By Robin Tan
I refer to the article, “Prepare for a political crisis” (Straits Times, 10 May 2014).
I strongly believe that the majority of Singaporeans agree that our government have mismanaged and misjudged the impact on our social landscape with its immigration policies, thus resulting in the current turmoils we are experiencing concerning new migrants. Which is why now they are slowing down the intake of foreigners, which is itself an acknowledgment of their mistakes.
As much as we need new migrants/foreign talents to continue our economic growth, this must be done in a more gradual & rationale basis. The white paper on our population of 6.9 million by 2030 must not be used as a benchmark for future planning. The government must assess and determine, as we near 2030, whether this figure is appropriate for our social, economic and infrastructure conditions. If 6.9 million is appropriate by 2030, so be it.
As mentioned in above article, if too many foreigners were to dominate our city state, we run the risks of “loosened” social cohesion and Singaporeans (local born & bred) will lose their sense of purpose in defending our country during any security crisis.
Recently, we have read so many cases of foreigners being targeted by locals for one reason or another. Some of the remarks by netizens certainly did crossed the red line and I believe it is a minority of them. These incidents basically shows how divided Singaporean are and the country is danger of a social divide which does not bode well in the years to come and for future generations.
It is with a heavy heart that I have to admit the current predicament which faces Singapore is a result of the government’s high-handed policies in the past 2 decades. Now the government has its hands full trying to put things right and it may take years to do so provided they really nip the problem in the bud; not just the surface.
Reading the comments and opinions of netizens in the social media, I can see that many Singaporeans are very frustrated with the govt on issues such as Minimum sum for Central Proficiency Funds, lack of jobs, low wages, medical costs etc…
There is a sign of political crisis looming around the corner. It may not happen in the General Elections (GE) 2016, but never rule out the possibility of less support below 60.1% for the People’s Action party, the ruling party.
These frustrations, if left to build up over the years, will surely become a time-bomb waiting to explode. That’s when you may see a change in the political landscape in Singapore, probably in the general elections beyond.
Why?
The answer lies with the younger generations. Today’s younger generations are more vocal and pretty much western influenced. Those who will turn 21 and eligible to vote will not hesitate to make their voices heard through means of their votes. In fact, I’m sure that even those who are in their 30s & 40s presently are also losing faith in the ruling party.
This is the reality facing the ruling party for future GEs. If their policies are not effective in resolving problems issues faced by Singaporeans, they will face a huge tasks in regaining the trust of the people and hence losing power. This is not a question of if it happens, but when will it happen..

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