• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

“I did not say Singapore should plan to increase its population to 10 million”, says PAP’s Heng Swee Keat

This came after Dr Chee Soon Juan mentioned in yesterday's GE debate that Mr Heng was “toying with the idea"

by The Online Citizen
02/07/2020
in Current Affairs, Politics
Reading Time: 2 mins read
27

Photo taken from Mr Heng Swee Keat Facebook

People’s Action Party (PAP) First Assistant Secretary-General Heng Swee Keat said on Thursday (2 July) that he “did not say that Singapore should plan to increase its population to 10 million people”, nor did he mention the figure.

This came after the chief of Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Chee Soon Juan mentioned at an inter-political debate ahead of the General Election (GE) on Wednesday (1 July) that Mr Heng was “toying with the idea” of increasing Singapore’s population to 10 million people.

In the debate, Dr Chee said, “And over and above all this, Mr Heng Swee Keat then comes up to say, in an interview, toys with the idea of bringing our population up to 10 million.”

He continued, “Singaporeans are deadly worried about this proposal. Will you categorically tell Singaporeans right now that your party has no intention of raising our population to 10 million by continuing to bring in foreigners—especially foreign PMETs—into Singapore to compete with our PMETs for jobs?”

PAP’s candidate Vivian Balakrishnan – who took part in the debate – refuted his point, saying that it was “false statement” and Dr Chee was raising a “false straw man”.

Following that, Mr Heng took to Facebook to add his two cents the statement.

“As the Straits Times clarified this morning, I did not say that Singapore should plan to increase its population to 10 million people, nor did I mention the figure,” he wrote.

Mr Heng added that he did mention former chief planner Liu Thai Ker – who publicly said that Singapore should go for a higher number of population – at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Student Union Ministerial Forum in 2019.

“Far from endorsing this, I had explained that our population size was not just about physical space, but also about social space and how we can preserve a sense of togetherness,” he asserted.

Mr Heng – who used to hold the Deputy Prime Minister position before Parliament dissolved – made it clear that the Government has “never proposed or targeted” to increase the country’s population to 10 million.

“And if we look at today’s situation, our population is likely to be significantly below 6.9 million by 2030,” he remarked.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.
Tags: Chee Soon JuanGE2020Heng Swee KeatPAPPeople's Action PartySDPSingapore Democratic Party

Related Posts

How is it that the government knows us better than we know ourselves?
Opinion

How is it that the government knows us better than we know ourselves?

24/01/2023
Peoples Voice says PAP should get rid of POFMA if it is serious about balanced discussions on social media
Politics

Peoples Voice says PAP should get rid of POFMA if it is serious about balanced discussions on social media

10/12/2022
PAP to await verdict of appeal by Christopher de Souza before determining course of action
Politics

PAP to await verdict of appeal by Christopher de Souza before determining course of action

07/12/2022
Lawrence Wong alarmed by WP’s election results asks PAP activists to engage Singaporeans
Politics

PAP creates new appointment of Deputy-Secretary-General for Lawrence Wong for leadership transition

26/11/2022
Paul Tambyah: Not appropriate to fund treatment of rare diseases through crowd-funding or charity funds
Health

Paul Tambyah: Not appropriate to fund treatment of rare diseases through crowd-funding or charity funds

25/11/2022
PAP to await verdict of appeal by Christopher de Souza before determining course of action
Politics

Tone of speeches in PAP’s biennial party conference raises alarm bells of an impending GE

07/11/2022
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
27 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

Family of student killed in accident involving retired police officer, calls for transparency from Indonesian police

04/02/2023
【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

03/02/2023

Myanmar junta imposes tough new measures on resistance strongholds

03/02/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
21

...

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

by Leong Szehian
28/01/2023
69

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
40

...

July 2020
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Jun   Aug »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz