Former head of civil service Ngiam Tong Dow criticises Singapore’s liberal immigration policy
September 25th, 2009 | 
Author: From our Correspondent
The former head of the civil service Mr Ngiam Tong Dong has spoken out against the government’s liberal immigration policy which risks turning Singaporeans into “strangers” in their own land.
In an article published in the Straits Times on 24 September 2009, Mr Ngiam expressed his concerns at the relentless influx of foreigners in recent years which has altered Singapore’s demographics dramatically.
Almost a third of Singapore’s population now consists of foreigners. About 92,000 of the newcomers became Permanent Residents and 12,000 took up citizenships last year.
Mr Ngiam wrote that as migration is economics driven today, Singapore risks being made used by foreigners as a stepping stone as foreign fathers may advise their sons born in Singapore to leave when they reach the national service age of 18.
“Singapore will be left with the second tier of average people. Educationally, they would hardly measure up to the Singapore average. When they are given citizenship and the right to vote, they will use their new-found electoral power to demand equal access to social services as other Singaporeans. The difference is existing citizens would have paid for those social services over a lifetime of tax payments; the new citizens would not,” he added.
Mr Ngiam reminded population planners of the mistake of the “stopping at two” policy in the 1960s and not to repeat it this time again in reverse. He questioned the haste of increasing the population and if Singapore has the absorptive capacity to accommodate over a million people in a decade.
The “stopping at two” policy was a nation-wide programme introduced in 1969 by the government then led by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
As a population-control programme similar to China’s, Singaporeans were discouraged from having more than two children. Those who had three or more were penalized by being made to pay more for their third child’s education and medical expenses.
The policy was so successful that the population started to decline from the 1980s onwards. The perennial low birth rates of Singaporeans led to the government opening the floodgates in the 1990s to increase the population via migration.
Initially only the top-earners and professionals are invited to take up Singapore citizenships of which a substantial number come from Hong Kong before the 1997 handover of the territory to China.
Subsequently, more and more foreigners from elsewhere especially China and India are allowed to work and settle down in Singapore.
The rising disgruntlement on the ground from locals at the government’s immigration policies prompted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to make a rare concession lately when he reassured Singaporeans that the inflow of foreigners will “slow down”.
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16 Responses to “Former head of civil service Ngiam Tong Dow criticises Singapore’s liberal immigration policy”
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“The “stopping at two” policy was a nation-wide programme introduced in 1969 by the government then led by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.”
So the policy was wrong. If they didn’t stop us at two. Now we have enough population and there would not be foreigner immigrant problem.
Also, if they didn’t stop our citizen learning Chinese by changing the education policy, we are now all fully equipped to engage in handling the China open economy policy.
So when the high profile people like Mr Ngiam speak against the govt policy, you know what’s our citizens thinking are correct and it’s proved to be a serious and wrong-doing matter.
My wife and I have decided to leave Singapore, along with our toddler to another country where we can decide what kind of lifestyle we want. We are all born in Singapore.
It is impossible for us to continue staying here as citizens for we know we cannot afford public housing and we know we will not have enough for retirement because living standards are so high we cannot afford to plan for retirement. We also believe we will have a slim chance to get our CPF because we will not have enough for the ever-increasing minimum sum and foreseeable changes due to our graying population.
As a taxpayor and a native citizen, I am disappointted with the govt’s search for progress while neglecting the needs of our citizens.
I only have one son and after doing some research on nursery fees at PCF, my wife and I decided that we cannot afford to have more children. This is sad.
Therefore, my wife and I decided to leave, take away all we have, build a comfortable two-storey home with a small farm, using less than the price of a HDB 3-room flat. There, we can work less hours and yet afford to have more time with our family and afford to have more children. Over there, we have a choice.
While it is nice and good that former PAP stooges come out and say something about the PAP regime, to me, they are still part of that system, or at least once contributed to that system.
They would gain credibility not just by words but by deeds, like what Francis Seow did. Stand for election as part of opposition party and fight for the people.
Talking is easy.
Mr Ngiam is worried, everyone is worried. People serving National Service are worried, the side-effect is clear for all to see. However, our leader chose to be blind and cronies became blind too but not the citizens. Lets not vote for the blind in the coming election or we will have alot of blind policies forced into our throat.
In retrospect, so how ‘great’ is our great founding father lky?
It is clear, that basically, he had reduced the size of his problem then in order to shine. Smaller problem, so less challenge, and he did it at the
expense of Singapore’s future then which is our present, now.
