December 28, 2009
A Malaysian citizen and Singapore PR by the name of Chan Yeow
Kwan has written to TODAY Voices urging toe Singapore government to
realize the fact that “citizenship is a personal choice.”
There is much public debate lately on Singapore PRs “exploiting”
loopholes in the system to “enjoy the best of both worlds”.
PRs are allowed to purchase resale HDB flats in Singapore and do
not have National Service obligations.
In last few years, there are reports of PRs who sold off their
HDB flats for a hefty profit before retiring in their homelands for
good.
The “unfair advantage” enjoyed by PRs is a constant source of
consternation and anger among Singaporeans leading to the recent
announcement by the Ministry of Education to allocate one
additional ballot for citizens in primary school application.
Mr Chan admitted that he has been a Singapore PR for 15 years
and has not taken up Singapore citizenship yet.
From the tone of his letter, it appears that he has no intention
of doing so.
Mr Chan claimed that PRs spend their “prime years here
contributing to the skilled workforce” and “Singapore gains by
having young professionals from different cultural backgrounds and
with a diversity of view points.”
Mr Chan’s profession is not revealed in the letter. Though PRs
are largely skilled workers in the past, nowadays semi-skilled and
unskilled workers are given PRs as well.
The state media is full of reports of cleaners, construction
workers and masseurs being given Singapore PRs and
citizenships.
It is not known how they qualify for Singapore PR in the first
place. According to the Home Affairs Ministry, there are 90,000 PRs
and 20,000 new citizens last year.
Mr Chan added that it is a “personal choice” as to why some PRs
do not take up citizenship:
“It is not so much dictated by incentives, but by internal
and external circumstances. A few friends of mine have returned to
their home countries due to family commitments such as ageing
parents who need constant medical care.”
He also claimed that “Singapore will not lose if PRs choose to
leave” as “it can keep on attracting young, new talent.”
Ultimately, it is not Singapore who lose out but Singaporeans
themselves should these PRs leave after “milking” dry the
system.
The relentless influx of foreigners have contributed to the rise
in the cost of living, especially that of public housing and helped
to keep the wages of the ordinary Singapore worker stagnant.
An Indonesian PR “spoils” the market lately by forking out
$653,000 to buy a 4-room resale HDB flat in Queenstown when he
could well afford a private condominium.
As PRs do not have to spend up to 4 weeks a year for reservist
training, they are more highly sought after by employers thereby
putting Singaporeans at a perpetual disadvantage.
Despite widespread resentment and anger on the ground at the
ruling party’s pro-foreigner policy, it continue to insists that
foreigners are “essential” for Singapore.
In a recent interview with the National Geographic magazine,
Singapore’s geriatrician leader MM Lee Kuan Yew said he is aware
that “many Singaporeans are unhappy with the influx of immigrants,
especially those educated newcomers prepared to fight for higher
paying jobs.”
“Over time, Singaporeans have become less hard-driving and
hard-striving. This is why it is a good thing that the nation has
welcomed so many Chinese immigrants.” Lee was quoted
saying.
Lee describes the country’s new subjects as “hungry,” with
parents who “pushed the children very hard.”
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs
are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem,” he
quipped.
With such “enlightened” leaders like Lee and his son the Prime
Minister in Singapore, Mr Chan’s worry that he may be “pressurized”
to take up Singapore citizenship is completely unfounded.
He can well continue earning Singapore dollars in Singapore and
convert to Ringgit back in use in Malaysia where he can probably
retire like a king for the rest of his life.
