Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo said in Parliament that she was 'surprised' by the suggestion and questioned how much such a test could help.
SINGAPORE: Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh said in Parliament on Monday that he would advocate for an English test when assessing a person's application for citizenship or permanent residency in Singapore.
The parliamentary exchange, which took place during the Committee of Supply debates for the Ministry of Home Affairs , was prompted by Mr Singh’s “cut” to the ministry’s proposed budget. Mr Singh then raised the example of Switzerland, which he said has a highly specific selection process for new citizens that entails applicants showing themselves to be “successfully integrated” into the country.
“Is a working proficiency in English a criteria for citizenship for better integration between new citizens and Singaporeans of all races and religions, since English is our main language of communication?” he added.In response, Mrs Teo said that while the Singapore authorities also consider an applicant’s ability to integrate in Singapore, they do not use a naturalisation test or interviews because “all tests have pitfalls”.
When Mr Singh asked Mrs Teo to confirm if an English test is part of the process of assessing permanent residency or citizenship applications, she asked if he was advocating that such a test should be applied before someone can be considered for permanent residency or citizenship. “Unless we're saying that we therefore do not welcome such foreign spouses, I'm not sure to what extent a test of English that could be applied to prevent them from being considered would be helpful," Mrs Teo said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Former Singapore national football captain Shahril Ishak announces his retirement - Singapore News“This was an extremely difficult decision, but I felt it was time. Everything has a beginning and an end. After 19 years I made the decision to end my career as a professional football player,” he said.
Read more »
Pedra Branca works necessary and 'fully in accordance' with international law, Singapore's sovereignty: MFAHighlighting Singapore’s close relationship with Malaysia, Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also spoke about ongoing cooperation projects like the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link between Singapore and Johor Bahru.
Read more »
MFA will forge bilateral and regional ties even as it helps Singaporeans in distress overseasSINGAPORE - Singapore’s bilateral relations with China remain excellent, anchored by cooperation in various areas such as healthcare, sustainability and tourism, as well as engagement between leaders from both sides, said Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann on Monday in Parliament. Speaking in Mandarin on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MFA) outreach and engagement plans, Ms Sim highlighted long-standing initiatives such as the 18-year-old Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) and the government-to-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing as a reflection of the “breadth and depth of Singapore-China cooperation”. She also noted the good engagement between leaders on both sides, with President Halimah Yacob meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meeting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in 2022. Singapore also welcomed several delegations from China including, notably, Vice Premier Han Zheng for the 18th JCBC in 2022. Ms Sim said that in-person meetings, especially with Chinese adjusting its pandemic management approach, are necessary to build trust. She also called Singapore’s relationship with the US “excellent”, noting the visits by key members of President Joe Biden’s administration such as then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to Singapore last year. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Woman orders cake from home-based baker, but gets design made of paper instead - Singapore News'I’d like to tell everyone out there to be careful especially with such bakers. Don’t be fooled by their good reviews. I learned that the hard way,' the woman said.
Read more »
Former national athletes launched ‘Tchoukball 100 Days Fundraising Challenge’ - Singapore NewsIt was discovered that the association is not only managed by a group of passionate volunteers but is also self-funded as they do not receive any additional funds from the authority, unlike the other national sports association.
Read more »
Singapore Prison Service to study effectiveness of imprisonment, community-based correctionsSingapore Prison Service to study costs and benefits of imprisonment amid greater use of community-based corrections
Read more »