1) Immigration policy 2) Economic opportunities 3) Socio-cultural environment

1. Why Is There
Greater Diversity in
Singapore Now?
Issue 2: Chapter 5

2. Objectives
 To learn the factors that contribute to
movement of people and ideas across
countries
Which has lead to greater
diversity in Singapore

3. 2 main overarching questions that
we should consider:
Why is there a need for more
foreigners to work and live in
Singapore?
Why do more foreigners want to
come to Singapore?

4. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO
GREATER DIVERSITY IN SG:
1.Immigration Policy
2.Economic Opportunities
3.Socio-Cultural Environment

5. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO
GREATER DIVERSITY IN SG:
1.Immigration Policy (TB pg.135)
2.Economic Opportunities
3.Socio-Cultural Environment

6. 1. IMMIGRATION POLICY (TB pg.135)
 Inflow of migrants and immigrants have
increased due to immigration policies
Migrants – foreigners temporarily live and work
in Singapore
Immigrants – foreigners permanently move to
live and work in Singapore
Permanent Residents and New Citizens

7. Past
 1970s: Need to set up labour–intensive
industries to build SG’s economy
 Hired foreign workers (e.g. at construction
sites, factories, & shipyards)
 They were not allowed to stay & start
familes in SG
 1980s: Declining population + Brain drain
 Educated professionals moved away from
SG (as easier to work overseas)
1. IMMIGRATION POLICY (TB pg.135)

8. Now (1990s-present)
 Need for higher-skilled foreign workforce
for knowledge based economy -
 E.g. Research & Development (R&D); researchers
 E.g. Engineering; electronics; petrochemicals
1. IMMIGRATION POLICY (TB pg.137)

9. Now (1990s-present)
 Need to increase population size due to –
Low birth rates
From 2020, decline in no. of working-age citizens
From 2025, decline in overall citizen population
Why is aging population a problem?
Ageing population
Why is aging population a problem?
1. IMMIGRATION POLICY (TB pg.137)

10.  Ageing population
 Declining age-
dependency ratio
1. IMMIGRATION POLICY (TB pg.137)

11. Why has the increased influx of
foreigners led to diversity in SG? [LINK]
Diversity in SG increases because
Migrants and immigrants bring their cultures,
practices and customs.
Skills, valuable experiences and business
networks to contribute ideas and expertise
to Singapore’s economy.
1. IMMIGRATION POLICY

12. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO
GREATER DIVERSITY IN SG:
1.Immigration Policy
2.Economic Opportunities (TB pg.139)
3.Socio-Cultural Environment

13. 2. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES (TB pg.139)
In SG, employment opportunities are readily available due to
the large number of businesses that operate here.
Large number of businesses and investors, especially MNCs
want to invest in Singapore
 Easiest place to do business
 Growth potential
 Stable political environment
 Low level of corruption
 Efficiency
 Well-established judiciary system (fairness)

14. Types of foreigners working here in SG:
 Foreign manpower/labour
 For construction/Marine jobs – low-skilled work that support high-
skilled professionals
 Usually from ASEAN member countries (e.g. India, Bangladesh, China)
 Domestic workers
 To support families with elderly and children, allow Singaporeans who
are primary care-giver to re-enter/remain in the workforce
 Foreign PMETs/professionals
 Ensure economy remains vibrant/ competitive
 Usually take up senior positions (e.g. in banking/finance/university)
 Usually come from Asia, USA and Europe
2. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES (TB pg.142)

15. Why has the increase in economic opportunity
led to greater diversity? (LINK)
More diversity because
 Increase in both higher-skilled and lower-
skilled workers coming to work in SG.
 Highly-skilled workers raise the incomes of
top tier income earners while lower-skilled
workers keep wages at the bottom tiers low.
 Widen income gap and hence, increase in
socio-economic diversity in SG.
2. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES (TB pg.142)
Help SG attract
foreign talent
Help SG
remain
attractive
to foreign
companies

16. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO
GREATER DIVERSITY IN SG:
1.Immigration Policy
2.Economic Opportunities
3.Socio-Cultural Environment (TB pg.144)

17. 3. SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT (TB pg. 144)
Professionals attracted to work here and settle
down with their families here in SG.
Key features of SG’s socio-cultural environment
that caused foreigners to settle in SG:
Community support
Safe environment
Education system

18. 3.1 Community support (TB pg. 148)
Presence of different ethnic/immigrant communities in SG:
 Help foreigners feel more at home and settle down
 These communities usually gather in certain districts
 strengthen ties
Thai community @ Golden Mile Complex (pg. 149)
Japanese community @ Liang Court & Clarke Quay (pg.150)
Korean community @ Bukit Timah (pg.151)
3. SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

19.  Immigrant communities bring with them their
national identities, including ethnic practices
unique to their countries of origin.
 When there are more foreigners and their
community groups in Singapore, they can influence
and add on to the diversity of cuisines, language,
culture and beliefs present in Singapore.
3. SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
How has immigrant communities added
to diversity in SG? [LINK]

20. 3.2 Safe environment (TB pg. 152)
Why come and live in SG?
 Social order
 Security
 Low crime rates
 Absence of corruption
 Strong rule of law
 “Peace and prosperity”
3. SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

21. 3.3 Education system (TB pg. 153)
Why study in SG?
 Quality, well-recognised education system
 Admired for its effective and high standards
 Many Primary/Sec schools & JCs accept international
students
 Schools offer high standard of certification and a wide
array of courses
3. SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

22. How does the influx of international
students add to diversity in SG? [LINK]
When more foreign students study in SG,
They are able to share their experiences
and learning with their fellow students and
this adds to the diversity in schools
3. SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT