Play a part in assimilating: PM Lee, Khaw to new Singapore citizens
Join community activities and reach out to others who have newly arrived in Singapore, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan to new citizens on Saturday.
Speaking at separate national citizenship ceremonies held on Saturday morning and afternoon, both encouraged the newly-minted citizens to serve the community with other Singaporeans and called on residents to invite the new arrivals to community events and for meals at their homes.
Lee welcomed some 150 new citizens in Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang West constituencies, while Khaw awarded citizenship certificates to 194 new citizens in Sembawang, including 32 families who applied for citizenship together.
Acknowledging that changing citizenship is a big decision, the prime minister said it is certainly more than doing a cost-benefit analysis on a spreadsheet. “(It is in) committing your heart — what identity do you adopt? What values will you make your own? Where will your loyalty lie?” he added.
Meanwhile, Khaw said the state of affairs in Singapore is “truly extraordinary” given the many racial and religious conflicts that are occurring around the world now.
“We must treasure it, and it requires every one of us to continue to preserve what is important to us: social harmony, mutual respect for one another and graciousness when sharing the common spaces,” he said.
Khaw also encouraged new citizens, being better-able to understand the challenges of adjusting to a new environment, to reach out to other newly-arrived residents in Singapore.
Singapore’s population grew 1.6 per cent between 2012 and 2013 to 5.4 million, while its citizen population moved up by just over 26,000 or 0.7 per cent over the same period to 3.8 million, according to figures from the Department of Statistics.
Its population density has risen from 7,529 to 7,540 per sq.km in 2013, a pain point for many who have complained in recent years of overcrowding in public spaces and competition for jobs and housing.
