MICA (P) 138/02/2010
Issue No: 1001
In the last few years, globalization has resulted in an influx of foreigners living and working in developed countries, in search of a better life. This has evoked hostile reactions from local populations, who feel threatened by changing demographics, job insecurity, or simply, fear of the unfamiliar. In Western Europe, the local “push-back” has become a political force in 2009, with right-wing parties like the British National Party winning seats to the European Parliament on the backs of manifestoes urging a freeze on immigration and/or tightening up issues of work / study visas. The effects of liberal foreigner policies are felt even more starkly in a tiny place like Singapore. Nobody can quarrel with the need to have foreign labour to augment Singapore’s talent pool. We should not be xenophobic, just as we expect to be treated with respect should we decide to work in other countries. The issue is really whether each and every one of the foreigners here is adding value to Singapore, and the impact of such a liberal policy on Singaporeans’ lives. This article does not purport to give solutions, but to present certain facts for further consideration. Population Changes In Oct 2007, I filed a question in Parliament to obtain a snapshot of how the mix of Singapore citizens, Permanent Residents and Non-Residents had changed from 1990. Together with the latest statistics, the trends are as follows: Total Population by Residential Status for 1990, 2000 and 2009 (Mid-Year Estimates)1 Year
1990
2000
2009
Total Population
3,047,100 (100.0%)
4,027,900 (100.0%)
4,987,600 (100.0%)
Singapore Citizens
2,623,700 (86.1%)
2,985,900 (74.1%)
3,200,700 (64.1% )
Permanent Residents
112,100 (3.7%)
287,500 (7.1%)
533,200 (10.7%
NonResidents2
311,300 (10.2%)
754,500 (18.7%)
1,253,700 (25.1%)
1
The figures have been rounded to the nearest 100, not necessarily upwards. As a result of rounding, the sum of the individually rounded figures may not be equal to the (rounded) total.
2
Non-residents refer to non-citizens and non-permanent residents of Singapore, who are working, studying or living here.
The following trends can be clearly seen: • The Citizen group has been sharply declining as the population increases, from 86% in 1990 to 64% in 2009.
www.wp.sg
$2.00
2 continued from pg 1
3
4
5
6
7
8
ƒ‡³… Ïš ÉûÒƒí¶, Œšƒ†\¨_|„§ƒ„¶, ¢›„<†„‚ ë¡íÿ„>ô‚ă¥ _†Ü|>‡ ¡„±§£ƒ£\ ÿ„ô, ¡<Ä´Ï\£‡³… ÿ„Òƒí¶ _¡£š 똤\ØÜ ¡„°ØÜ ë˜¶ï®„Äƒ¥. œ…‚„¶, †„ç¡ÚÜ ^¥íñ¡›þƒ¥, _¡£š |„Ѓ„¨ð¦£†, [¶šÐ |°§ƒó¶š„…£… ÇòÄ_ÿ„§ÎÜ [´˜Ü _|„¦® ó›>‡¶ƒ<„¶ Œ¥¹Ä †§ƒí£‡à¶ ÇòĨ^‹ÄØ ÇÔï®Ð. _†²Î Û_›„¨|„ñ¶, Œ¥¹Ä “ëÿڧ΅¶” 2009Ü ÉûÒ [›Ï\¶ ˜§ò\„ƒ ŒÚë¡Ò«Ð, ð½>ôü _…Ï\§ ƒ>Ï _|„¦® ¡š˜„½ ƒ>σ¥, ÎôÖ£°£¡ ч§ƒ_¡ûÒÜ †²ÕÜ/[¶šÐ ƒ¶ñ / _¡£š ñ˜„ ñ¡ƒ„›þƒ£<§ ƒ>Ò¨|Ò«…_¡ûÒÜ Ç¦Õ ¡=ËÕ«ÐÜ ëƒ„¥£ƒƒÌ‡¦ Û_›„¨ð\ ÿ„‡„̆¦®«ò¶ œ‡Üðô«…‚. Ѳ_|„§ƒ„‚ ë¡íÿ„>ô‚Ä ëƒ„¥£ƒƒí¦ ñ£<؃¥, Ïþƒ¨¼Ä _|„¦® Ïç\ ÿ„>ô¶ _†ÙÜ [òƒ†„ƒ Œ‹›¨|Ò瑩‚. Ïþƒ¨¼½¦ ò®‚„<ă̧Ϋ У‹\„ƒ ë¡íÿ„>Ò« ë…„÷š„<ă¥ _…£¡ Ǧ® ƒÚ«£… \„ÚÜ ¡„ò‡ñ¶£š. ÿ„Ü _¡Õ ÿ„Òƒí¶ _¡£š 똤\« âĆ„î«…„¶, †½\„£…ˇ¦ ÿ‡«…¨|‡_¡ûÒÜ Ç¦Õ ÇòÄ|„Ĩ|£…¨ _|„š_¡, ÿ„ÑÜ [³ù\£› ë¡Õ§ƒ§»‡„Ð. É‚„¶, œþïÚ§ÎÜ ë¡íÿ„>ô‚ă¥ Šºë¡„Ú¡ÚÜ Ïþƒ¨¼Ú§Î †ò¨^ _˜Äﮄă<„ Ǧ|ÐÜ, œ«…£ƒ\ Ѳ_|„§ƒ„‚ 냄¥£ƒ\„¶ Ïþƒ¨¼›Äƒí¦ ¡„±§£ƒ Ǻ¡„Õ |„ò¨|£‡ï®Ð Ǧ|ÐÜ…„¦ œþÎ ÇÔÜ _ƒ¥ñ. œ³…§ ƒ>Ò£› âÄ؃£< [í§ƒ Ñ£‚\ñ¶£š, †„®„ƒ _†²ëƒ„ûÒ |½é=§ƒ¨|‡_¡ûô\ Ïš ñ¡›þƒ£<¨ |£‡§ï®Ð. †§ƒ¥ ë…„£ƒ †„²®þƒ¥ 똦® 2007 [§_‡„|Ä †„…Ü, Ïþƒ¨¼Ä Îô†§ƒ¥, ù›³… ›¡„σ¥, ÎôàÚ¨^¡„σ¥ [¶š„_…„Ä Éï_\„½¦ ƒš£¡ 1990, 2000, 2006 Éï\ ÉûÒƒ_<„Ò Š¨^_ÿ„§Î£ƒà¶ Ǻ¡„Õ †„çàÚ§ï®Ð Ǧ|£… [ç\ ÿ„‡„̆¦®«ò¶ ÿ„¦ _ƒ¥ñ …„§ƒ¶ 똤òÚ³_…¦. У‹¨ ð›…†Ä ë¡„þ ƒ„¦ ë˜þ ð¦¡ÚÜ [>‡¡£‹£\ ë¡íà>‡„Ä (Ïþƒ¨¼Ä ÿ„‡„̆¦® [秣ƒƒ¥, [§_‡„|Ä 22, 2007) ÎôàÚ¨^¡„˜« …Îò¨|ô 1990, 2000, 2006 Éï\ ÉûÒƒí¦ ë†„«… †§ƒ¥ ë…„£ƒ ([£›\„ûÒ ƒ‹¬¨^ƒ¥)1 ÉûÒ
1990
2000
놄«… †§ƒ¥ ë…„£ƒ
3,047,100 (100.0%)
4,027,900 4,483,900 (100.0%) (100.0%)
Ïþƒ¨¼Ä Îô†§ƒ¥
2,623,700 (86.1%)
2,985,900 3,145,800 (74.1%) (70.2% )
ù›³…›¡„σ¥
112,100 (3.7%)
287,500 (7.1%)
462,700 (10.3%)
ÎôàÚ¨^¡„σ¥ 311,300 (10.2%) [¶š„_…„Ä2
754,500 (18.7%)
875,500 (19.5%)
1
2006
^¥íñ¡›þƒ¥ Ƀ ëÿÚ§ƒ†„‚ 100 Çû‹¬§£ƒ\„§ƒ¨|>Ò¥<‚, Œ\Ä Çû‹¬§£ƒ§Î Ç¦Õ [Ä«…†¶š. œ…¦ ñ£<¡„ƒ, …î«…î_\ ÑÔ£†\„§ƒ¨|>‡ Çû‹¬§£ƒƒ¥ (ÑÔ£†\„§ƒ¨|>‡) 놄«… Çû‹¬§£ƒ§Î´ ˜††„ƒ œÚ§ƒ„Ð _|„ƒš„Ü.
9
10
Get your subscription to The Hammer today 今天就开始订阅
THE
Yes, send me a subscription for 10 issues for only S$20.00 是的。兹随函附上$20/-，以订阅10期的《铁锤报》。 Name 姓名: _______________________________________
Occupation 职业: ___________________
Sex 性别: ___________
Telephone 电话: ____________________
Age 年龄: ______________
Address 住址: __________________________________________________________________________
Your alternative voice
言论的另一渠道 •
Keep yourself informed of issues and policies. These will ultimately affect your life.
•
Share your views and thoughts with us. Contact us at editor@wp.sg.
______________________________________________________________________________________ Email 电邮: ____________________________________________________________________________ Please make cheque payable to “The Workers’ Party” and mail it together with this form to: The Hammer 支票抬头请注明 “The Workers’Party” 并连同本订阅表格寄交:《铁锤报》 Toa Payoh Central Post Office, P O Box 15, Singapore 913101
请提意见 • 欢迎来稿
11
12
13
14
15
新加坡政府对外国人欲申请成为永久居民或公民一向 来持以异常谨慎的态度，对外来移民的增长率更是步 步为营。犹记得在八十年代，国会常激烈讨论的课题 是政府不让嫁或者娶外国公民的新加坡公民的配隅 成为永久居民。当时的内政部长贾古马教授在国会 说：“新加坡是个没有天然资源的小国，我们的人口 密度每公里4122人，是世界上人口密度最高的国家之 一。身为一个政府，我们最优先的任务是保障和提升 大多数新加坡人的利益。如果任由新加坡公民的外国 配隅居留而不考虑他们是否会对我们的公共住屋、医 药服务和其他社会服务造成压力，那我们并未负起我 们的责任。” 可是，今天我们常听到的民间怨言却是外来移民取代 了新加坡人的工作、外来移民的竞争使某些行业的薪 金降低，影响了新加坡人的收入、外来移民造成屋价 高涨、外来移民使公共交通更拥挤、外来移民造成使 用政府的医疗设施如医院等需要等待更长的时间等 等。我们姑且不探讨这些怨言是否真实，还是个人的 经历所使然，但事实是我国的总人口的确增加了，政 府所批准成为永久居民的人数也大幅度增加。 依据非选区议员林瑞莲在2007年在国会里提出询问所 获得的资料来看，永久居民人口在1990年时是11万2千 1百，到2000年时是28万7千5百；在10年内增加了17万 5千4百。不过，到了2006年中估计的永久居民人口是 46万2千7百，也就是在不到6年的期间，永久居民的人 数就已经增加了17万5千2百，接近过去10年〔1990年 至2000年〕的总数。与此同时，新加坡公民在总人口 的比率也从1990年的86%下滑到2006年的70%。下表是 有关的数据： 1990年、2000年及2006年总人口、 公民、永久居民、非居民的数目 年份 1990 2000 2006 (1) 总人口 3,047,100 4,027,900 4,483,900 (100.0%) (100.0%) (100.0%) 新加坡公民 2,623,700 2,985,900 3,145,800 (86.1%) (74.1%) (70.2%) 永久居民 112,100 287,500 462,700 (3.7%) (7.1%) (10.3%) 非居民 (2) 311,300 754,500 875,500 (10.2%) (18.7%) (19.5%) (1）2006年的数目估算到2006年中 (2）非居民包括在新加坡工作或求学的非公民和非永久居民
因此，外来移民大幅度增加是不必争论的事实，市井 小民的感觉和担忧也不是无的放矢。 政府过去对要成为永久居民的新加坡公民配隅严格把 关，担心人口增加会对没有天然资源，受土地面积所 限的我国造成压力，也可能会影响新加坡人的利益。 但现在却大开门户，积极争取外来移民留下，难道政 府现在己经不再担忧人口增加后所带来的问题了吗？ 还是它认为“保障和提升大多数新加坡人的利益”己 不再是政府的责任？ 这促使工人党在2008年劳动节时发布声明，标题是“ 把新加坡人放在第一位”。该声明抨击政府的经济策 略造成新加坡人必须依赖外来工人才能有工作，政府
MICA (P) 138/02/2010 Issue No: 1001
www.wp.sg
$2.00
(文接第15版)
Published by The Workers’ Party. 0217
Printed by Targa Lithography Services