![](https://i.imgur.com/CLvY2jA.png")
19-08-2025, 03:01 PM
Money launderers also come to seek citizenship.
So are billionaire who treat S'pore as a tax haven and can flip anytime they feel like it.
The run of the mill immgrant here for a good paying job seeking mostly economic benefits have no deep attachments to the country.
It js a tragedy to turn our country into Singagpoer Inc or worse still Hotel Singapore.
![[Image: cNy9pyE.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/cNy9pyE.jpeg)
Citizens or Passengers? When Migrants Are Citizens in Name Only
Let’s confront an uncomfortable truth: many new citizens and migrants don’t come to Singapore because they feel an emotional bond to this country. They come because it’s clean, safe, and opens doors their homelands do not. It’s a practical decision — not a patriotic one.
And that’s precisely the problem.
They arrive, extract what they need — good jobs, public housing, CPF top-ups, education for their children — and once they’re done, they leave. No roots. No long-term stake. No loyalty.
These are citizens in name only.
The Quiet Exit No One Talks About
Many new migrants come alone. Their families, assets, and futures remain overseas. Some stay just long enough to qualify for benefits or citizenship — and then quietly vanish. They keep the advantages but abandon the responsibilities.
Meanwhile, ordinary Singaporeans — especially the young, the elderly, and the sandwiched middle — are told to “adapt,” to “upgrade,” and to be “grateful” for growth, while competing with people who aren’t even here to stay.
When Everyone Treats Singapore as a Transaction
And now, a worrying trend is emerging: native Singaporeans are starting to think like the migrants.
More locals — especially younger, educated Singaporeans — are asking themselves: Why stay loyal to a country that sees me as replaceable? Why serve NS, pay taxes, slog in a competitive environment… when I can emigrate and live better elsewhere?
They, too, are beginning to treat Singapore as a transaction, not a homeland. If they don't feel wanted, or if they’re priced out of homes, careers, and dignity — they will leave.
And unlike previous generations, they may not feel compelled to stay and fight.
When citizens and migrants alike are passengers, who’s left to steer the ship?
What Happens When Culture Is Hollowed Out
There’s another price we pay: Singapore’s already weak cultural identity becomes even more diluted.
We are a young nation still forming our sense of self — our own stories, symbols, and soul. But a constant churn of transient migrants makes that process even harder. If there’s no shared narrative, no common memory, no emotional glue — we remain an infant nation, always in flux.
Our diversity becomes fragmentation. Our pragmatism becomes rootlessness.
When everyone’s just passing through, who builds the nation?
The Global Warning Signs
This isn’t unique to Singapore. The world is littered with examples of the migrant “boom and bust” cycle:
Ireland welcomed masses of foreign workers during its Celtic Tiger years. When the 2008 crash came, many left overnight, leaving behind ghost housing estates and a strained welfare system.
Dubai thrives on migrant labour — but when COVID-19 hit, hundreds of thousands left within months. Schools closed. Malls emptied. Investment dried up.
Canada had to crack down on “citizens of convenience” — people who acquired citizenship, then lived overseas and returned only for free healthcare and pensions.
Singapore is walking the same tightrope.
The Transactional Trap
Former GIC chief economist Yeoh Lam Keong has long warned that Singapore’s immigration policy focuses too heavily on short-term economic gains, at the expense of long-term social cohesion.
Former Foreign Minister George Yeo was even blunter:
“Nationality is not the same as emotional loyalty. A passport can be obtained. Loyalty must be earned.”
And yet, we’re giving out passports without requiring any real stake in this country's future.
What Kind of Nation Are We Building?
DPM Lawrence Wong, in his Forward Singapore roadmap, talked about “refreshing our social compact.” That compact must include citizenship. And citizenship must mean something beyond a laminated card or red passport.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has consistently championed inclusive progress and warned that public trust collapses when some benefit without sharing in sacrifice.
What Do We Really Want?
Singapore doesn’t need more paper citizens. We need people who:
Stay through the tough times,
Raise families here,
Serve in the military or civil service,
Invest emotionally and socially in this country,
And remain — not just when things are good, but when things get hard.
That’s the difference between a citizen and a passenger.
A Nation of Passengers?
If we keep treating citizenship as a transaction, we will become a transit lounge — not a nation. We’ll have a swelling population, but a shrinking core. Shiny GDP numbers, but fading social trust. Diverse communities, but no cultural anchor.
And when the next crisis hits — economic, geopolitical, or demographic — we’ll find ourselves asking:
Where did everyone go?
They were never really here.
Final Call: Time for Honest Accounting
It’s time we demanded transparency. How many new citizens are still here after 5 years? 10 years? How many bring their families and build lives — and how many disappear with our subsidies and benefits?
We need stricter expectations, better tracking, and policies that reward commitment, not just convenience.
Because when Singapore is in trouble, we can’t rely on citizens in name only.