That his foresight was and is actually limited is highlighted by the fact that
while he was busy goading his officials to make the stop at two a success, nobody was keeping an eye on the falling fertility rates and its implication to our future. THE INFLUX OF FOREIGNERS ONLY SHOWS THE UTTER DESPERATION WHEN HE REALISED THAT HE AND HIS UNDERLINGS WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE FIRE HAVE BEEN CAUGHT NAPPING.
I just wish that he and his family would disappear quietly into a void and let others build a real country and nation out of this land. The Lee family have done enough damage already.
I seriously think Ngiam Tong Dow or Tan Kin Lian should submit themselves for Presidential Office. It would be interesting to note what steps the committee would take to disbar them and put in their own man.
Lets put our democracy to the test.
Can someone or will someone actually ask citizens (those who are here a few generations already) about the influx of foriegners into our midst?
Will this convert the PAP-voters to vote out the PAP?
What are the dangers of diluting the Singapore identity?
Our 40 years of nation building is surely destroyed by the liberal immigration policy approved by PM Lee.
Can he be held accountable?
What steps can be taken to reverse this dilution or pollution of Singapore lang?
Thanks Mr Ngiam for bringing this issue into local press!!! More Singaporean should understand the repercussion of the current government’s immigration policy. Our citizenship has become so cheap since the current PM took office.
What you say, is all over the internet years ago, I don’t know what is the big F*** when someone like Mr Ngiam says the obvious, it get published in the papers,I guess it’s to showcase the world that we have freedom of speech.
Don’t get con, it’s “Approved” before it is published.
It is impossible for us to continue staying here as citizens for we know we cannot afford public housing and we know we will not have enough for retirement because living standards are so high we cannot afford to plan for retirement. We also believe we will have a slim chance to get our CPF because we will not have enough for the ever-increasing minimum sum and foreseeable changes due to our graying population.
Nothing sums the situation in Sinkapore better than the short paragraph above.
Dudes. Don’t ya all see democracy at work? 20 years ago, Ngiam would have been crucified if he made such statements. On hindsight, I shudder to think how a newly independent Singapore could survive the early days of high population growth. We became a victim of our own success. And looking to the US model of attracting talents from ALL OVER THE WORLD, I fear we are going to repeat the same mistakes again. Yes, US became a superpower but Singapore will not but would have the fair share of problems from integration and stress.
Majulah Singapura!
i hope in the next ge there are enough good opposition candidates to contest in every grc and single ward
ngiam, how you find the high HDB pricing huh?
1st time citizens buying the flat happy or not huh?
how’s work lately man? enjoy?
Contrary to popular beliefs, the PAP has screw up more than they had contributed to Singapore’s success. They adopted the “Stop-At-Two” policy in the early years becos of housing shortages and when the economy is still developing, not realising that housing shortages and economic development are short/medium term problems which can be resolved by building more houses and creating more jobs within the next 10 years. However, the population policy is a long term issue. When a baby is born, it takes 20 years for him to mature and contribute to the nation.
Hence, now that there is a problem of aging population becos of their stop-at-two policy, they again tried to remedy their screw-up by bringing in more foreigners, not realizing that with more PRs/foreigners coming in, there will be a surge in demand for housing and jobs and reducing Singapore to be a home for foreigners and citizens as slaves in their homeland.
However, by skillful manipulation, they had managed to cover up their screw-ups and short-sightedness in every elections by pointing out the successes they had done for Singapore and instill fear among Singaporeans how Singapore will go into trouble without them. By giving incentives such as HDB upgrading, New Singapore Shares, GST credits, etc. etc., they had also managed to play on the greed of Singaporeans in voting for them.
Hence, Singaporeans can only blame themselves for their short-sightedness during the past elections for giving in to the fear and inducement of the PAP. Who can they blame for the high cost of living in Singapore, the 7% GST, losing of $40 billion by Temasek Holdings without accountability and transparency, large numbers of foreign workers pushing down the wages and competing with Singaporeans for jobs and HDB resale flats, high transport costs, etc. etc.? Can the PAP be blamed? No! Singaporeans must blame themselves and their forefathers for the sins of greed and cowardice in the past elections in voting for the PAP out of fear and greed!
It is time for Singaporeans to wake up from their slumber and repent of their past sins committed in the past elections in voting for the PAP out of fear and greed! The time for repentance of fear and greed of Singaporeans has come and the time is now! 1st in Malaysia. 2nd in Japan. Now is the turn for Singapore to change. It’s time for Singaporeans to wake up from their slumber and challenge the intimidation and fear PAP always seek to create in the minds of Singaporeans by saying how Singapore will go in trouble without them. Nobody is indispensable. Even if the opposition parties are voted in and formed a coalition government, Singapore will still be business as usual or may even be better.
