TR EMERITUS – The Voice Of The Lunatic Fringe – 淡马锡评论 – formerly Temasek Review

2025大选—明确授权，变化中的政治格局

2025年大选结果无可争议，政府再次赢得了强有力的授权，稳固了其在新加坡政治格局中的主导地位。尽管选举结果并不令人意外，但胜利的过程却并非没有争议和复杂性。值得注意的是，选区划分的变化在本次选战中发挥了重要作用。陈清木医生与徐顺全医生等资深反对派人物，因选区重划而受到显著影响——传统支持基础被分割或并入他区，无疑左右了某些关键选区的最终结果。虽然选区调整在新加坡选举历史上并不罕见，但其公平性与透明度仍持续引发讨论。工人党虽稳守东北区的传统堡垒，但未能在本届大选中攻下新的选区。不过，该党仍获得两个非选区议员（Ncmp）席位，虽属安慰性质，却在象征意义上维持了国会内多元声音的存在。更值得关注的是，本届大选所处的人口背景正经历剧烈变化。新加坡人口从2000年的约300万增长至2025年的超过500万。考虑到多年来出生率持续偏低，这一增长几乎可以肯定主要归因于移民流入，尤其可能在华人群体中增长显著。这一趋势对国家的社会结构和政治生态产生了深远影响。展望2030年大选，各政党不仅要面对一如既往的选区调整与突发的全球事件，更需正视一个不断演变的社会结构。随着越来越多新移民成为国民，选民构成日益多元，政党在政策制定与信息传递上必须更具包容性与前瞻性。他们必须同时争取老一代公民与新加坡新公民的认同，回应共同关切，并跨越代际与文化差异的鸿沟。在新加坡持续向前迈进的过程中，其政治也必须与时俱进——反映日益多元的人口现实，同时坚守国家的核心价值观：团结、韧性与务实。 Cwc-Ai

An interesting question on a Singaporean’s identity

By Kelvin Ong I am a foreign born Singaporean in my early twenties. I was born and raised overseas for a decade or so. Despite this, my family is fourth generation Singaporean, as my great grandparents were the ones who migrated to Singapore (before/during the war I think?). Besides my siblings and me, everyone else in my extended family (uncles, aunties, cousins, nephews) is through and through Singaporean. In fact, my grandfather was even a card carrying member of the PAP in the early days of LKY! When I came to Singapore a couple of years before my teenages, I had no prior knowledge of the English language, and only a very limited command of Chinese (I spoke a foreign language), so I was rejected by primary school after primary school. I served my two years in the SAF, even taking up an additional half year contract in one of the most hazardous vocations in the army. Throughout my decade (and a few more years) in Singapore, I have been buddies with ah bengs, ah lians, gang members, drug addicts, top scholars, elite rich, middle class. I speak hokkien, chinese and english fluently, and I even know some malay from my malay friends (eh bang, ada rokok?) Not very good, but I am familiar with the differences in the tongues of Singapore. I have since left Singapore for further studies in my country of birth around half a year ago. It was during my time here that one of my NS buddies introduced me to the Temasek Review, and I have been hooked. I have been impressed by janetnt, peterL, and zero's balanced viewpoints, the satirical comments of other readers, and generally, the passion that each and every one of TR's readers possess with regards to making Singapore a better place for Singaporeans. Due to the length of time I have spent abroad (nearly the entire first half of my life), I never feel comfortable discussing Singaporean issues, for fear that I am not Singaporean enough. At the same time, I cannot say that I am a foreigner, because my roots, culture, and family are Singaporean. Comparing Singapore with the liberty I experience here, I empathise with the TR readers. That is the reason why I read the TR with such fervour. Therefore, I write this letter to the Temasek Review, so I can hear opinions on my mixed heritage: Do you think someone like me is as Singaporean as yourself, Singaporean but to a lesser degree, or an FT/quitter/non-local-trying-to-chamsiong-with-locals? Read More →

Singapore Says Annual Growth Won’t Average 5%

By Se Young Lee from Wall Street Journal Mr. Lee said that 2009 turned out to be a much better year than initially expected, partly because the worst-case scenarios of the global financial crisis didn't materialize, and partly due to the government's S$20.5 billion stimulus package designed to cushion the severe fall in external demand. Initial government estimates released earlier this month show that Singapore's economy contracted by 2.1% last year. Though this was the first decline since 2001, it was far less than initially feared. The government had forecast in April that the economy would shrink by between 6% and 9% in 2009, though it was later revised up. Indeed, Singapore's economy has rebounded quickly as external conditions improved, emerging from the deep slump in the second quarter of 2009. The government expects that the economy will grow by between 3% and 5% this year, but some economists believe the city-state has a potential to post a stronger figure with signs of a broadening recovery in recent exports and manufacturing data. In the speech, Lee cautioned that global growth will remain weak for several years to come, with U.S. consumers becoming less willing to spend. Still, the prime minister said income per capita can continue to rise if the Singapore work force sharply improves its productivity to compensate for slower growth. Read rest of article here Read More →

李光耀要人民掏钱购屋

来源：星洲日报29/01/2010 新加坡内阁资政李光耀说，新加坡政府打从一开始就没想到建组屋出租给人们，而是把居者有其屋计划当作新加坡公共住屋政策的基石，以让绝大多数人民从口袋里掏钱购屋，而不是过于依赖政府的长期津贴。他在建屋发展局 (HDB) 为庆祝成立50周年而举办的国际住屋大会的一场对话会上指出，这么做的目的是要让拥有这一重要资产的国人从中获益，因为只要新加坡的经济继续保持繁荣，再加上住屋环境不断改善，组屋必定能保值或增值。新加坡国立大学房地产研究所所长邓永恒教授指如果让陷入财务困境的低收入者能向政府租屋居住，或许能够确保住屋市场的可持续发展；他同时也提出，如果人们的财富不被组屋“锁死”，年轻国人将能够有更多资金投资创业。不过，李光耀却不认同他的看法。他说，这将使各式各样的问题接踵而来，“如果你认为你能成为一个伟大的企业家，那就支付市场租金，而不是要政府每个月给你几千块钱的津贴，让你以50元的月租来租组屋。” 所建组屋需国民可负担他指出，政府的政策是让每个国民都有一份宝贵的资产，所以政府所建造的新组屋将是国人负担得起的。 “如果你首次购屋而又不够钱，我们会给你三四万或四五万元的津贴，协助你拥有组屋。” 李光耀说，反对党认为人们对组屋价格上涨感到不满，因此对负责房屋政策的国家发展部长马宝山所领导的淡滨尼集选区虎视眈眈，而他也提醒人们，政府对组屋的定价与人们期望的屋价之间的差距，永远无法消除，如果部长无法为本身所制定的政策进行辩护，那在大选中输了也没话说。他说，部长必须解释政府制定屋价的考虑与一般民众有所不同，当他面对对手时如果没有自我辩护的能力，就得自负后果。针对人们对组屋价格的不满，他解释，当政府为新组屋定价时，除了得考虑收入，也必须对个人，包括现在、从前和未来的买主是否公平的问题。这与购屋者从本身的负担能力和政府给购屋津贴的角度出发，是完全不同的。 Read More →