Population 6m: Is there room? 7 million ??

SJS6638 SG

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a televised forum in Mandarin that the country can accommodate “6 million or so” people. Any more than that would require careful thinking, he added.

PM Lee gave a similar answer to a question posed by Singapolitics readers.

This is how the exchange went:

Q: PM, the next question is, what is the limit of population size? What is optimal for Singapore?

A: I would be hesitant to say, to produce an optimal number. I think it depends on how Singapore develops, depends on how we expand the land area - we can still reclaim land - depends how we redevelop our city and provide a good quality of life in an urban environment. Our Masterplan is based on 6.5 million but 6.5 million is not a target. It's a possibility which we have mapped out and we know that can be done. So last week, I was asked this. I said, six million plus is no problem. Beyond that, we'll have to study carefully how we can do it. We have to invest in infrastructure. We can invest in infrastructure. We have to rebuild the city, we can do that. You need time but we also need an economy which is prospering because if you don't have a successful economy, even one million people in Singapore will starve.

The population is now 5.31 million. If it grows at 2.5 per cent a year, as it did from June last year to June this year, it will cross the 6 million mark by 2017.

According to Institute of Policy Studies projections, Singapore is likely to cross the 7 million mark before 2040 only if it allows in many more foreigners and lets their share of the population rise from the current one-quarter to one-third.

The Straits Times spoke to six experts about Singapore's population and the likely impact in the areas they know best.

SJS6638 SG

I suppose he will not stop at 7 million.

I take it it is going to be 7 million and more to come.

fattt! MIW!

charlize SG

Target population getting higher and higher.

Unlimited now.

Property agents huat ah.

SJS6638 SG

property agents and MIW will laugh themselves to the bank.

Fatt! Huat !

jojobeach SG

6 million ?

20 million also can.

Just build mega cities similar to the Shimizu Mega cities for Japan.

Singapore no need to worry about natural disasters like Earthquakes/Tsunamis/Hurrican/Typhoon... etc etc....

We are in the prime location.. with plenty of water space around us...

It can be done... but will it be done ?

SJS6638 SG

charlize SG

6 million ?

20 million also can.

Just build mega cities similar to the Shimizu Mega cities for Japan.

Singapore no need to worry about natural disasters like Earthquakes/Tsunamis/Hurrican/Typhoon... etc etc....

We are in the prime location.. with plenty of water space around us...

It can be done... but will it be done ?

Next time, you either live above ground 100 storeys high or under ground 100 storeys below.

GHoST_18 SG

there's always room for more.

it just depends on how u wanna stack it.

vertically or horizontally up.

jojobeach SG

Next time, you either live above ground 100 storeys high or under ground 100 storeys below.

No need to wait for next time... It is already happening.

This is a Earthscraper...65 story underground building.

There's already an Ancient Underground city more than 11 levels deep in Derinkuyu, Turkey.

SG.AdultsCircle.com SG

No, there is not enough room, we don't want to become another New Delhi. I think today will ask all my friends vote for Workers Party already. Last time say 5 million, then say 6 million, now going for 7 million, do you think they will stop at 7 million? I tell you, they will squeeze every dime out of you guys. For a cheap car in Singapore, you can get a porsche in another country, are you guys idiots? Don't you see you're all running in a cage like rats going nowhere?

SG.AdultsCircle.com SG

No need to wait for next time... It is already happening.

This is a Earthscraper...65 story underground building.

There's already an Ancient Underground city more than 11 levels deep in Derinkuyu, Turkey.

All these are talk only lah... when they manage to build all these, then talk to me again. As of now, I tell you the cold hard facts, the cold hard facts are... MRT breakdowns... cold hard facts are... HDB pricing go above 1 million dollars... cold hard facts are... You sometimes need to miss a few carriages before the MRT has the space for you to go in... cold hard facts are... Taxi fares keep rising because not enough supply for the overpopulated country... cold hard facts are... Your HDB flat don't belong to you, you only rent it for 99 years and you have to give back to government... cold hard facts are... they say gambling is bad, suddenly 2 casinos pop out in Singapore, causing more suicides... everything they say, you believe? they say gambling is bad, suddenly they say casinos benefits the country, haha, so everything they say, despite opposite directions, you also believe? Singaporeans say North Koreans brainwashed, sometimes only if you are wise enough to look from the outside, I would say some Singaporeans also brainwashed.

jojobeach SG

All these traffic and human jams.. are merely results of POOR civil planning.

If they build offices underneath housing units... and allot houses according to where you work... there will be no need to COMMUTE back and forth..

All the traffic problems are due to rush hours... if we can eliminate rush hours.. we can eliminate the traffic jams.

Telecommuting should be heavily implemented... if there is no need to leave your own home.. you really shouldn't be stepping out that door.

Think outside the cage !!

SG.AdultsCircle.com SG

All these traffic and human jams.. are merely results of POOR civil planning.

Assuming what you say is right, then what makes you think suddenly out of nowhere, PAP suddenly become genius at civil planning? If someone sucks at Maths during primary school, and flunk their Maths during secondary school, will you place your money on them getting As for their Maths subjects on their JC/Poly? If the answer is no, then it still doesn't make sense to trust them.

jojobeach SG

Dont blame science and technology.

Blame: FAILED government policies and their disjointed efforts to run our country among their own party.

If demand vs supply is balanced.. there will not be so many problems..

but I believe we need to pay them ministers MORE... in order for them to achieve such miracle.

Maybe we should pay each of them 10 millions. You get what you paid for, no ?

Summer hill SG

There's still some empty space in my cupboard with nobody living in it...we've got plently more room!!

Come on foriegners....cram into Singapore!!

SG.AdultsCircle.com SG

There's still some empty space in my cupboard with nobody living in it...we've got plently more room!!

Come on foriegners....cram into Singapore!!

ok, tomorrow i go your house, i go pack my stuff now.

lce SG

its more political than economic

new citizen tends to vote for them

a very dirty political move

SJS6638 SG

haiz

charlize SG

its more political than economic

new citizen tends to vote for them

a very dirty political move

o rly ?

charlize SG

Or really about the moolah?