Photo Credit: Yahoo! and The Sunday Times
Upon the release of the Population White Paper to the public on 29 January 2013, it resulted in heated debates not only in Parliament but among the Singaporean community too. On 16 February 2013, despite the drizzly weather, about 5,000 people gathered at Hong Lim Park to peacefully protest against the government’s proposed plans and policies as outlined in the paper. The protest was the second largest in attendance ever since Pink Dot 2012[1].
Protest against Population White Paper (Channel 5 News)
The protest was an avenue for unhappy Singaporeans to voice out their views and concerns about the plans and policies proposed by the government in the Population White Paper. Some of the main issues that were raised during the protest are:
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Issues of national and/or cultural identity
- Concerns about sustainability for future generations
- Traffic and/or transportation congestion
- Overcrowding and increased competition for jobs, housing and resources
Protest against Population White Paper (Yahoo! News)
As evident in the videos above, Singaporeans were greatly concerned about political, social and/or economic issues rather than environmental issues. The lack of concern given to environmental issues could be due to the fact that environmental issues, as compared to the other issues, do not produce immediate consequences nor affect the lives of citizens directly to a great extent.
[1] An annual event that aims to raise awareness and foster deeper understanding of the basic human need to love and be loved, regardless of one’s sexual orientation. In 2012, it has a turnout of more than 15,000 Singaporeans.