Vivian happy that there are 4,500 new immigrants serving as grassroots leaders
November 24, 2009 by Our Correspondent
Filed under Headlines
Written by Our Correspondent
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan revealed in parliament yesterday that there were about 4,500 new immigrants serving as grassroots leaders.
He was replying to a question posed by fellow PAP MP Christopher de Souza and and Nominated MP Teo Siong Seng for the measures taken to integrate the newcomers.
According to Dr Vivian, groups such as the People’s Association, grassroots volunteer groups and other community organisations had devised a whole host of activities to foster community bonding.
“We encourage locals and newcomers alike to participate in these community activities and expand their social circles to include one another,” he said.
The PAP has been organizing activities for PRs and new citizens such as HDB block parties to make them feel “welcomed” in Singapore.
Dr Vivian has no qualms “splurging” on the immigrants. A $10-million Community Integration Fund paid for by taxpayers was set up lately to help the newcomers “integrate” into Singapore society.
However, when asked by MP Dr Lily Neo a few years ago to ensure three meals a day for Singaporeans on Public Assistance (PA), Dr Vivian retorted:
“How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?”
While other countries like Australia and Canada require prospective 
migrants to pass an English proficiency test, the Singapore government will give provide language classes for the immigrants for free.
PAP MP Halimah Yacob raised the idea of a citizenship test which was described by Dr Vivian as an “interesting and quite sensible suggestion”.
Dr Vivian said one of the best ways to plug newcomers into the community though is to get them to volunteer in grassroots organizations like Residents Committees (RC) and Citizens Consultative Committees (CCC) under the ambit of the People’s Association (PA).
Grassroots organizations are quasi-government organizations which are firmly controlled by the ruling party.
The Chairman of the People’s Association is none other than Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong himself.
Grassroots volunteers are often mobilized to organize PAP events which includes campaigning during the elections.
The ruling party has opened the floodgates in a desperate bid to boost Singapore’s declining birth rates via immigration.
There were over 20,000 new citizens and 90,000 PRs in 2008.
The increasing number of new citizens will form a powerful voting bloc to keep the PAP in power for the next few decades or so since they tend to support the incumbent government.
Despite rising resentment and frustration on the ground at the relentless influx of foreigners, the ruling party is adamant that immigration is essential to the future of Singapore.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong mused publicly whether to allow immigrant “enclaves” to emerge in the HDB heartlands.
MM Lee Kuan Yew urged Singaporeans to bear with the “tide” of foreigners which has now become a “flood”.
Singapore’s ruling party controls all state institutions and organs such as the police and media.
The weak and feeble opposition is no challenge to its hegemony and it is almost impossible to vote them out of power.
Unlike earlier immigrants from Malaysia and Hong Kong, the latest immigrants from China and India show little willingness to integrate into Singapore society and prefer to mix among themselves.
Citizens now made up only 64 per cent of Singapore’s 5-million population. The percentage of citizens born in Singapore will probably decrease to less than 50 per cent if the current immigration rates continue unabated.
Singaporeans may soon find themselves a minority in their own country and have to attend language classes to “re-integrate” into a new Singapore dominated by the new migrants who will ironically be their “grassroots leaders” under the auspices of the PAP-controlled People’s Association.
Related articles:
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>> PAP ministers hailed contributions of foreigners
>> SM Goh expressed support for Zhang Yuanyuan
>> State media: citizens have more rights over PRs
>> Zhang Yuanyuan got her Singapore PR in only 2 months
>> Official reply from government on the Zhang Yuanyuan fiasco
>> Singapore PRC PR proclaimed loyalty to China publicly
>> PRC resident hung China flag to celebrate its National Day
>> PRC student in Singapore wants more scholarships for foreigners
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fair and square on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:06 am
Minster,
The NEW IMMIGRANTS are HAPPIER than you are!!!
you took away our livelihood and handed it so “lovingly”
to them.
you constantly sing their praises even when it’s not due;
worse still,sometimes you even blame locals for their
offences such as littering and bullying our old folks at food-courts…if the gahmen thinks it is clever;let me humbly forewarn that the newbies are hundredfold smarter than our ministers!
you see,gradually they will pack and go if things here turn sour..they only love to enjoy the “roses” ,they won’t share our
troubles!
so ministers,don’t think you are clever;these newbies will
most likely FRUSTRATE you all later! hahaha!
singapore boy on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:13 am
bala boy.
i know what you doing.
