Situated at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the indigenous inhabitants of Singapore are the ethnic Malays. The Chinese and the Indians arrived only much later after the founding of Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819.
Singapore was a British crown colony then and it needed to be open to foreigners in order to spur its economy which was largely dependent on entrepot trade.
Chinese and Indian immigrants flocked to Singapore in search of a better life, many of whom eventually settled down there with their children becoming naturalized citizens when self-government was attained in 1959.
Being a colony then, Singapore could afford to welcome foreigners from all over the world with open arms, but not now when Singapore has evolved to become a nation.
The inhabitants of a colony are different from the citizens of a nation. They owe no allegiance to the colony and are free to leave anytime.
On the other hand, citizens have a stake in the nation and an implicit social contract exists between the people and the government. While Singaporeans are expected to serve the state in form of National Service and paying of taxes, the state will have to provide certain social welfare benefits to take care of them in return, e.g. healthcare, education.
The root cause of the rising discontent among Singaporeans at the relentless influx of foreigners stem from the perceived blurring of boundaries between citizens and them – that they are allowed to partake in the economic gains made by the nation without reciprocating.
In the past, almost all the inhabitants of Singapore are immigrants from other countries and there was no differentiation between any groups, but today there is a distinct class of Singaporeans who regard themselves as the rightful owners of their nation.
A unique Singaporean identity has evolved after fifty years after nationhood and though it is still not as strong as the Japanese and Koreans, the fact remains that the younger generation now see themselves as Singaporeans rather than descendents of immigrants.
The existence and continued reinforcement of this Singapore identity will set the threshold for Singapore to accept and integrate more immigrants.
When Singapore was just a colony, its inhabitants did not care much about the number of Chinese or Indian immigrants the British was importing. In fact, they should yearn for more of their fellow countrymen to join them in Singapore both for social and economic reasons as evident by the number of clan associations being set up over the years.
Today, Singaporeans no longer identify themselves with their brethen from Malaysia, China or India. An ethnic Chinese Singaporean has more things in common with an ethnic Malay Singaporean than a Chinese from Liaoning, Jiangxi or Henan.
Singaporeans see themselves as Singaporeans first which explain their discomfort and angst at seeing more and more foreigners living amidst them.
Foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 percent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 percent, an increasing number are born overseas.
Though countries like United States, Canada and Australia are largely immigrant societies as well, their percentage of residents born overseas are much lower with 12 percent in the U.S., 20 percent in Canada and 25 percent in Australia according to their latest census.
As Singapore has accepted too many immigrants within a short period of time, it would be almost impossible to integrate all of them.
Before Singapore achieved independence in 1965, most of its inhabitants are immigrants and it was relatively easy to forge a common identity among them whereas we have two distinct groups today – native Singaporeans and foreigners with their own cultural background.
Between the two, the group with the stronger cultural identity will eventually dominate leading to cracks appearing within the social fabric of our nation.
The mainland Chinese have 5,000 years of history behind them. Can we expect them to give up their identity and assimilate seemlessly into Singapore society? Not when there are so many of them in Singapore now.
The Chinese who arrived in Southeast Asia in the 18th and 19th century came in such small numbers that it was not too difficult for the indigenuous community to assimilate them as demonstrated by the emergence of the Babas and Nonyas in the Straits Settlement.
History had shown us that it is always the Chinese which assimilate other ethnic groups and not the other way round due to their sheer numbers, cultural superiority and strong identity as descendents of the “Yellow Emperor” (炎黄子孙)
Northern China used to be ruled by many different non-Chinese tribes and they eventually become fully assimilated into the Chinese race including the Manchus, the rulers of the last Chinese dynasty.
Furthermore, there are fewer incentives for immigrants to integrate into Singapore society now compared to the past. Throughout the early half of the last century, China was wrecked by endless internal turmoil and civil wars. The Chinese immigrants in Singapore had no choice but to stay put, but the present China is a rising superpower. The new immigrants from China can always pack up their bags and return if they do not like the lifestyle here.
The short-sighted immigration policies of the PAP will eventually create social tension between locals and foreigners, erode the sense of belonging among native Singaporeans to their country leading to a massive exodus and eventually the downfall of Singapore.
Immigration is a double-edged sword – it can propel a nation onto a course of greatness like the United States or it can contribute to its eventual downfall and demise like the Western Roman empire and the Korean state of Balhae.
Judging from the rapid influx of foreigners over the last few years and the changing demographics, Singapore may have already passed the point of no return.
With its demise becoming an increasing reality in the next few decades, Singaporeans should seriously consider relocating to another country to seek a more secure future for their children and grandchildren.
Note: This article was first published in the old Temasek Review in March 2010
The high profile case which has seen 48 men charged for having sex with an underage prostitute not only generated a buzz among Singaporeans, but in the expatriate community as well.
