http://sg.news.yahoo.com/fury-over-6-9-million-population-target-for-singapore-103503070.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Singaporeans’ comments blasting the government came fast and furious after news broke Tuesday of its plan to allow for an increase in the city-state’s population to 6.9 million by 2030.
Foreigners, who currently make up about two out of five people living in Singapore, have been blamed for the rising cost of living, stagnation of wages and crowding in public transport.
Hundreds of comments to articles regarding the population target were also overwhelmingly negative.
Social activist and owner of unemployment support site Transitioning.org Gilbert Goh told Yahoo! Singapore that the population expansion plans shocked him.
“It will cause a lot of social tension between foreigners and Singaporeans. When there are so many people coming in, you have to get them jobs and housing, and these two things will affect Singaporeans a lot,” Goh said.
“We have to produce about half a million to 750,000 jobs to accommodate a population of about 6.9 million,” he added.
“[People I spoke to] are disappointed with the government for not hearing them out. The majority of Singaporeans don’t want this expansion. The disappointment is that after the PAP’s loss in Punggol East, the government still went ahead to introduce unpopular policies,” Goh said.
Other Singaporeans have expressed their frustration with humour, sharing memes made by popular satire website 9GAG Singapore.
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