You are buttering up the new citizens so they will vote for PAP.
All real singaporeans will vote for opposition.
So you just get anyhow, any one , in to be new citizen, to vote for pap.
That why you give money for new citizens.
All the real singapore citizens that have no money can go to apply public assistance. No confirmation that you get it.
smallyfly on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:15 am
Well, when this “million-dollar miw minister” asking for patience from Singaporeans on the delay of the construction of national-sport-hub, resulted from his ministry’s non-competency in handling the project, should there be punishments for this million-dollar “ingrate” who fail miserably? Since, the miw government always believes in late-payment charges/liquidated damages in non-completion of project on time, now, all commercial activities in the existing national stadium have been ceased prior to tearing-down to make way for the new sport-hub, how much loses has the government incurred due to non-utilization of the existing national stadium. Can our honorable accounting-auditors perform a detail calculation on the loses on revenue, so as to charge the million-dollar miw minister for wasting the tax-payer’s money to such an outrageous level!
for singapore on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:18 am
sycophantics doing their antics is no big deal!
now,we see,these newbies are really talents,they can even
falsely impress our smart scholar ministers!
bravo! bravo!at least the local common singaporeans are not the
only ones cheated.
Singapore First on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:29 am
So new migrants dominating the RC will control the MUCH POLITICISED LUP?
AND, Singaporeans all please READ THIS
“Most did not intend to stay long term, but “a good many” are well-qualified, skilled personnel who decided to stay longer and applied for PR.”
found in
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20091123-181787.html
Bottomline, they are here TEMPORARY AND THEY DECIDE OUR FUTURE and for that they are rewarded with PR instead of PEPs with all the advantages accrued whilst Singaporeans get screwed????
Are you all proud of your highfaluting national pledge? Anyone???
singapore boy on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:29 am
Dear New Citizens
Why come to singapore?
If it is not for our good security?
If it is not for our jobs and money?
if it is not for our clean water and environment?
Come in and share our fruits of our forefathers’ labour.
Why do you make your own in your countries?
When troubles come, all these new citizens & some of PAP ministers will flyaway to other countries, with our money.
And leave nothing behind.
bornloser on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:35 am
As I see it these new immigrants will have priority for all sorts of things: flats, schools, even exemption from traffic fines, etc. What a wonderful government we have!
Screw those who build up the nation and give the goodies to the newcomers.
The real reason is that these new immigrants will be obligated to vote for the PAP in the next election since Singaporeans are disillusioned with the failure of this government to meet their aspirations.
All the more Singaporeans must make the right response to a pro-immigrant government at the expense of the people who are the rightful owners of this country.
Wonder what Vivian is so happy about? Hoodwinking Singaporeans who voted him in?
Muppet on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:36 am
How many of these serve in order to get their children to the so-called elite primary schools?
Notdumb on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:53 am
Let the PR take over as much as possible
I am sure the education (brainwashing) in other country is better than singapore. So you expect them not to think different? Not a chance. Wait till the triggers become a force it will be too late. When the FT that become PR is greater than 30%, you think they will just vote for whoever they were told too?
You can’t just pump up the population over a short timeframe and don’t expect change in other area.
If the singapore government expect their export to get involve with singapore still, the same will apply to FT and PR from other places, and they will try to swing their preference to those that suit them…
Babo S on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 11:56 am
After having received Singapore citizenship, there were so many Inidan then applied and migrated to Australia.
ayama on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 12:33 pm
The time is right now to vote all this useless cronies and boot licking parasite,out of Parliament.
They only know how to repeat and sing praises of their political master.
Since they can earn more in the private sector why dont we grant them their wishes kick them out and let them have an early retirement.
ZaoBao on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 1:41 pm
In today’s morning ZaoBao, Dr William Tan Kian Meng (paralympian), is being sued by his “girlfriend”
Dr Stephanie Chee Jok Heng
(GM of Parkway Healthcare Foundation) for non-repayment
of personal loans.
