Singaporeans would probably have reacted with less angst if the Government had pitched the White Paper differently, Nominated MP Tan Su Shan said in Parliament on Thursday.

The policy document should have been geared towards the improvement and expansion of public infrastructure to fix current problems, before announcing the headline population projection of 6.9 million in 2030 that many have seized on.

The DBS managing director said the release of the white paper last month has "amplified the social and political divide amongst Singaporeans."

"If these extreme views continue to fester, and the fundamental concerns are not addressed, this lack of balance could destabilise Singapore," she warned.