The Singapore Democratic Party has voiced out about the recent train breakdown, challenging the wisdom of the ruling People’s Action Party in allowing the unregulated increase in Singapore’s foreign workforce which could have caused the train system to overload.
Referring to its own population policy papers, the SDP called on the government to re-look its immigration policy, and prevent a mass influx “at the expense of Singaporeans who have to live with the stresses and strains of an overcrowded city”.
SDP’s statement, published on it’s website on 8 July, is appended below.
Responding to last night’s major disruption of MRT services, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew admitted that things are not going well for the SMRT.
[youtube id=”dIWmK0vSrl4″ align=”center” mode=”normal” maxwidth=”600″]In the interview above, Mr Lui said, “To be honest, I’m not fully confident about..(inaudible). Over time, when we have a sustained period of no major disruptions, then we will have confidence.”
The Minister also said that the SMRT did not know what caused the massive breakdown. In fact, Mr Lui does not rule out the possibility that it is passenger overload of the track system that is causing the repeated breakdowns.
Given such a scenario, shouldn’t the Government re-examine its policy of bringing in even more foreigners into the country to live and work?
In the past, the PAP admitted that it did not have a proper plan to house foreign workers. It also showed a complete lack of understanding of the discontent of foreign workers here until the riot in Little India erupted in 2013. And even then, the police were ill-prepared to deal with the mayhem.
With such a dismal record of handling 5.3 million people, how does the PAP propose to cope with 6.9 million?
Although it backtracked on the number after a huge outcry from Singaporeans, the Government has not categorically rejected the 6.9 million target.
In fact, it is pushing for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CECA) and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) – trade pacts that may have legal provisions for foreign governments and corporations to force us to allow in even more foreign workers.
A bigger population will, of course, allow the PAP government to collect more taxes and fees. But this comes at the expense of Singaporeans who have to live with the stresses and strains of an overcrowded city – the MRT breakdown yesterday being just one of the many problems the people have to contend with.
If we want a bigger population, we must ensure that it serves the needs and well-being of Singaporeans, not the interests of the PAP.
The SDP has drawn up a six-point plan to control our population:
1. Enact the Singaporeans First Policy
2. Retain Singaporean talent
3. Raise the Total Fertility Rate
4. Introduce the Genuine Progress Indicator
5. Strengthen the Singaporean Identity
6. Revamp the ministerial pay formula
Details for these proposals are available online, as is SDP’s population paper, “Building A People: Sound Policies For A Secure Future“.
