Once again playing fast and loose with statistics, Teo Chee Hean said that Singapore's density will be 13,000 people per sq m, lower than Hong Kong's 22,000 per sq m. According to the World Bank report published in 2012, the Hong Kong figure was last reported at 6,782 in 2010. The difference is looking at Hong Kong the island, and Hong Kong the country.
Recall the prime minister telling a gathering organised by the Institute of Public Studies (IPS), "a lot of things are not going to be written down."
What they wrote down in the White Paper on population issues, the so-called "Three Pillars" to support the future country;
First, Singaporeans form the core of our society. To be strong and cohesive,we we must have a strong Singapore core;
Second, our population and workforce must support a dynamic economy that can steadily create good jobs and opportunities to meet Singaporeans' hopes and aspirations;
Third, we must continue to keep Singapore a good home.
What they obviously did not write down, and keeping hidden from us:
First, the core of our Singaporean identity is being diluted by the intake of foreign elements. By weakening the core, the strength and cohesiveness demonstrated recently at Punggol East will be eroded;
Second, the population and workforce will be the batteries to fuel a economy that benefit the elites and their cronies, who own two cars ("My wife own one and I own one, we are both professionals" - colorectal surgeon). The good jobs will be there, but not for the mere mortals. We will be crammed into public transport - squashed together with the legions of aliens - while the shrinking car population will be reserved only for the super rich;
Third, Singapore Inc of the future will be Hotel Singapore, playground and home of the jet setting upper caste, and not just from Northern India. We were once told if we have ownership of our HDB flats, we will have a stake to defend and bear arms for. Now we are mere jagas doing guard duty for the mansions and penthouses of the non-citizens.
At the same IPS conference, Lee confessed his team didn't have 20/20 foresight, just the myopia which led to the infrastructure strain of today. He asked, "Should we have said... Let's forget about the growth, we don't need the IRs (integrated resorts), we don't need the extra jobs, we just stay where we were?" The answer is a "yes, yes, and yes". Ask your colorectal surgeon - if the growth is malignant, it's best to cut it off quickly. We can't afford to wait for another, "Next time, we will try to do better." Sheesh, to think the guy has been in office since 1984.