Forum: Be objective in defining 'Singapore core'

Central Business District from the promenade near Marina Bay Sands on Aug 24, 2020. PHOTO: ST FILE

It is indeed necessary to make clear the distinction between Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) in defining the term "Singapore core" (Clear definition of 'Singapore core' needed, by Ms Myrna Thomas, Sept 5).

It is not unusual to categorise people into distinct groups to achieve better policy outcomes.

However, it may not be fair to see Singapore PRs as a group of people who may just leave Singapore whenever there are better opportunities elsewhere or who have no commitment to Singapore.

It is true that PRs can leave Singapore at any time and relocate elsewhere - we have heard of such cases. But this can also be true of Singaporeans. I am sure many of us know of family members, friends or colleagues who have migrated overseas.

Let us not forget, too, that there are PRs who eventually decide to settle down in Singapore and raise their families here, calling Singapore home.

Likewise, saying PRs are excluded only from voting and owning landed property in Singapore can be misleading. The distinction between Singaporeans and PRs is more than that.

For instance, single PRs are not allowed to purchase Housing Board flats even if they are 35 years old or above.

Another instance is the higher Ministry of Education school fees paid by parents who are PRs.

Of note, PRs are not entitled to receive the cash payouts announced in the recent Budgets put together to cushion the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ultimately, we want to categorise different groups of people residing in Singapore to achieve better outcomes for Singapore as a nation, as a community.

The categorisation, therefore, needs to be purposeful and objective. Over-generalising a specific group of residents in Singapore will certainly not help in this case.

Wong Wan Hoong

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 08, 2020, with the headline Forum: Be objective in defining 'Singapore core'. Subscribe