We’ll need citizens in spirit, in loyalty, and in action — people who will stay, fight, and build a country worth belonging to.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CDv23UYYG/
So are billionaire who treat S'pore as a tax haven and can flip anytime they feel like it.
The run of the mill immgrant here for a good paying job seeking mostly economic benefits have no deep attachments to the country.
It js a tragedy to turn our country into Singagpoer Inc or worse still Hotel Singapore.
Citizens or Passengers? When Migrants Are Citizens in Name Only
Let’s confront an uncomfortable truth: many new citizens and migrants don’t come to Singapore because they feel an emotional bond to this country. They come because it’s clean, safe, and opens doors their homelands do not. It’s a practical decision — not a patriotic one.
And that’s precisely the problem.
They arrive, extract what they need — good jobs, public housing, CPF top-ups, education for their children — and once they’re done, they leave. No roots. No long-term stake. No loyalty.
These are citizens in name only.
The Quiet Exit No One Talks About
Many new migrants come alone. Their families, assets, and futures remain overseas. Some stay just long enough to qualify for benefits or citizenship — and then quietly vanish. They keep the advantages but abandon the responsibilities.
Meanwhile, ordinary Singaporeans — especially the young, the elderly, and the sandwiched middle — are told to “adapt,” to “upgrade,” and to be “grateful” for growth, while competing with people who aren’t even here to stay.
When Everyone Treats Singapore as a Transaction
And now, a worrying trend is emerging: native Singaporeans are starting to think like the migrants.
More locals — especially younger, educated Singaporeans — are asking themselves: Why stay loyal to a country that sees me as replaceable? Why serve NS, pay taxes, slog in a competitive environment… when I can emigrate and live better elsewhere?
They, too, are beginning to treat Singapore as a transaction, not a homeland. If they don't feel wanted, or if they’re priced out of homes, careers, and dignity — they will leave.
And unlike previous generations, they may not feel compelled to stay and fight.
When citizens and migrants alike are passengers, who’s left to steer the ship?
What Happens When Culture Is Hollowed Out
There’s another price we pay: Singapore’s already weak cultural identity becomes even more diluted.
We are a young nation still forming our sense of self — our own stories, symbols, and soul. But a constant churn of transient migrants makes that process even harder. If there’s no shared narrative, no common memory, no emotional glue — we remain an infant nation, always in flux.
Our diversity becomes fragmentation. Our pragmatism becomes rootlessness.
When everyone’s just passing through, who builds the nation?
The Global Warning Signs
This isn’t unique to Singapore. The world is littered with examples of the migrant “boom and bust” cycle:
Ireland welcomed masses of foreign workers during its Celtic Tiger years. When the 2008 crash came, many left overnight, leaving behind ghost housing estates and a strained welfare system.
Dubai thrives on migrant labour — but when COVID-19 hit, hundreds of thousands left within months. Schools closed. Malls emptied. Investment dried up.
Canada had to crack down on “citizens of convenience” — people who acquired citizenship, then lived overseas and returned only for free healthcare and pensions.
Singapore is walking the same tightrope.
The Transactional Trap
Former GIC chief economist Yeoh Lam Keong has long warned that Singapore’s immigration policy focuses too heavily on short-term economic gains, at the expense of long-term social cohesion.
Former Foreign Minister George Yeo was even blunter:
“Nationality is not the same as emotional loyalty. A passport can be obtained. Loyalty must be earned.”
And yet, we’re giving out passports without requiring any real stake in this country's future.
What Kind of Nation Are We Building?
DPM Lawrence Wong, in his Forward Singapore roadmap, talked about “refreshing our social compact.” That compact must include citizenship. And citizenship must mean something beyond a laminated card or red passport.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has consistently championed inclusive progress and warned that public trust collapses when some benefit without sharing in sacrifice.
What Do We Really Want?
Singapore doesn’t need more paper citizens. We need people who:
Stay through the tough times,
Raise families here,
Serve in the military or civil service,
Invest emotionally and socially in this country,
And remain — not just when things are good, but when things get hard.
That’s the difference between a citizen and a passenger.
A Nation of Passengers?
If we keep treating citizenship as a transaction, we will become a transit lounge — not a nation. We’ll have a swelling population, but a shrinking core. Shiny GDP numbers, but fading social trust. Diverse communities, but no cultural anchor.
And when the next crisis hits — economic, geopolitical, or demographic — we’ll find ourselves asking:
Where did everyone go?
They were never really here.
Final Call: Time for Honest Accounting
It’s time we demanded transparency. How many new citizens are still here after 5 years? 10 years? How many bring their families and build lives — and how many disappear with our subsidies and benefits?
We need stricter expectations, better tracking, and policies that reward commitment, not just convenience.
Because when Singapore is in trouble, we can’t rely on citizens in name only.
We’ll need citizens in spirit, in loyalty, and in action — people who will stay, fight, and build a country worth belonging to.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CDv23UYYG/
I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