NCMP and NMP cannot vote against bills and can only voice their opinions. What’s the point of talking when they do not have the power to check the PAP?
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It’s time Singapore has a opposition party or a coalition parties strong enough to provide a check and balance to the PAP, similar to the Western-style democracy.
However, if Singaporeans don’t give the opposition parties a chance to prove themselves by stepping forward in faith and vote for them, how can they be expected to prove their competency and re-govern Singapore for the welfare of Singapore citizens? How can Singaporeans said that the opposition parties are incompetent and cannot provide a credible alternative to the PAP if they are not given a chance to prove themselves? Singaporeans should be merciful to the opposition parties by giving them a chance to prove themselves by voting for them. By showing mercy to the opposition parties, Singaporeans are also showing mercy to their children who will be the victims of who we vote for, for we are now victims of our forefathers who voted for the PAP. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
The RP is right that defence spending should be cut. If the defence spending is cut, the GST, income tax and corporate tax may also be cut as well. Thus, bringing more income and purchasing power to Singaporeans and businesses. With more purchasing power in the hands of Singaporeans, it can lead to more demands for goods and services and thus, improve the welfare of Singaporeans and provide better businesses to the companies.
With a reduction in corporate tax rate, it can also boost business profits in Singapore and attract more foreign investments into the country and create more jobs for Singaporeans. Why should the welfare of 1 big money wasting / money making machine (not war fighting machine) come at the expense of majority of Singaporeans? The PAP is paying the army regular officers a very high pay in the hope that should there be a freak election, they can depend on the army to keep them in power. That explains why many ex-SAF officers serve in high appointments in the PAP, civil service and statutory boards and even if the opposition parties win an election, they had no power to remove them and has to seek the approval from the President.
The SAF is a national service army and Singaporeans serve NS for the defence of Singapore, not for the PAP and the military elites. Moreover, the deterrence value of the SAF comes from the commitment of Singaporeans, NSmen and NSFs to national service. Before Singaporeans can defend Singapore against any external aggressor, they should 1st defend themselves against internal aggressors i.e. the PAP, the high-paying SAF officers and the foreign talents, which constitute the “evil tripartite” oppressing the welfare of ordinary Singaporeans!
While the PAP is calling Singaporeans to defend their home, they are at the same times bringing in more foreign talents to take away the jobs and HDB flats of Singaporeans. Hence, Singaporeans had been called to serve 2 years of NS and 10-ICT cycle to defend the jobs and homes of the foreigners living in Singapore. Statistics of Singapore revealed that 34% of the population are PRs/foreigners. Thus, Singapore citizens had become slaves to the foreigners in our homeland.
With the influx of foreigners into Singapore, Singapore has already been colonised by foreigners through economic means, not military means. Hence, the threat of national security and defence of Singapore is not at the military front, but at the home front. Hence, defence spending should be cut by reducing the high pay of the SAF regular officers without affecting the military capability, and foreign talents should be restricted in Singapore for the welfare of the citizens.
This is what the government should focus on in terms of national security. Without a job and a house to raise a family, what security is there for a Singapore citizen to defend in Singapore? Instead of doing some soul –searching for their screw-up becos of their “Stop-At-Two” policy, the PAP is blaming Singaporeans for not producing enough babies and collaborate with the PRs/foreign talents to suppress the wages and reduce the welfare of Singapore citizens, in the hope by suppressing the wage level, ordinary Singapore citizens will be preoccupied with their bread and butter issue and have no time and power to question the rule of the PAP.
Hence, it’s time for Singaporeans to take the step of faith to take back their rights as a Singapore citizen by voting for the opposition parties and empower them to break the dominance of the PAP!! If Singaporeans have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains!
Today’s MSM said wages have NOT kept pace with costs of living in the last two years. UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR.
The wisdom minds of the MIW brings in an avalance of more foreigners to displace the “high costs” Singaporeans so that they are left stranded with no jobs. Of course, they got great options of “upgrading” through gimmicks like SPURs or browbeaten to big pay cut, shut up and sit down. The strategy seems to the copycat of the very successful Hezbollah and Hamas strategy – bombs here means population bomb to displace the disgruntled and non-complaint and charity means spurs, resilience package deals, GST rebates etc. Failing that there is still hope – de-sensitized the informational truth in MSM and colourise it with glamour news so that some dumb frogs can be pacified and even switched to be their alternative loudspeakers of falsehoods.
For 44 years, we been conned. Is this enough of their hoax of foreign talents?
very successful Hezbollah and Hamas strategy should read asvery successful Hezbollah and Hamas strategy of “bombs and charity”