SINGAPORE - The Government is moving to encourage more permanent residents in the country to take up citizenship. And in some cases, their PR status "will not be renewed" should they decline to swap for the red passport, said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday.
Mr Goh was speaking at a dialogue session with Marine Parade residents to gather feedback on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech last month.
Responding to a suggestion from a participant who said Employment Pass holders should take up citizenship, Mr Goh noted that such a move would discourage foreign talent from working in Singapore. Moreover, Employment Pass holders serve as buffers - their numbers can be reduced, during a downturn, said Mr Goh.
But Mr Goh added: "Moving forward, we are going to approach some (PRs) to take up Singapore citizenship. If they don't, then their PR (status) will not be renewed. That's a better way. We now have quite a few PRs, 500,000 in Singapore, so hopefully maybe, 50,000 can be selected to become Singapore citizens, the rest can be PRs, contributing to Singapore's economy."
However, Mr Goh did not elaborate on how the process would work.
