore for long periods of time - will also be added each year.

"The White Paper is about mitigating the problems of our aging population and low birth rates, so as to secure Singapore’s future," said Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a post on his Facebook page. "Our priority is to maintain a strong Singaporean core by encouraging Singaporeans to get married and have children. We will reduce inflow of foreign workers, moderate flow of new citizens and maintain [permanent resident] population at about present size."

Lee added a disclaimer that the government was not aiming for 6.9 million population, explaining the figure "is just a basis for us to plan our infrastructure".

What shocked many was the report's prediction that the country's population will start to decline by 2025, with more than 900,000 Singaporeans - more than a quarter of the number of citizens - retiring from the workforce. The report noted the country's fertility rate has fallen for the past 30 years, and currently stands below the replacement level of two babies per mother.

In 2010, the World Bank estimated Singapore's fertility rate to be just 1.2 births per woman - among the lowest rates in the world.


Rising public anger

The potential influx of more than 1.6 million additional people has caused rare demonstrations in this island nation. Although the government stressed it would maintain a strong Singaporean core in spite of an incoming surge of foreigners, the majority of Singaporeans remain sceptical about its promise to deliver.

"It seems like anyone can just come into Singapore," said Shah. "So will having 6.9 million people make Singapore a happier place? Is the economy really that important?"

Cassandra Siew, a housewife, said she doesn't trust that the government will properly handle the population increase.

"The government has been singing the same song for years," she said. "They keep adding more and more numbers year after year and assure us that it will be for the best, but when will it end? I'm sorry to say that I simply don't buy into their promise of looking out for us anymore."

Another Singaporean, marketing executive Ron Chew, said: "Our country is rapidly evolving, but Singaporeans are not reaping any of its benefits. Why should a foreigner be entitled to the same, if not more, privileges than a Singaporean?"

Eugene Tan, an assistant law professor at Singapore Management University, described a "spatial and mental sense of being overwhelmed felt by large swathes of the public".

"Singapore is barely coping with the rapid influx of immigrants over the past decade, so there is the prevalent view that if we can't cope with 5.3 million, how are we going to manage with 6.9 million within two decades?" said Tan. "There is a sense that the immigration policy will not be of benefit to the average Singaporean."

But the public could be "reacting to a figure which they don’t really comprehend", said Chua Beng Huat, a sociology professor at the National University of Singapore. "Whether 6.9 million will be the steady state population is completely speculative, and one should not be fixated by it."
Many say a potential loss of Singapore's national identity is an even more pressing problem than overpopulation.

Dissent against the population plans has been widespread, and a rare public protest on Saturday claimed to have drawn close to 5,000 people - an impressive feat in a country where many protests and public gatherings are illegal, and a police permit needs to be obtained to hold one.

"I want to express this displeasure faced by many Singaporeans on a united and peaceful platform," said organiser Gilbert Goh, an unemployment counsellor who runs a support website for the jobless in Singapore.

"My greatest fear that arises from all this is the loss of our Singaporean identity, because it's been eroded so much already and with the heavy influx, it may be destroyed," said Goh. "And to add insult to injury, we are constantly being reminded that we could be the minority population figure in 17 years' time."


Political impact

Singaporeans have become increasingly vocal about the high influx of foreigners in recent years, demanding changes in the government's relaxed immigration policies.

The opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) recently launched its own population policy report, calling instead for a plan for businesses to favour Singaporeans when hiring and to tighten the screening of foreign professionals to wean businesses off of cheap foreign labour.

SDP party chief Chee Soon Juan said instead of moving towards a population of 6.9 million, the current population should be reduced "because of all the current problems Singapore is seeing".
ement University
Some think dissatisfaction with the White Paper could hurt the People's Action Party (PAP) in the country's elections in 2016.

"We are talking about an average increase of 100,000 people every year, so if you want to talk in terms of how crucial the impact will have on the next general election, I cannot exaggerate how important it is," said the SDP's Chee.

"Time is not on the side of the PAP," said professor Tan. "I think political change is inevitable and controversial issues like the White Paper on Population might hasten the flight of support to the opposition."The ruling party appears to have lost support in recent years. This was made clear in a by-election in January that the PAP was expected to win. Instead, unhappy Singaporeans delivered the party a devastating blow by voting in favour of the opposition candidate.

Political blogger Andrew Loh agreed. "I feel that the PAP government will see its share of the popular vote decrease further ... I do not see these things improving enough by the next general election for people to reinstate the level of trust in the government which they had in the past."

[seletar]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-0...migration.html

Singapore Protest Exposes Voter Worries About Immigation

By Shamim Adam - Feb 18, 2013 12:00 AM GMT+0800


Singapore’s biggest political protest since allowing these events at a downtown park in 2000 may signal growing difficulty by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s government to push policies without broader support.

Thousands of protesters gathered on Feb. 16 at Speakers’Corner at Hong Lim Park at the edge of the city’s financial district in the rain to oppose the government’s plan to raise the population through immigration. Lawmakers from Lee’s party, which has ruled Singapore since independence in 1965, endorsed a white paper earlier this month that outlined proposals to allow more foreigners through 2030 to boost the workforce.

“It’s a big red flag and they cannot go on with business as usual, with their old way of doing things of letting it blow over and letting emotions run their course,” said Terence Lee, who teaches politics at National University of Singapore. “This is not an emotional hump. I won’t be surprised if significant changes happen at the ballot box in 2016.”

The rally increases pressure on the government to slow an influx of immigrants that has been blamed for infrastructure strains, record-high housing and transport costs and competition for jobs. Singapore’s population has jumped by more than 1.1 million since mid-2004 to 5.3 million and may reach 6.9 million by 2030, based on the proposal. That stoked social tensions and public discontent that is weakening support for Lee’s People’s Action Party.

‘Work Harder’

“They will have to work harder at seeking buy-in rather than putting policies across as imperative,” said Eugene Tan, assistant law professor at Singapore Management University and a nominated member of Parliament, who said the protest is the biggest in recent memory. “Gone are the old days where the government believes what is the right thing to do and they don’t care what the public thinks and do what is right. Doing what is right is no longer enough.”

Outdoor protests are banned in Singapore as authorities say the laws help maintain social stability in a country that was wracked by communal violence between ethnic Malays and Chinese in the 1960s. Since easing the restriction more than a decade ago, large-scale protests at the park have centered on issues such as losses from mini-bonds to the city’s worst subway breakdown, rather than politics.

Organizer Gilbert Goh, who promoted the event mainly through Facebook, estimated 4,000 people joined the demonstration at the 0.94-hectare (2.3-acre) park that served as a venue for political rallies in the 1950s and 1960s. They sang patriotic songs and held signs saying “we want to be heard, not herded,” and “waiting for 2016,” when the next general election is due.

Unprecedented Protest

The turnout, which he earlier estimated at as many as 5,000 two days ago, made it the biggest protest on a political issue since independence, Goh, who was an opposition party member, said in an interview yesterday.

The Workers’ Party, the only opposition group with elected members in Parliament, said on its website the plan to spur economic growth through immigration isn’t sustainable.

“A 6.9 million population won’t be good for Singaporeans,” said David Tan, a 48-year-old who owns a garment textile business and attended the protest. “We have 5.3 million people and we can hardly cope. Even if the government can take care of infrastructure, it won’t help much in terms of quality of living.”

There may be as many as 6 million people in Singapore by 2020, and the government will boost infrastructure to accommodate a further increase in the following decade, according to the white paper published last month.

Angry People

“The size of the crowd shows people are angry,” said Tan Jee Say, a candidate in Singapore’s 2011 presidential election, who gave a speech at the protest. “It will send a signal to the government and I hope it will react in a sensible way and see that people are concerned.”

Protesters expressed unhappiness with the policy that could see citizens, including new ones, making up only one of every two people on the island smaller in size than New York City by the end of the next decade should the population reach 6.9 million. Singapore is the third-most expensive Asian city to live in and the sixth globally, according to an Economist Intelligence Unit ranking of 131 cities published this month.

“Instead of increasing the population of this country so quickly, maybe we should focus on those that have been left behind,” said Sudhir Vadaketh, author of “Floating on a Malayan Breeze.” “A lot of Singaporeans are feeling a great sense of loss of identity. With continued high immigration, I worry about that sense of identity being diluted even more.”

Under Pressure

In a city with 3.3 million citizens and 2 million foreigners, complaints about overseas workers depriving locals of jobs and driving up home prices helped opposition parties win record support in the 2011 general election. Lee is under pressure to placate voters without disrupting the entry of talent and labor that helped forge Southeast Asia’s only advanced economy.

Since the 2011 polls, Lee’s party has lost two by-elections. Lee Kuan Yew, the prime minister’s father who was the city’s first premier, stepped down from the Cabinet after the 2011 elections. He was hospitalized on Feb. 15 for a condition linked to irregular heartbeat, and was discharged yesterday. The ruling party still holds 80 of the 87 seats in Parliament.

Ranked the easiest place to do business for seven straight years by the World Bank, Singapore is competing with lower-cost neighbors such as Malaysia and Indonesia for foreign investment.

“Singapore is moving toward becoming a normal democracy,”Tan from Singapore Management University said. “Foreign investors who are astute will realize that these are inevitable developments.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Shamim Adam in Singapore at [email protected]

[Rysk]

Technically speaking not yet 2 yrs

Yes, Technically is not yet 2-yrs..

As usual.. this TWIST & TURN cum DIVERT ATTENTION EXPERT MR B will go MIA very fast..

Better remind him in advance.. cos this FAILURE is good in act blur.. twist & turn.. & divert attention.. or worst case go MIA

[Wild Falcon]

This is a fictitious letter written by a blogger who is not a grassroots. Most people know that. It's the content that resonates with the people. Grassroots don't write that well - most are just ball carriers and have poor analytical skills - there is no way any of the grassroots are capable of writing such an insightful piece.

Tan ah kow died long ago.

[seletar]

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/articl...ore-draws-near

Drum beat of discontent in Singapore draws near

3,000 protesters put ruling party on notice that iron fist will not always hold sway in city-state


South China Morning Post
Monday, 18 February, 2013, 12:00am
Agence France-Presse



Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong


Singapore's biggest protest in decades shows that the ruling party for over half a century is facing a more vocal electorate and must change or watch its popularity slide further, analysts say.

An estimated 3,000 Singaporeans chanted "we want change" and endured heavy downpours on Saturday to reject government immigration proposals, in a rare demonstration in the tightly controlled city-state of 5.3 million people.

Although low by global standards, the turnout was the largest in years in Singapore, where the People's Action Party (PAP) has traditionally responded to any dissent with a firm hand. It provides the government of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong much to consider.

"I think the anti-PAP sentiment will build and spread unless there's a very fundamental change in the way the PAP deals with the people, which I don't see happening," political analyst Seah Chiang Nee said.

"I think there's going to be a further decline in the popularity of the PAP between now and 2016," added Seah, who runs the political website www.littlespeck.com referring to the next general elections.

For most at the rally, held at a designated free-speech corner after a Facebook campaign, it was their first time waving placards and chanting slogans against the PAP, which has ruled Singapore for almost 54 years.

Eugene Tan, an assistant law professor at the Singapore Management University, said the turnout showed "we have a more contested political landscape and the PAP will have to deal with a more vocal electorate".

The PAP, long used to winning districts uncontested, has seen its support slide since a general election in May 2011 when it recorded is lowest ever share of the vote at 60 per cent and the opposition won an unprecedented six parliamentary seats.

Since then, the PAP has lost two by-elections, although it still controls 80 of the 87 seats in parliament.

Saturday's protesters were rallying against government projections that the population could rise by a third to almost seven million in less than 20 years, with much of the increase resulting from immigration.

For years, the affluent but worker-starved city-state, built by mainly Chinese immigrants, had rolled out the welcome mat for foreigners, whose numbers rose drastically during the economic boom from 2004-2007.

"Foreigners are going to create a lot of problems, especially the rich ones who buy up all our property. Where are Singaporeans going to live?" tax consultant Kevin Foo, 42, said at the rally.

[proud owner]

This is a fictitious letter written by a blogger who is not a grassroots. Most people know that. It's the content that resonates with the people. Grassroots don't write that well - most are just ball carriers and have poor analytical skills - there is no way any of the grassroots are capable of writing such an insightful piece.

yes it was well written

the content was interestingly true

could the writer be someone within the ruling party ?

[seletar]

http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2013...lation-denial/




Protest against White Paper on Population – We are in denial

Video of the speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=lv4gfpVV7_8#!

Audio of the speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qoj1u6WNFKc&feature=player_embedded#!


Transcript of Leong Sze Hian’s speech, above are the whole video and audio recording of Leong Sze Hian’s speech.


Since Cardius talked about public transport, let me add to it.

I read in the news yesterday, the fare review committee has been asked to delay their report until May.

Why?

So that they can think more about helping the disabled, the lower income and the polytechnic students?

Almost year after year, the disabled has been asking for concession fare. If you can decide to spend S$1.1 billion to help the two transport operators and now they say its more than S$1.1 billion.

Why can’t you spend a single cent over the years to help the disabled?

Find me another country in the world that increased transport fares nine times in the last twelve years, nine years out of twelve years.

If you want to count the change to distance fare as an increase or decrease which is arguable then that is ten times not nine times.

Singapore is in a state of denial, Singapore is in the state of denial.

Because we ignore the stark reality of the statistic. We ignore how bad things are. We keep talking as if everything is fine, everything is rosy. What has not work in the past is not somehow by magic work in the future.

Let me give you some examples.

In the population white paper, in the debate it was said something along the line that we don’t grow GDP, the lowest 20th percentile of workers by income will suffer the negative real wage increase. They went on to show you figures to show you that the lowest 20th percent actually had real wage increase.

Listen to this. In the last ten years. 20th percentile’s wages real increase of 0.1% per annum. After ten years, 1% increase. Imagine you earn one thousand dollars ten years ago, you are low income worker, every year got one dollar real income increase, after ten years you have ten dollars. And we can talk and debate the population white paper and say it is statistic to show you that even the lower income had an increase in real income.

We are in denial!

Last year, your median gross wage real increase was minus negative. The previous year 2011 it was negative. 2010, increased a miserable 0.5%. 2009, minus, 2008, minus. Five years, median real income growth, for five years, four years negative and we keep talking about the population white paper as if all these pro-growth, all these open door labour policies will continue to give the stark statistics that I described to you for Singaporeans, will your life get better like this?

Many of you might not realize, that last year or the last five years of the four years. The real wage income was negative. Because when you read the headlines, when you see the narrative in the labour reports, they all say you have real income growth because why? Because in the past, they only show you the wage data excluding employer CPF contribution. In recent years, now they have two sets of numbers. Now they have a number, “including CPF contribution”. So you don’t know is because of this new definition.

You know we are in denial. We ignore all the bare statistics, we only focus on the ones that look good.

We used to talk about the median income of all workers. All workers means full time and part time. Now you see the narratives, the headlines. They always talk about the wages of full time workers only. Let me explain to you, how by magic you can make everybody earn more money.

You want to learn?

<crowd replied yes>

A few years ago, they changed the definition of a part time worker in Singapore. It used to be you work 30 hours or less, you are part time. Then they changed it. You work 35 hours or less, you are part time. So overnight by the stroke of pen, everybody earn more money.

You know why?

All the part timers, all out of the sudden have all these people from earning over 30 to 35 hours become part time, so all these part time earn more money right? Then the full timers all those who worked from 35 hours to 31 become part timers. So the remaining full timers also earned more money.

We are in the state of denial! We have to look at the real statistics.

The latest labour vanacy report says, there are 56.400 jobs that nobody wants.

<Crowd jeers>

Year after year, Singaporeans are so fussy, you got so many jobs, nobody wants. Let’s examine the statistics more closely. Which category of workers have the largest number of vacancies.

<Someone in crowd shouts toliet cleaner>

Toliet cleaner, ah no lar. It is service and sales workers. More than ten thousands vacancies service and sales workers. Are these jobs that Singaporeans don’t want?

<Crowd replies “No”>

It is very strange because you look at the unemployment rate figures, which category of jobs have the highest unemployment rate? The same category, service and sales workers. How can the highest unemployment rate also have the most jobs that nobody wants?

I tell you why, why i think it is like this. The reason why you have this strange phenomena. It is because the Singaporeans who used to work as service and sales workers when they lose their jobs. They cannot find a similar job that will pay them enough for the same number of hours to enable them to make ends meet. And that is why they are unable to find a job when they lose their job.

In this category, we have waiters at the 25th percentile gross wage, the waiters’ gross wage at the 25th percentile is only 900 over dollars. You are Singaporeans, how to survive on 900 over dollars a month? This is gross wage, haven’t deduct your employee CPF contribution of 20%.

So far, I talked about wages. Ya, some people have wage increase because they working longer hours. Which workers work the longest hours in the world?

<Crowd shouts “Singapore!”>

3 out of 10 older workers work more than 48 hours a week. You know you look at the lower income jobs, you look at the statistics you know. It pains my heart, you know why?

They get a bit more money, why? Because their typical work day is 12 hours a day for 6 days a week, everyday, every week for the rest of their life. And how much they get for working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week? Just over a thousand dollars. You know an eminent economist, i don’t need to mention his name, everybody knows who is he. The eminent economist said, “We need wage shock therapy, we should give an immediate increase of 50 dollars to those Singaporeans who are earning less than one thousand dollars.

What was the response? Everybody the government, the unions, the employers all said, “No no no no”. You cannot increase this miserable 50 dollar, only productivity go up then we can increase the wages. What rubbish is this? I said earlier that we ignore the stark reality, we assume that oh, what have not worked in the past will work. Productivity, all the enhancement schemes, all the money, the scheme never work. Because productivity is not going up. So if you have to wait productivity to go up to get a wage increase for low income, so you die lar.

In the debate of the population white paper. It was said that the paper it actually proposes to slow down the intake of new citizens and foreign workers. Let’s look at the real statistics.

The last reply in parliament, intake of new citizens in 2011, 15,777 new citizens. 15,777. What does the population white paper tells you. Projected, target, best case scenario, worst case scenario, whatever you want to call it lar. Project as many as 25,000 new citizens a year going forward. 15 thousand plus to 25 thousand, is this a slow down in intake ah?

In 2011, the intake of PRs was 27,500. In the population white paper, it says it will take in as many as 30,000 PRs going forward. 27,500 increased to 30,000 every year going forward. Is also a slow down in the intake ah?

Last year, growth in foreign employment 70,000. White paper, from now to 2020, project foreign workers increase from 1.49 million to as much as 1.9 million. You add all these together new citizens, new PRs, new workers, slow down in the intake?

We are in denial!

My time is up, so i have to end.

I tell you that the very basis of the white paper is wrong. Because it says the population is aging, people are not producing babies that is why we need immigration. You know what’s the problem? In the development countries they have this problem, why? They have pensions, cost government money. Do you have pensions?

<Crowd shouts “No!”>

Is your CPF your own money?

<Crowd shouts “No!”, with some stopping to think what they just shouted>

In the developed countries, they have universal healthcare. Do you have universal healthcare?

<Crowd shouts “No!”>

The development counties have welfare, do you have welfare?

<Crowd shouts “No!”>

So what is the problem with the population aging when the government is not spending any money on the aging population?

Thank you.

[phantom_opera]

this thread suddenly becomes a replicate site for Temasek Emeritus lool

but I like Leong Sze Hian .. he is like me, look at stats, charts and arrive at his own conclusion ... you cannot trust the media lah, they will manipulate the data to make it look good hoh

Ngiam Tong Dow already warning ... next time riots not racial / religious ... it is the rich-poor divide that will seal the fate of PAP

And Simple Bedok Food court is supposed to be non-profitable ... and the owner is Far East lol

[sgbuyer]

Ngiam Tong Dow already warning ... next time riots not racial / religious ... it is the rich-poor divide that will seal the fate of PAP

And Simple Bedok Food court is supposed to be non-profitable ... and the owner is Far East lol

Singapore is not like Cairo or Mumbai where the poor live in slums earning $1 a day while billionaires and government officials live in palaces of 100-200 rooms and travel by helicopter or police escorts. Bottomline is the rich and poor divide in Singapore is not huge enough to cause riots.

