10 million people in Singapore: You're not asking the right questions

There has been a lot of discussion on social media about the possibility of Singapore's population reaching 10 million. Many Singaporeans are talking about it as if they have a say in the matter which makes me only want to shake my head in disbelief - as if you guys have a say in the matter, for crying out aloud. Let me spell it out to you: you don't get a say in the matter, the PAP will decide how many people they want to let in and the rest of you have just got to accept their decision. It is pointless, futile and plain stupid to complain about something that is inevitable and that you really cannot change. Like did any of you actually get a say about the population reaching 5 million in the first place?

How do you feel about Singapore having a population of 10 million?

So whilst I can turn this into another geography essay and discuss how Singapore is going to cope with 10 million inhabitants (I have already done a similar piece in the past) and have compared Singapore to even more densely populated cities an earlier piece, I am going to present a far simpler argument today. You guys are not asking the right questions. You should not be talking about the pros and cons of a bigger population in Singapore, rather, you should far it as a reality and then decide: is this the kind of country I want to have a future in? And if the answer is yes, then accept it and good luck to you. If not, then it is time to start doing your research for a better place to live.

Here's the key factor you have to consider: given that Singapore has a very low birth rate, getting the population from 5.3 million to 10 million cannot be achieved through natural growth. It would mean opening the gates and letting in many more migrants from places like China, Vietnam, India and the Philippines. Do the maths: it would mean a Singapore where the majority of inhabitants would be either new citizens or expatriates. Locally born-and-bred bona fide Singaporeans would be in the minority in this Singapore with 10 million inhabitants. It would be a very different kind of country. How do you feel about living in a Singapore like that, especially when you consider that it is only male Singaporeans who have to serve NS (presumably to protect the rest of the foreigners living in Singapore)?

NS for Singaporeans, jobs for foreigners.

Is this necessarily a bad thing?  No, it isn't and it really depends on what kind of individuals you allow to come to Singapore. Certainly, I would hope that they would be more discerning and selective as to what kind of 'foreign talents' they let into Singapore and keep the trashiest, nastiest ones out. If you are attracting classy, well-educated, highly skilled professionals to Singapore, then sure it is a formula for success. Think about it - if you could attract the world's best scientists, engineers, architects, artists, academics, doctors, writers, businessmen, sports talents and designers to Singapore, it would instantly make Singapore the most important hub for anything and everything you desire, making it the world's most important city. But if you're so determined to grow the population that you are willing to sacrifice any notion of quality control, then that is a recipe for disaster. And yes, I am referring quite specifically to letting in unskilled labour from third world Asian countries like China - Singapore doesn't need any more of them.

Many Singaporeans are not even able to have a sensible, rational debate on the issue based solely on facts: unfortunately too many Singaporeans are very racist and assume the very worst of white people on the assumption of mutual hatred ("if I hate you then I assume you must hate me too") . All too often, Singaporeans resort to lies about the myth of "second class citizens" to justify why they cannot consider moving to the West. This is 2014, societies are far more complex and it is really your class and social background that determines your place in society, not your skin colour per se. In London where I live, we have no shortage of very poor white people with no hope of a half-decent future because the odds have been stacked against them from birth, whilst we also have fabulously wealthy black, Arab and Asian folks who have all the privileges their money can buy. The relationship between social mobility and class status in the West is extremely complex and not something that can be dismissed as 'racism' per se, given how white people are equally affected by this as anyone else. Do not misrepresent the situation, let's stick to the facts.

What is holding you back from seeking a future outside Singapore?

In any case, many Singaporeans are broadening their horizons and settling in countries apart from the usual suspects: I have friends currently working in countries as diverse as China to Russia to Gabon - there is an important lesson to be learnt from this new trend. In the past, people used to talk about the benefits of moving to a country like Australia or Canada in terms of much lower property prices, how it is cheaper to buy a car or how the education system there is less stressful. However, when a Singaporean turns up in somewhere like Thailand or China, he is not necessarily looking for an easier life - he is on the hunt of new opportunities on the horizon and is not afraid to venture off the beaten track. Meet the new breed of Singaporeans who are trailblazers and trendsetters - they are not looking for an easy life, rather they are looking for brand new opportunities in exotic new markets.

Let me give you an example: Leila worked for an MNC in Singapore for many years and realized that what the company was attracting customers from Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia because there were no local firms in those countries offering the same service. She figured out that she could set up her own company in somewhere like Bangkok or Hanoi at a fraction of the cost, using local expertise and undercut her employer in Singapore. Leila had a decent life in Singapore: she had a good job and career but when she spotted the opportunity that lay before her, she was the kind of person who would grab it and run with it. Leila had family friends in Bangkok who helped her set up her Bangkok operations and within 6 months, she had grabbed all the clients in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam from her old employer. Leila didn't even have to invent anything - she was merely in the right place at the right time to spot a gap in the market. Today, Leila has a big house in Bangkok and is the boss of a successful company - middle management was the best she could have hoped for if she had stayed in her job in Singapore. Thailand had offered her the kind of opportunity Singapore never could, even if life in Thailand is anything but easy for the majority of Thai locals there.

Leila found success in Thailand because she spotted a gap in the market.

So if you have the balls like Leila, then I say: the world is your oyster, why do you feel the need to stay in Singapore? I have often talked about Singaporeans playing the part of the jilted lover who just doesn't understand when s/he has been dumped. I can't believe just how oblivious they are to their own predicament, but then again, never underestimate the power of denial. I am telling you, you guys have no influence over the government's stance on the size of Singapore's population, you never had any influence and you never will have any influence . The most ridiculous argument I've heard was, "I've served NS therefore I must stay in Singapore otherwise that sacrifice would be for nothing." Duh. How about cutting your losses instead of prolonging your suffering?

Is moving away such a scary step? It usually is - take Leila for example, I know that when she first relocated to Bangkok, she found the going very tough and she found it disconcerting to have to depend on her translator to deal with a large volume of paperwork in Thai. Yet she had a sense of mission that drove her through her various challenges, she felt like she had a point to prove to the folks back home and that was enough to help her through the difficult times. For me, I remember observing how my sister had a whole network of family help and support when she was looking for a new job - everyone from my father's former colleagues to my cousins chipped in to help. When I first started looking for a job upon graduation in the UK, I didn't have any of that support to rely on, it was a lot harder to get started without that network of support. I had to do everything pretty much myself, my family were in no position to help.

Do you dare to venture off the beaten track?

So let me spell it out to you: if you disagree with the government's stance on 10 million inhabitants in Singapore, then you have a simple solution: move to another country. Things in Singapore are going to change in the near future and you either have to brace yourself for these changes or think about your future elsewhere. The world is a very big place and there are plenty of countries in Asia and beyond just waiting for you to discover. That's it from me on this topic. Please let me know your thoughts on this issue - feel free to leave a comment below, many thanks for reading.