Rangers: Singapore winding-up petition is no threat

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Rangers: Singapore winding-up petition is no threat

Is 6.9 million really too much for Singapore?

SINGAPORE is debating whether the estimated 6.5-6.9 million population projection for 2030 is too high. While not discussing all important relevant aspects, this article discusses some common fallacies about immigration and population.

When people encounter serious congestion, it is very common to think: “If the number of cars on the road were halved, how nice it would be!” or “If the number of passengers in the carriage is halved, how nice it would be!”

Thus, many people blame congestion and pollution on the population size. One should also consider this: Given the amount of per capita investment, if the population size and number of cars were halved, the width of the road would also roughly be halved. There would then likely be more instead of less congestion!

With fewer people, the MRT could not have so many lines; the frequency of trains and buses would also be much lower. I live inside the NTU campus and have occasions to catch the No 179 bus. Once, just before reaching the bus-stop, I saw two 179 buses passing. I thought I would have to wait at least 15 minutes, but the next 179 bus came in less than two minutes. This is the advantage of a larger population most people ignore.

Is 6.9 million really too much for Singapore?

Singapore plans rare protest as population debate rages

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore is to hold a rare anti-government demonstration against plans for a dramatic increase in immigration that would boost the island’s population by as much as 30 percent by 2030.

Discontent is growing in affluent Singapore over a rising number of foreigners blamed for strains on infrastructure, ballooning housing costs and transportation headaches in a country slightly smaller than New York City.

Public expression is a delicate act in Singapore where government figures, including elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew, father of the current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, have sued critical opposition MPs for defamation. Nearly all media are pro-government.

Protest organizer Gilbert Goh said he hoped to attract 1,000 people to the February 16 event at Speakers’ Corner, a designated park exempt from strict government controls over assemblies, speeches and outdoor protests.

Nearly 1,100 people said on a Facebook page they will or may join the demonstration against a government proposal on January 29 to raise the population to 6.9 million. Of that, up to 36 percent, or 2.5 million, would be made up of foreign workers to balance a low birth rate and sustain economic growth.

“Let us send a strong signal to our government that we don’t want 6.9 million people living here by 2030,” Goh said.

The public generally supports Singapore’s tough laws and tight social controls as part of a social contract that in return has delivered years of economic prosperity.

But calls for change are growing. Opposition parties won record support in the 2011 general election. The long-ruling People’s Action Party, founded by Lee Kuan Yew, occupies 80 of 87 seats in parliament but lost two recent by-elections by surprisingly large margins in signs of mounting discontent.

(Reporting by Kevin Lim Editing by Jason Szep and Nick Macfie)

Singapore plans rare protest as population debate rages

Singapore plans rare protest as population debate rages

By Luna Pham Singapore university students are hustling to certain Facebook pages to anonymously reveal their best kept secrets, ranging from mushy love confessions to saucy sexual details. Not limited to a pastor’s ears, their admissions are open to all … Continue reading →

Singapore plans rare protest as population debate rages

Singapore police investigate 2 Chinese bus drivers" allegations of police ...

SINGAPORE – Police are investigating two Chinese men’s allegations that officers assaulted them while they were in custody over participating in Singapore’s first strike in three decades, the city-state said Tuesday.

The men said in separate interviews with a local documentary filmmaker in January that they were threatened and beaten by police during questioning. Both were among five bus drivers charged for involvement in the Nov. 26-27 strike which saw 171 Chinese immigrant bus drivers of a public transport company protesting over being paid nearly a quarter less than their Malaysian colleagues. The labour action disrupted about 5 per cent of bus services in the city-state where such labour actions are almost unheard of.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday evening that it takes a serious view of the public allegations and that an independent office within the police force was investigating the men’s claims.

“Such allegations must be taken seriously as it has a detrimental impact on public confidence and trust in the integrity” of the police, it said. The investigators would seek assistance from bus drivers, the producers of the video and other related parties during the investigation, it added.

In one of the videos, Liu Xiangying said, “He (police officer) said, ‘Do you know I can dig a hole and bury you? No one will be able to find you.’ Those were the police’s actual words.”

Liu added that during the interrogation, he was beaten at the back of the neck and shoulder blades after denying that he ever knew another co-defendant, He Jun Ling. “He (police officer) showed me a photo of He Jun Ling. I said, ‘I don’t know him.’ Because I didn’t know He Jun Ling, he beat me,” said Liu.

He, who faces an additional charge of posting material online that instigated other bus drivers to strike, recounted in his separate video interview that he was questioned for eight hours and punched in the stomach.

“I was interrogated from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. In between they punched me once. They locked me in a small room. At the time, a police officer handcuffed me and after that, he punched me in the stomach,” he said.

One of the drivers was jailed for six weeks and deported. Liu, He and two other drivers are out on bail and represented by lawyers while deciding whether they want to go on trial. If found guilty, they face up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $2,000.

Of the other drivers who went on strike, 29 lost their work permits and were deported them to China. The rest were issued warnings but were allowed to remain and work in Singapore.

Singapore police investigate 2 Chinese bus drivers" allegations of police ...