It is funny that Dr William Tan is always viewed as a champion
who helps to raise fund for charities and now he is being
sued by others for not repaying loan.
It is ironical to help others with money and yet himself is in money problem.
Simialrly, our government creates this problem and expect us to solve this problem for the government.
Time for Change on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 1:58 pm
Jobs for foreigners, NSF for Singaporeans.
Nothing will change until we vote for change.
The Patriot on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 1:59 pm
Why we moronic Singaporeans can’t see thru’ the scheming strategy of the old fart. It is exactly like the Cultural Revolution during the Mao’s Communist China. When Mao knew that the peasant Chinese who had been supporting him were beginning to alienate him because of his many failed policies, he instigated a Cultural Revolution to indoctrinate the young Chinese, age below 20 who had no idea of the Mao’s failures and mismanagement to replace the older generation as the support base to sustain his power.
This is what old fart is doing now. He knows the bulk of the true-bred Singaporeans are now rejecting him and therefore he purposely allows the influx of immigrants into Singapore who have no ideas of his wrong-doings to replace the true-bred Singaporeans to vote for him and his party.
L on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 2:00 pm
Can all of you elect me to be the next MCYS’s minister? Please?
I promise to do a better job than this S-hole. I will make building the sport hub as my top priority. I will not sit on my S on this project. I will only collect 10% of my salary and donate the remaining 90% to charity until the project is completed.
cursepap on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 2:13 pm
he used to stand up for the common man, and i still remember the press conference that he give when he stand for PAP ticket. I have high expectation for him.
I dont know how he sleep at night, I wish he had nightmare everynight.
LHL's Dead Wife on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 2:15 pm
@ fair and square
yeah i agree…these people will turn out to be the new version of the “Bond Breakers”
Time for Change on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 2:16 pm
Who are we fooling? PRs will not take up citizenship. Those too young cannot afford a HDB flat and the older ones are not going to pay more than $300,000 to stay in a pigeon hole when they can buy a mansion back home.
Employers apply PR for their foreign workers to get around the quota on foreign workers.
http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/Office/Story/A1Story20080515-65281.html
Jobs for foreigners, NSF and poverty for Singaporeans.
LHL's Dead Wife on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 2:31 pm
Dont forget, the other reason for the high influx of immigrants especially Chinese nationals, is to boost the slowly declining Chinese population here. Dont get me wrong, i’m not racist, heck I’m Chinese too…but like most of my fellow singaporean chinese , we dont identify with these Chinese Nationals…most of them were born in a barn and have no basic manners and courtesy to people around them. I believe many of my singaporean indian friends also view Indian Nationals in the same light.
If there’s one thing to learn from our puppet govt – it is to hit people where it hurts them most..their wallets…so i say to all my Singapore friends out there…find as many ways as possible to make money from these foreign dogs, squeeze them out of their money since they have so much of it! My loyalty lies with Singaporeans.
cy on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 3:40 pm
i did a check on the figures for new citizens from 2005 to 2008 as the immigration criteria was relaxed after 2004, i believe these figures are good enough.
total no. of new citizens approx 64000, our voting strength is around 2.2 million, so new citizen voting percentage is abt 3%. Assuming all new citizens vote for PAP,is this figure large enough to swing votes to PAP? that will depend whether the swing of votes to opposition is greater than 3 + (66-50) = 19%.
Note:i am using average figures here, swing required may be less or more depending on each GRC/SMC situation.
cy on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 3:42 pm
i also read in zaobao abt Dr William Tan Kian Meng’ s law suit. wonder whether ST is reporting it or not as ST is always the one who like to publicise his news.
angry_one on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 5:11 pm
Idiots! They are not aware of the PRs strong ‘guanxi’ and social networks. They join the grassroots organisations to secure perks for themselves and their friends! Soon you will see true-blue sinkees denied aid or attendance in community events because the organizers left them out!
Their loyalty will always be to their home countries. I have not seen evidence that proves otherwise.
Guaca Molly on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 5:15 pm
Assuming PRs are reserves in the football field, as an when many get red cards and leave the inc, would the quota (if any) be relaxed to allow even more of these reserves to be granted citizenship, assuming they applied and pending approval?
wow, i so pleased with this system. These PRs can serve as a hidden ‘army’ of the backbone of the inc. They are among us.
once their is shortage, can more be granted approval for citizenship?
