Gap between Citizen and PR widens in Singapore

Changes pushing some towards citizenship, but others looking beyond hard-nosed calculations

By Janice Heng And Rachel Chang, The Sunday Times, 1 Sep 2013

Ms Hoo Kai Peng, who has lived here for more than 20 years and been a permanent resident for almost as long, has witnessed the growing list of measures to differentiate between citizens and PRs in recent years.

With her youngest son starting Primary 1 next year, she decided to start thinking about taking up citizenship to give him a better chance of getting into the school of their choice. Married to a fellow Malaysian PR who works in engineering, the 43-year-old put in her application three months ago.

Referring to last year's ruling which gives absolute priority for citizens when there are more applicants than places in a school, the accounts manager said: "It will be hard to get a place in school if we are PRs."

School fees for her three children were also another factor, as these rose by between $50 and $80 a month for PRs this year.

Education is not the only area in which PRs stand behind citizens in the line. Over the past two years, there have been changes in health care and housing as well, as the Government moved to sharpen the distinctions between citizens and PRs in the wake of citizens' unease over increased immigration.

Just last week, a three-year waiting period was imposed on new PRs before they can buy resale public flats. Previously, there was no restriction.

These measures, coming one after another, may push more PRs like Ms Hoo to apply to be citizens, or translate into fewer applications for permanent residency.

Still, of the 12 PRs and newly minted citizens interviewed by The Sunday Times, only two said the policy changes would be a major factor in their decision.

Applying for citizenship has more to do with believing that they can make Singapore their long- term home rather than hard-nosed calculations of how they can benefit from having a pink identity card, they said.

Madam Luana Wati Halim, 42, who became a citizen last year along with her two daughters, explained her choice like this: "We've lived here for so many years, and the children grew up here too."

The family is from Indonesia, but younger daughter Samantha Gedalya, a Primary 6 pupil at Zhonghua Primary, said with a smile: "My friends always thought that I was Singaporean."

Other PRs, especially those earning more, said they do not feel pressured to take up citizenship because the policy changes largely do not affect them.

Dearer school fees, for instance, do not affect Mr Tom Bennett, 37, a Briton who works in IT compliance. His two children attend the international school where his wife teaches.

Some PRs said they have plans to return to their home country in the medium to long term.

Housewife Harshini Sudarshan, a 30-year-old from India, said some of her friends "clearly don't want to be citizens" and so the changes do not affect them. She is also content to remain a PR for now.

As for foreigners who decide to take up PR, many point instead to job security as a major factor, meaning that the recent policy changes may not have much of an impact on this category.

For instance, 28-year-old Malaysian curriculum developer Lynn Chan's choice to become a PR was partly to "have a measure of security beyond that of an Employment Pass (EP)".

The tightening of the foreign worker policy means EP holders face greater uncertainty over whether their work passes will be renewed. PRs do not need work passes, and hence avoid that worry.

Meanwhile, political watchers such as Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Leong Chan-Hoong, who studies immigration issues, said the tweaks would provide reassurance to born-and- bred Singaporeans who are growing uneasy about the value of their citizenship.

Nominated MP Eugene Tan said: "I think the stronger differentiation... can have the effect of providing assurance to Singaporeans that citizenship is a precious right."

But Dr Terence Chong from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies felt citizenship should go "beyond the material" and said: "It would be ironic that by giving citizens more privileges, we would be saying that all it means to be Singaporean is the longer entitlement list."

New citizens have obligations, not just benefits: ESM Goh
By Janice Heng, The Sunday Times, 1 Sep 2013

Being a Singaporean has its benefits but also its obligations, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday as he presented 132 new citizens with their pink identity cards.

"While you enjoy the privileges of a citizen, you also have a responsibility to contribute to your new country, Singapore," he said at the annual National Citizenship Ceremony at the School of the Arts.

He urged new citizens to make efforts to integrate, and they could do this by finding out more about the cultural practices of their neighbours, the kinds of food they enjoy, and how they celebrate their festivals.

"Your Singaporean friends and neighbours are also likely to appreciate, and reciprocate, your initiative to reach out to them. It is by building relationships with those around us that we show our care for our home and our community," he said.

He said it was clear from the recently concluded Our Singapore Conversation exercise that Singaporeans want a society anchored on common values and principles, on togetherness and a sense of kindred or "kampung" spirit.

He suggested that new citizens reach out to fellow Singaporeans and neighbours, volunteer with grassroots or civil society organisations, and get involved in the community.

He held up the example of Mr Alban Olivier Salord, 39, formerly a French citizen, who was at yesterday's ceremony along with others from countries such as Malaysia, China, India and Indonesia.

For four years, the finance manager has been volunteering at Life Community Services Society, which works with low-income families and children whose parents are in jail. He is a friend to these children, helping to arrange parties and taking them on outings.

"This is where I live, this is where I work, and this is where I see myself in the future," Mr Salord said.

Last year, he married a British citizen, who is a permanent resident here, and he hopes to have children who will attend local schools.

Mr Goh said Singaporeans also have to play their part to help new citizens integrate more easily into the community, avoid cultural misunderstandings, and build a more cohesive society.

About 3,600 other new citizens will receive citizenship documents at ceremonies across Singapore this weekend.

Responding to Mr Goh's speech, Mr Hong Qixin, 34, who has volunteered for almost a decade at the Singapore Lam Ann Association, a Hokkien clan group, said the ties he has formed are one reason he decided to apply for citizenship.

Such friendships also helped him improve his English, which was initially a struggle. The father- to-be looks forward to his child growing up here without such barriers: "I hope my child can also be bilingual."

New citizens urged to take proactive role in building better society
By Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia, 31 Aug 2013

Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing on Saturday urged new citizens to come forward and serve the community to build a better society.

Speaking to new Singaporeans at a National Citizenship Ceremony on Saturday, Mr Chan said society will disintegrate if everyone only thinks for themselves and not for the larger good of society.

209 new citizens who are also Tanjong Pagar and Radin Mas residents received their citizenship certificates.

Mr Chan said taking up citizenship is a lifelong and challenging journey.

He called on the new Singaporeans to play their part and face the future and challenges together with other fellow Singaporeans.

Mr Chan said: "To be a Singaporean is an act of faith -- that we would want to invest our lives and our families in a common future, where each and every one of us would want to contribute to this little island, to define a path for ourselves, and to survive against all the challenges and the odds that may be stacked against us."