Traffic leading to Marina Bay smooth on first day of F1

Traffic leading to Marina Bay smooth on first day of F1

By Pearl Forss,
SINGAPORE: The weekend started early for a hundred thousand or so spectators who descended on Singapore’s Marina Bay for the world’s first night race.

Traffic leading to Marina Bay was smooth on the first day of the Singapore Grand Prix, unlike the snarls on previous days.

Many seemed to have left their cars at home, opting for public transport instead.

Security clearance at the gates was also quick, as many heeded the organisers’ advice and came with the bare minimum.

The crowd started arriving as early as 12pm, despite the fact that the first support race started at 3pm.

However, there is plenty inside to keep the early birds entertained. Located inside the gates are 10 stages with a mix of international and local acts, bars, hawker stores, and roving artists.

A hundred thousand spectators will be soaking in the excitement, with about half of them from overseas.

A Spanish tourist Louis Alonso said, “(This is the) first time racing (is done) in (the) night, we hope (there will be) good racing.”

Dutch tourist Riny Scheffeas said, “(The race) should be very exciting.”

Singaporean Iskandar Surya said, “It is like a dream in Singapore, (that I) can see this kind of racing.”

Many also came early to get a good spot at the barricades, where they could catch some of the action for free.

Other places to watch the race for free are office buildings and hotels in the area, where staff were seen crowding at the balconies as the cars whizzed by.

- CNA/yt

Source : Channel NewsAsia  - 27 Sept 2008

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Singapore Population up a record 5.5%

Singapore Population up a record 5.5% 

Biggest increase is among foreigners, the result of a buoyant economy 

By Li Xueying, Political Correspondent 

THAT feeling of a growing squeeze in shopping malls, MRT trains and hawker centres is now borne out by official figures.
Singapore’s population has shot up by a record 5.5 per cent to 4.84 million this June. It is the biggest annual spike since collection of such data began in 1871.

Foreigners are mainly behind the rise.

Drawn here by last year’s fast-trotting economy, their numbers soared by 19 per cent to 1.2 million, said the National Population Secretariat yesterday.

But secretariat director Roy Quek was circumspect about the rise in the number of foreigners, saying this is a group that expands and shrinks with the ups and downs of the economy.

‘There are levers so we can manage the inflow and outflow,’ he added, pointing to measures like the approval of work permits and employment passes.

Latest figures show 757,000 work permit holders, 143,000 on employment passes and 85,000 foreign students.

Citizens and permanent residents (PRs) also added to the population rise, though at a slower pace.

With more births, the number of citizens rose by one per cent. The rise in PRs is 6.5 per cent. Together, they raised the resident population to 3.64 million, from 3.58 a year ago.

Mr Quek stressed that the spike in the population does not mean Singapore is hurtling towards the 6.5 million figure used by government planners as a guide.

It will take 20 to 30 years to get there at the current pace, he said. He expects the resident population to hit 4.8 million by 2030.

The population swell fuelled by foreigners comes at a time when the foreign worker issue is again in the limelight.

Serangoon Gardens residents have been up in arms over the possible siting of a foreign worker dormitory in their residential estate.

Singaporeans interviewed yesterday also expressed concerns over the competition for jobs, as the economy slides.

Accounts executive Iris Sen, 33, said: ‘I notice the cleaners at coffee shops and food courts are now mostly young Chinese nationals. What happened to the Singaporean aunties?’

Mr Desmond Lee, 32, who runs a private school, wondered about the ’social costs’ of having many foreign workers, citing their tendency to group at void decks to drink.

Mr Quek acknowledged their unease but said Singapore needs the manpower to propel its economy.

He hoped Singaporeans would make the effort to help foreigners integrate even as the Government looks at ways to alleviate their concerns.

As for the Serangoon Gardens uproar, he said it was not possible to isolate all foreign workers on the Southern islands or Tuas.

Meanwhile, on the baby front, the first half of this year saw 18,032 births, 707 more than during the same period last year.

At this pace, the total fertility rate - which was 1.29 last year - may hit 1.3. Still, it is far from the 2.1 replacement rate.

So, Singapore continues to rely on immigration.

The number of citizens and PRs is set to hit a new record this year. In the first half, there were 34,800 new PRs and 9,600 new citizens. The comparative figures for last year were 28,500 and 7,300 respectively.

The statistics show the population’s ethnic make-up shifting too. The Chinese proportion has slipped to 74.7 per cent from 76.8 per cent in 2000, while the proportion of Indians inched up to 8.9 from 7.9 per cent.

But Mr Quek did not expect the ethnic picture to change drastically.

Just as more foreigners have arrived, more Singaporeans left to work and study abroad. About 153,500 are now overseas, 6,000 more than last year.

MP Josephine Teo, who is also NTUC’s assistant secretary-general, saw common ground between Singaporeans who go away and foreigners who arrive.

‘They share a willingness to adapt to different cultures, a certain work ethic and a desire to make good for their families,’ she said.

‘We need to emphasise the common- ness that draws us closer rather than the differences that pull us apart.’

Source : Straits Times - 27 Sept 2008

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