Singapore's growing success sparks a backlash

Commenting on the public backlash against the huge jump in the foreign population brought in to ease Singapore's manpower woes, SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan noted that 2013 marked the tipping point for public resentment, with the government's announcement of the Population White Paper and the riot in Little India. Associate Prof Tan said: “The desire to be a global city – open to foreign investment and people –created a perfect storm. Everything conspired to make Singapore more congested and increase the cost of living. Immigration became the convenient scapegoat.” On the government's plans to continue restricting the supply of foreign workers without hurting foreign investment, he said: “There are real concerns about Singapore hurting its reputation as business-friendly. We need to decide how wide we want to keep the doors open.”