However, there is some inflation and overworking, people are tolerating it only because their property values are rising, but if the property bubble bursts and all bubbles burst, the next election won't be pretty.

[rockinsg]

Is your CPF your own money?

<Crowd shouts “No!”, with some stopping to think what they just shouted>


This one is too funny. .
Is CPF our own money or not?

[teddybear]

Yes & No, both answers are correct.
Yes, you contribute to them, you can take them out wah especially to buy golden coffin (since when you die still got lots of money inside)....
No, because you have no control over them, you can't take them out totally without all sort of rules of regulations....

Is your CPF your own money?

<Crowd shouts “No!”, with some stopping to think what they just shouted>


This one is too funny. .
Is CPF our own money or not?

[myfirstpc]

The golden coffin also cannot use CPF to buy. Some kind soul have to use cash to settle for it first lah! last rites also have to owe others !

Yes & No, both answers are correct.
Yes, you contribute to them, you can take them out wah especially to buy golden coffin (since when you die still got lots of money inside)....
No, because you have no control over them, you can't take them out totally without all sort of rules of regulations....

[seletar]

http://www.todayonline.com/business/...-sibor-sources

TODAYonline - 19 Feb 2013

Interest Rates

S’pore may scrap US$ Sibor: Sources

Move comes as authorities worldwide probe allegations of rigged benchmark rates


SINGAPORE — The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and banks here are considering scrapping the United States dollar-linked Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (Sibor), according to sources with knowledge of the regulator’s reviews into the setting of interest rates, as authorities worldwide probe allegations of rigged benchmark borrowing costs.

A banking source said yesterday in a text message exchange with Reuters that as a result of those reviews the abolition of the US dollar Sibor would be “likely”.

The MAS provided no new comment on the matter when contacted by Reuters. In December, the regulator said the reviews were ongoing and that it was premature to speculate on their outcomes.

Members of the Singapore Foreign Exchange Market Committee had examined the proposal to put an end to the US dollar Sibor in a Jan 22 meeting during a discussion of the MAS review of benchmark rates, Bloomberg reported a source as saying.

US dollar Sibor is a measure of the cost of borrowing US dollars in the Singapore interbank market and is used to price loans made by Singapore banks in the currency.

Banks can use alternatives such as the US dollar London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor).

The more significant market here is the Singapore dollar Sibor, which is used as the reference price for many commercial and home loans in the city-state.

The MAS had ordered members of the Association of Banks in Singapore in July to review how they set their benchmark interbank lending rates, focusing on Sibor and the Swap Offer Rate. The order came after authorities in the US and the United Kingdom uncovered widespread manipulation of Libor.

The MAS probe was extended in late September when the regulator said banks must also look at how foreign exchange rates for non-deliverable forwards (NDF) are set.

Reuters reported last month that bank reviews found that NDF rates had been manipulated as well.

Singapore’s probe is similar to those launched by other regulators across the globe following last year’s scandal over Libor, a benchmark used to price more than US$500 trillion (S$620 trillion) worth of contracts worldwide from derivatives to mortgages to credit cards. AGENCIES

[minority]

yes it was well written

the content was interestingly true

could the writer be someone within the ruling party ?

Dont you think the timing of the paper is inline with the protest coming the day after?

to me the timing is so well timed. and I don't see how to trust a paper sign off as Tan Ah Kao.

[minority]

Is your CPF your own money?

<Crowd shouts “No!”, with some stopping to think what they just shouted>


This one is too funny. .
Is CPF our own money or not?

CFP can use to buy ur investment property or own home u live in. isnt that yours?

so like that say CPF is not your money. so Money u put in the bank is not your money too?

Funny people think this way.