I wonder.
Tong Sin Hai on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 5:22 pm
I wonder how much time the Opposition have left to become strong?
Given the flood of new citizens, the little rise in the number of opposition supporters may not be enough.
The game may already over if there are now more ruling party supporters than before assuming the new citizens support the present gov as one of the reasons they give up their citizenship of their motherland, where all their childhood memories , friends and loved ones may be there.
The opposition did not do enough, though they tried.
The people never woke up.
The Trend was Bucked.
The people are responsible.
Wake up on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 5:48 pm
We open our gates and allow the influx of immigrants as Singaporeans are “not producing enough” due to PAP’s demonic “stop at 2″ policy.
With the current rising level in cost of living, these immigrants will be like most of us, having 2 working adults. The probability of them reproducing more than 2 is as low as any Singaporean.
Now, these immigrants too, will get OLD in the lateryears.
So does PAP solve Singapore’s birthrate problem by immigrant influx?
NO!!!
The problem is only POSTPHONED till the later stage,
where the greying population will BALLOON in 20~30 years time.
By then, we will have a FAR FAR WORSE problem on hand, the projected over 60yr old population will SWELL, and what we do?
Continue to the exponential influx till 10million? 15million? 100million?!?!?
PAP is IRRESPONSIBLE to the present Singaporean,
and has planted a TIME-BOMB for the future Singaporean.
…and I am NOT gonna be part of it!
sturmtruppen on Tue, 24th Nov 2009 5:51 pm
Good Evening Folks, my last repeat of below quote..i promised..
Quote from Thomas Jefferson
“We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.
We must make our election between economy and liberty
or profusion and servitude.
If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and
in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and
our amusements, for our calling and our creeds…
[we will] have no time to think,
no means of calling our miss-managers to account
but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves
to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers…
And this is the tendency of all human governments.
A departure from principle in one instance
becomes a precedent for [another ]…
till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery…
And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt.
Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression.”
knnbccb on Wed, 25th Nov 2009 1:52 am
A nation of sheep deserves a government of wolves.
LHL's Dead Wife on Wed, 25th Nov 2009 10:31 am
@knnccb
I think in SG’s case, it is a government of wolves that’s created a nation of sheep!
Local citizen on Wed, 25th Nov 2009 11:20 am
Wow!that’s what they called ‘Foreign Talents’!4,500 of them!
Their IQ must be very high!In less than no time, they have mastered the fine art of carrying b…ls! The 10 million dollars splashed on them has immediate effect.Money well spent,got value!Well done minister!
fair and square on Wed, 25th Nov 2009 12:27 pm
btw,is there already MINISTER substance among the
FTs they adore.if so,must as well replace the current
non-performing ministers with FTs for the overall good of
Singapore.
How come the ministers keep demeaning locals and replacing us
with “foreign talents” but they don’t chastise themselves for their poor performances and get themselves replaced by those
people they so adore?…perhaps,the ministers should consider
sincerely to replace themselves with these new-found fresh
“out-of-the-pan” talents for the sake of Singapore!!!
Political SalesMaN on Wed, 25th Nov 2009 12:43 pm
Vivian: what have U so proud to announce 4500 inmigrant serve the grassroot. It is proud to admit your PAP mistake, in the 70’s Policy “STOP AT Two” murder & slaughter the “Innocent & Defenceless” foetus 1/2 million innocent life has gone. Your master LKY is a coward.
Urbanrant on Wed, 25th Nov 2009 1:18 pm
All I want for Christmas is a Parliament with 1/3 Foreign Talents. Why is governance a enclave of Singaporean only, if there is no sanctity of the same in other professions.
hahaha on Wed, 25th Nov 2009 6:35 pm
Grassroots = PAP
Did I just read that we have now 4500 new PAP lackeys?
Fyi, u get priority in buying HDB flats and choice units too..
This is the way they “buy” your heart and soul…legally!
fpc on Thu, 26th Nov 2009 8:57 am
all goes to show that the turncoat is shameless.