OPENING the doors to immigrants and migrant workers is an emotive subject, but it is a critical issue that must be addressed, said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.
'And we must bring Singaporeans on board to understand and support what we are doing. They must feel that they have a stake in the intake of immigrants and migrant workers, and see that these people, by bolstering our economy and demographic structure, make their lives better and not worse,' he said in a speech at a grassroots event at the Braddell Heights Community Club on Saturday night.
'Singapore is at a threshold. If we turn away immigrants, it will have dire long-term consequences for Singapore. If we have them in the right numbers and quality, it will boost our economic vitality.'
He said the government must take all views into account, and then persuade and win over Singaporeans, explaining clearly and convincingly why Singapore is better off with immigrants.
At the same time, the issue of what new immigrants can do to become more Singaporean must be addressed, as well as how Singaporeans can help them 'integrate and be Singaporeans.'
'We will have to face up to the problems encountered by Singaporeans on the ground. Explaining in macro terms using overall statistics is not good enough. We have to deal with real situations faced by Singaporeans,' added SM Goh.
'It is not my intention tonight to open up another round of debate on this subject of immigration. My intention is for us to quietly reflect on the critical importance of immigration to our long term future. It is a difficult issue confronting many societies. If Singapore can handle it better than others, we will have a considerable edge over the rest.'
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