On March 9, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that new citizens bring something extra that’s really important to Singapore. They enrich the society and boost the economy.
SM Lee said, “New arrivals bring fresh experiences, different views, and global connections. You help us link up with the world and do well as a regional hub and a global node.”
He added that this is how cities like London, New York, and Shanghai became great cultural and prosperous centres. They attracted talent from everywhere and made an environment full of constant new ideas and business.
This energy makes these cities grow and become even more successful, and it also attracts more talent, SM Lee said while speaking at the Teck Ghee Citizenship Ceremony at Nanyang Polytechnic.
He told around 200 new citizens, “Singapore must always be open to ideas and talent from all over the world. This is how we became a shining red dot.”
He pointed out that immigration is really important, even necessary, for Singapore to survive. Big countries might have a lot of people, resources, and land to rely on, but Singapore doesn’t.
Singaporeans aren’t having enough children, and the local workforce is fully employed and getting older, he said.
Singapore needs new citizens to increase its population and keep the economy growing, he said.
Immigration will bring more competition. It will push Singaporeans to work harder and meet higher standards. But this will make the economy more lively and create better chances and a brighter future for future generations, he added.
SM Lee said, “If Singapore closes itself off, opportunities will pass us by. We will fall behind and become just like any other city in the region, and our descendants will suffer because of it.”
Every year, about 30,000 babies are born as Singaporean citizens, and around 22,000 new citizens are added to the country.
But since these numbers aren’t small, the government knows it has to handle immigration and integration carefully, SM Lee said. He noted that immigration is a sensitive topic in every country. There’s always some tension between new people and those who are already there.
Governments have a big role in managing these tensions to make immigration a good thing for society, SM Lee said. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen, he added.
In many European countries, the large number of immigrants has made some people oppose them strongly. And when an immigrant commits a violent crime, it makes people dislike immigrants even more and divides society more.
So, it’s very important that Singapore manages its immigration carefully. It should keep it in balance, pay close attention to the relationships and harmony between different ethnic groups and people in the country, and accept people who can fit in and contribute to Singapore’s society, SM Lee said.
In Singapore, every new citizen goes through the Singapore Citizenship Journey to learn what it means to be Singaporean before getting citizenship. The People’s Association’s integration and naturalisation champions also run many programmes to welcome new citizens and help them fit into their communities.
He urged new citizens to do their part. They should learn Singapore’s values and cultural norms and get involved in their communities.
Other Singaporeans also have to do their part. They should be friends with new arrivals and be kind in welcoming them as important members of the Singapore team, SM Lee said. They should firmly say no to people who use nativist and xenophobic feelings for political gain. This kind of thing would really harm Singapore’s society, he added.
The new citizens got their citizenship certificates from SM Lee. They recited the National Pledge and sang the National Anthem to show their commitment to Singapore and their shared identity as Singaporeans.
One of the new citizens was 19-year-old Ms Prithikka Divyashini. She moved to Singapore from Johor Bahru in Malaysia about 12 years ago. She’s a second-year chemical process technology student at ITE College East. She’s the president of her school’s student ambassadors and often volunteers with the local charity Meals on Wheels, giving food to the elderly every month.
Her father is Singaporean, and two of her three older siblings got their Singapore citizenship before her. Her mother and sister are Singapore permanent residents. The young woman, who wants to be a pharmacist, said, “I’m very grateful for this citizenship, and I feel really proud to be reciting the pledge as a Singaporean. I believe I will have more opportunities to do well as a citizen.”
Dr Pham The Hanh, 46, came to Singapore from Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2003 on a Ministry of Education scholarship. He did his PhD in electronics and computer engineering at the National University of Singapore. He stayed as a researcher and has been an engineering lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic for over ten years. For more than five years, he’s also been giving free tuition to primary and secondary school students at the Teck Ghee Community Club once a week.
He said, “I was back in Hanoi and felt that I missed my char kway teow. But mainly, it was the kindness and warmth of my colleagues and friends in Singapore that made me decide to be a Singaporean.” His 16-year-old son, Pham Cao Hai Phong, a Deyi secondary 4 student, also got his citizenship at the event. Dr Pham’s wife is a Singaporean PR, and his 10-year-old daughter became a Singaporean earlier. Dr Pham said, “It was easy for me to get used to life here as I like the weather, food, and people. I will give back to Singapore by helping to teach young Singaporeans.”
Chin Soo Fang is a senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering things like community, politics, social issues, consumer matters, culture, and heritage.
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