101 East - calling singapore home 1
101 East

Calling Singapore Home

How will the government’s new liberal immigration policy affect the people?

Watch part two

The Singapore government’s liberal immigration policy is radically changing the face of the island state. How will it affect the people?

The People’s Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since 1965 is determined to increase the country’s population by 1.5mn over the next decade, despite growing resentment from some locals.

The ruling party sees this as a way to expand the talent pool and counter low birth rates.

Today, more than a third of the population is made up of foreigners and permanent residents.

Hungry and driven, these new migrants take up menial jobs shunned by the locals and compete in the better paying jobs market.

Among the new migrants, many are from China. In a society used to order and routine, they have rocked the boat with their different socio-cultural norms.

On this edition of 101 East, we look at how immigration is changing the face of Singapore.

101 East presenter Fauziah Ibrahim is joined by Siew Kum Hong, a former nominated MP in the country, Jolovan Wham, an activist campaingning on behalf of migrant workers, and Dr Dawn Dekle, from the Singapore Institute for International Affairs.

This episode of 101 East airs from Thursday, January 21, 2010 at the following times GMT: Thursday: 1230; Friday: 0300, 1730; Saturday: 0330, 1730; Sunday: 0330, 1130; Monday: 1630; Tuesday: 0430; Wednesday: 0830; Thursday: 0630.