Tag Archives: Foreigners

Inflow of foreigners ‘must benefit citizens’

SINGAPORE must manage the inflow of foreign talent and other immigrants to ensure Singaporeans do not lose out but rather benefit from their presence, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday.

He said the Republic, which is already a cultural melting pot, will become even more diverse in the years to come.

‘Locals must accommodate the different habits, beliefs and practices of foreigners, and foreigners working and living here must respect local ways and habits and make an effort to integrate,’ he said.

‘Then, Singapore will be an oasis of harmony with a rich diversity of people, culture and ideas.’

Foreigners living and working here, however, must contribute to Singapore, said Mr Goh.

‘Those who come to drink from the oasis must add to our ability to replenish the water, and not just consume and deplete the stock,’ he said.

‘By this I mean that we must manage the inflow of talent and new immigrants to ensure that Singaporeans do not lose out and in fact benefit from their presence. Only then can we create a harmonious, cosmopolitan society.’ Continue reading

PR distribution in HDB estates will be monitored

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will consider measures to prevent the congregation of permanent residents, if necessary.

MediaCorp had contacted the statutory board after Member of Parliament Lim Wee Kiak filed a parliamentary question on the total number of PRs who own HDB flats and the distribution of PRs in various public housing estates.

While his question is being held over from last week – it could not be reached within the 90 minutes given for question time – an HDB spokesman said: “It’s important that PRs can integrate into the larger citizen community and to have a good mix of PRs in HDB estates. HDB will monitor the distribution of PRs in HDB estates.”

While it will consider measures, the spokesman added: “The number of PR households owning HDB flats is a small proportion of all HDB households.”

To Dr Lim, who may get the numbers next month when Parliament is in session, “10 to 15 per cent” would be “significant” enough – “as big a group as Indians and Malays” – to warrant introducing a quota system to ensure “even distribution” of PRs across estates, which will help the efforts to integrate and naturalise them.

PRs will otherwise “remain separated”, he said. Continue reading