Lets not kid ourselves, no matter how we look at it, the way we
are going will ultimately end up with Singapore having more PUSH
then PULL factors working for it.
The problem is this: we are a small nation that cannot offer many
of the things other countries have, no matter how we try to
reinvent ourselves we will never have the large sprawling
landscapes or seasons like other countries, nor a unique, vibrant
culture or all those other things that might attract people to a
nation.
The only real thing we have going for us is MONEY, and that is the
main reason why we attract people to come here. Our system has made
the ground as welcoming as possible for people looking for an
opportunity to make a sum to come in. This is our greatest PULL
factor.
Unfortunately, money and economic opportunities itself will not
make many people set down their roots in here. Once the money part
is settled, people will look to other things like quality of life
and the sort, and realize that they dont really like what they see
here.
In a sense our current FT or PR policies are a short-term solution,
we can attract people to stay for the time being but its another
thing to make them actually stay. Worse, our emphasis on pragmatism
over identity and culture and made any emotional or sentimental
link with the nation for our visitors very weak and it doesnt help
that the kind of people we attract tend to be opportunists at the
same time who tend to view moving to Singapore more of a business
transition then actual nationhood.
The problem is this, we can blame the Singaporeans leave as much as
we want for being tame cats or quitters, but as long as we dont
have a national identity beyond anything goes to survive for the
time being you can only expect this trend to continue, or having a
local population with little love for the land.
After all if you are duty bound to fight and die for your land,
only to discover not only do you have this duty, you are given no
real leg-up to make a proper living alongside imported talent, the
people making the policies shouldnt be too surprised to have a
population that eventually become disillusioned with the whole
concept of nationhood or give it up entirely.
Singapore owes nobody a living, it is so often said
but nowadays
people are starting to ask Since when did WE own Singapore a
living?