THE TEMASEK TIMES 
Why the present wave of immigration is different from the past
Posted by temasektimes on April 25, 2012
Singapore was a British crown colony then and it needed to be open to foreigners in order to spur its economy which was largely dependent on entrepot trade.
Chinese and Indian immigrants flocked to Singapore in search of a better life, many of whom eventually settled down there with their children becoming naturalized citizens when self-government was attained in 1959.
Being a colony then, Singapore could afford to welcome foreigners from all over the world with open arms, but not now when Singapore has evolved to become a nation.
The inhabitants of a colony are different from the citizens of a nation. They owe no allegiance to the colony and are free to leave anytime.
On the other hand, citizens have a stake in the nation and an implicit social contract exists between the people and the government. While Singaporeans are expected to serve the state in form of National Service and paying of taxes, the state will have to provide certain social welfare benefits to take care of them in return, e.g. healthcare, education.
The root cause of the rising discontent among Singaporeans at the relentless influx of foreigners stem from the perceived blurring of boundaries between citizens and them – that they are allowed to partake in the economic gains made by the nation without reciprocating.
In the past, almost all the inhabitants of Singapore are immigrants from other countries and there was no differentiation between any groups, but today there is a distinct class of Singaporeans who regard themselves as the rightful owners of their nation.
A unique Singaporean identity has evolved after fifty years after nationhood and though it is still not as strong as the Japanese and Koreans, the fact remains that the younger generation now see themselves as Singaporeans rather than descendents of immigrants.
The existence and continued reinforcement of this Singapore identity will set the threshold for Singapore to accept and integrate more immigrants.
When Singapore was just a colony, its inhabitants did not care much about the number of Chinese or Indian immigrants the British was importing. In fact, they should yearn for more of their fellow countrymen to join them in Singapore both for social and economic reasons as evident by the number of clan associations being set up over the years.
Today, Singaporeans no longer identify themselves with their brethen from Malaysia, China or India. An ethnic Chinese Singaporean has more things in common with an ethnic Malay Singaporean than a Chinese from Liaoning, Jiangxi or Henan.
Singaporeans see themselves as Singaporeans first which explain their discomfort and angst at seeing more and more foreigners living amidst them.
Foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 percent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 percent, an increasing number are born overseas.
Though countries like United States, Canada and Australia are largely immigrant societies as well, their percentage of residents born overseas are much lower with 12 percent in the U.S., 20 percent in Canada and 25 percent in Australia according to their latest census.
As Singapore has accepted too many immigrants within a short period of time, it would be almost impossible to integrate all of them.
Before Singapore achieved independence in 1965, most of its inhabitants are immigrants and it was relatively easy to forge a common identity among them whereas we have two distinct groups today – native Singaporeans and foreigners with their own cultural background.
Between the two, the group with the stronger cultural identity will eventually dominate leading to cracks appearing within the social fabric of our nation.
The mainland Chinese have 5,000 years of history behind them. Can we expect them to give up their identity and assimilate seemlessly into Singapore society? Not when there are so many of them in Singapore now.
The Chinese who arrived in Southeast Asia in the 18th and 19th century came in such small numbers that it was not too difficult for the indigenuous community to assimilate them as demonstrated by the emergence of the Babas and Nonyas in the Straits Settlement.
History had shown us that it is always the Chinese which assimilate other ethnic groups and not the other way round due to their sheer numbers, cultural superiority and strong identity as descendents of the “Yellow Emperor” (炎黄子孙)
Northern China used to be ruled by many different non-Chinese tribes and they eventually become fully assimilated into the Chinese race including the Manchus, the rulers of the last Chinese dynasty.
Furthermore, there are fewer incentives for immigrants to integrate into Singapore society now compared to the past. Throughout the early half of the last century, China was wrecked by endless internal turmoil and civil wars. The Chinese immigrants in Singapore had no choice but to stay put, but the present China is a rising superpower. The new immigrants from China can always pack up their bags and return if they do not like the lifestyle here.
The short-sighted immigration policies of the PAP will eventually create social tension between locals and foreigners, erode the sense of belonging among native Singaporeans to their country leading to a massive exodus and eventually the downfall of Singapore.
Immigration is a double-edged sword – it can propel a nation onto a course of greatness like the United States or it can contribute to its eventual downfall and demise like the Western Roman empire and the Korean state of Balhae.
Judging from the rapid influx of foreigners over the last few years and the changing demographics, Singapore may have already passed the point of no return.
With its demise becoming an increasing reality in the next few decades, Singaporeans should seriously consider relocating to another country to seek a more secure future for their children and grandchildren.
Note: This article was first published in the old Temasek Review in March 2010
Posted in Commentary, Opinion | 13 Comments »