SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said
Singapore must find workable solutions to keep its society vibrant
and forward-looking, maintain its economic vitality and strengthen
the Singapore core, as it faces the challenge of population
growth.
In his 2012 New Year message on Saturday, Mr Lee
described population as a "particularly complex and critical
challenge".
Mr Lee said the country needs to balance the
conflicting factors, make judicious compromises and accept the
unavoidable trade-offs.
He highlighted the conflicting factors that have to be
considered:
Singaporeans need to have enough children to replace themselves,
yet getting married and having children are ultimately personal
decisions.
A vibrant economy needs enough workers and talent, yet it runs into
physical and social constraints if it admits too many foreign
workers too quickly.
Diversity enriches society, provided the new arrivals adopt
Singapore's values and culture.
Mr Lee said the government is tightening the inflow of foreign
workers to a more sustainable rate but companies are already
feeling the pinch, especially small and medium enterprises.
He said individual Singaporeans will feel it too because many
foreign workers do jobs that serve citizens.
Mr Lee said admitting fewer foreign workers also means forgoing
business opportunities and accepting slower growth.
He said the government must do its utmost to raise productivity, to
make up in quality what it will miss in quantity.
The prime minister said these population issues affect all
Singaporeans, and will be discussed over the next year to
understand better what's at stake and what choices have to be made
as a nation.
Mr Lee said how Singaporeans manage the difficult trade-offs, like
the population issue, reflects the strength of the community.
He said as the nation matures, its society is increasingly diverse
and the public debate has become more open and robust.
Mr Lee said just as important is how well its people relate to one
another in a shared home - not only in good times when there are
fewer frictions and it is easier to get along, but also when they
encounter tough issues and when passions run high and different
points of view have to be bridged.
- CNA/fa
