City planner urges Singaporeans to expect ‘higher population density’ in the future
Posted by temasektimes on May 4, 2012
Despite crumbling infrastructure and an obvious decline in the quality of life, Singapore is going to accept more immigrants in the future and Singaporeans have no choice but to accept it.
Speaking during a forum organized by the Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore’s former top city planner Liu Thai Ker said as the country’s long-term population projections had been outstripped much earlier than anticipated in the masterplan projections, Singaporeans will have to break the psychological barrier to face issues of higher density.
“If we remind Singaporeans the fact that our population size in 1960 was only 1.9 million, today it is 5.2 million. Is our environment worse than 1960 or better? The answer is obvious, it is much better,” he said without substantiating his statements.
He added confidently that with ‘careful planning and careful technological intervention’, Singaporeans will be able to live in a better environment with a higher population density.
“If we do it very, very carefully, the next lap of dealing with further density growth is more challenging but given that we have 50 years of solid experience, personally I remain cautiously optimistic. As long as we face the problem, don’t run away, I feel Singaporeans must not bury the problem. They should face it squarely.”
Meanwhile, Singapore’s public rail system appeared to be falling apart with yet another ‘minor’ train disruption yesterday morning which left commuters fuming again.
THE TEMASEK TIMES 
js said
Yet another civil servant sitting pretty in his ivory tower making uninformed statements that adversely affect lives of struggling commoners.
Naive Me? said
Mr Liu, why compared against 1960?
Why not 1990 when our population was 3 million of which 86% were Singapore Citizens (read citizens WITHOUT PRs)? During that era, life was much better. We had problem free MRT transport system, affordable housing (read affordable which means pay was low but housing was far lower), more space and no dog calling by foreigners. Locals were 1st class citizens and local men served the country with pride and honor! All these are absent today, do you know?
If you want to cherry pick, you might as well choose 1819! Singapore was much more unsafe then when there were lions roaming around whereas these animals today are kept away in our world famous zoo.
陈一峰 said
yes, i agree that the environment might look beautiful but let me ask him. how much can we actually enjoy our environment. prices of home are much more expensive. gap between people are further apart.
studies shows that no matter what our ratio to 65 to working people will be the same in 2050 whether or not we have more immigrant. all it do is show down the process. so i am more interested in the reason for us to accept the social culture change for the rise in immigrant.
LocalHustler said
dammit 😦
lim said
it is easy to preach when the needle is not poking your skin. another Mary Antoinette syndrome – when people are struggling in overcrowded conditions he ask why not aircon the place but let in more people?
Jaded said
of course life is better, his pay is better since the 1960s
Thank Goodness for TJS said
This joker who lives in a vast property with sprawling gardens thinks that Singapore’s environment has improved over the years. What tea has he been sipping? Anything of cultural significance has been bulldozed to make way for the population explosion. Land is so scarce Khaw is even suggesting we park our elderlies in nursing home across the causeway. What idiots these so called experts are!
Aberdyn said
It is inevitable immigrants flows to the country is to continue regardless of the consequences. As the government had said this is unavoidable to maintain the population growth in the long run in the next ten, twenty or thirty year’s period. The government arrived to the conclusion base on the department of statistics report on scale of population growth in the near future. It seems the government solely rely on imports of aliens here to address the shortfall of procreation due to the falling birth rate in the last couple of years. Total fertility rate decrease drastically with a total decline. Apparently it appears PAP government solution to the population decline is to let more aliens into the country and never look for other alternative to address the problem.
The brunt of the issue here is the procreation itself. As we all know, this was because of the stop at two policy in the 1960s and 70s were allowed to continue till the 1980s and the government particularly the state department of statistics (Population Growth) are sleeping on the job did not bother to see of the consequences that may affect in the long term. They fail to anticipate the potential of falling birth rate will occur if it is to continue. The biggest culprit to this problem was the prime minister of the day, LKY and the Family Planning Unit of the ministry of health. Because of these blunders we are now facing with the unprecedented repercussion that directly affecting the nation’s population growth. So, LKY is accountable and responsible for this massive population problem.
To address the problem, the government by right should think of other means and not solely letting in more aliens flocking into the country like nobody business. The government should look into the roots of the issue on how to encourage it citizens to procreate by applying with all the necessary method and formulas available to them to get the citizens indulge to get married and have babies in the earliest possible time. The government should introduce more schemes, beside the baby bonus; there should be more attractive goodies like more subsidies offered to potential young parents.
For the time being if you still need manpower into the workforce because of the population shortfall make sure you take in those only with the required skills and quality and not just any foreigners that did not possessed value-added qualities. This is to ensure we do not accept aliens flocking in big numbers and jam-packed the small island suffocating it because of this demographics phenomenon encourage by the government.
Zam said
Ok good…We vote PAP out in the GE 2016
fxxkyoualltwice@gmail.com said
Blame who? Blame the 60% la. I know you are not. Not me either. We are brothers-in-arm!!! Down with Prefer Alien Party!!!
Helmi said
I hope the 60% are happy when our population hits 10 million. 90% of them foreigners.
And Singaporean males still have to serve NS.
mengkorkor said
So everywhere will be remain Crowd now & future, queuing ,waiting for seat….
Stirrer said
Good, let them come, let them cripple the mass transit system bring it to a complete halt. Everyone late for work, productivity affected. Less coffin money for the blood suckers
Ken Lee said
IS MR LEE KWANG YEW COME OUT WITH THE TWO IS ENOUGH A WRONG DECISION?? OUR POPULATION DID NOT DECREASE BUT INCREASE BY 400 OVER PERCENT OVER THE YEARS!
pngkueh_forever said
Oh, oh, he has forgotten. In the 60s my father could buy a terrace house for just $29K. Now a similar terrace house costs $2.3 million. All these people are talking through their noses.
Sheer bullshiting leh…
Tan Yan Ren said
If this Guy is the same chap to plan our city eg along Bras basah Road, i think WE MUST IGNORE HIM ENTIRELY.
I am not trained to be a planner or architect, bUT i am sure i am right to say that in a small vibrant commercial island nation like Singapore where CITY land usage is vital, you MUST NOT put a university , library,and museum in the heart of the precious land along Bras Basah rd, because it does not make sense, just like what Lee Kuan Yew once said that HDB built at Marine Parade by the sea is the biggest mistake since it is prime land .ANYONE likesto correct me if i’m wrong? Any Learned man amonst Singaporeans like to correct me? Please DO!!!!!!!!I do stand corrected …at least with facts!!!