Josephine Teo and Pritam Singh Clash Over Citizenship Selection Criteria in Parliament

SINGAPORE — In a lively debate on Feb. 23, Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh discussed the selection process for new Singaporean citizens during MHA’s Committee of Supply debate.

Singh raised concerns about how new citizens are selected, emphasizing that citizenship must be reserved for those with a genuine commitment to Singapore. Citing Switzerland’s stringent naturalisation process, he suggested Singapore could adopt a more transparent and thorough approach, including interviews and English proficiency tests, to better integrate new citizens.

Singh asked for more details on the citizenship selection criteria, asking whether there is a points system and how it might evolve with the Forward Singapore initiative. He argued that transparency would help Singaporeans better understand how the government assesses economic contributions, educational qualifications, and family profiles.

Teo responded by explaining that Singapore avoids naturalisation interviews, as they could be easily manipulated, and sharing detailed selection criteria could be abused. Instead, Singapore focuses on markers of social integration like family ties, residency length, and national service participation. She also cited sensitivities due to Singapore’s unique geographic and historical position, particularly with most new citizens coming from neighboring regions.

The debate intensified when Singh advocated for English proficiency tests for new citizens, citing the growing use of English in Singapore. Teo questioned the need for such a test, noting that many applicants have already lived in Singapore for years, making an English test unnecessary. She also raised concerns about how this might affect foreign spouses of Singaporeans.

The exchange highlighted key issues around Singapore’s citizenship policies, including the balance between integration and inclusivity.