Pritam Singh: Process of bringing in new citizens, Permanent Residents, should be transparent

SINGAPORE: In Parliament this week, Workers’ Party MP Pritam Singh raised questions regarding the recent announcement from Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong about Singapore expecting to take in between 25,000 and 30,000 new citizens each year over the next five years.

Mr Singh, who heads the WP, said in a March 5 (Thursday) Facebook post that the party believes the process of taking in new citizens and Permanent Residents (PR) should be “transparent and fair for those with deep roots here.”

In his post, he noted that he has met residents of Eunos, the ward he has been representing in Parliament since 2011, who have applied for permanent residency or citizenship year after year but have not succeeded. These residents include non-Singaporeans married to Singaporeans who have worked in the city-state for years, raised a family here, and “made contributions to Singapore.”

He added that other work pass holders, such as those who have an Employment Pass, have also talked about the challenges they’ve faced.

“One consistent point all applicants cite? No reasons are given for a rejection,” Mr Singh noted, which he believes gives rise to the need for transparency.

He shared a clip of the questions he addressed to DPM Gan, where he asked if the Government would look at the cases of EP holders, PRs, or others who have applied for citizenship for many years but have not yet succeeded.

“Is there a strategy specifically to re-look at some of these applicants? Because they may have actually assimilated into Singapore society quite well by now,” he said.

DPM Gan, who said that the short answer was yes, added that the government is keeping all its options open. However, he noted that some of the individuals who may fit into the categories Mr Singh cited “do have reasons why we have not granted them PRs or citizenship.”

The DPM also said that a variety of sources of potential immigrants would be looked into. He underlined, however, that “the key is really assimilability,” adding that there are other factors that need consideration, including Singapore’s ethnic composition and balance.

“In its 2025 manifesto, the Workers’ Party called for greater transparency and clarity to ensure the system is accountable to our citizens. Barring national security considerations, ICA should disclose the broad reasons for rejections of Long Term Visit Pass, permanent residence, and citizenship applications for spouses and children of Singaporeans. It should also provide clear mitigation paths for future applications and increase the transparency of the application process to help these families plan their lives,” wrote Mr Singh in his Facebook post. /TISG

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