Singapore citizenships to Indians

Singapore, Aug 19: Singapore is likely to give about 40,000 citizenships and about 200,000 permanent resident status to foreigners over the next five years, the Sunday Times reported.

The news follows yesterday's ceremony giving Singapore citizenships to 155 people from India, the United States, China, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng handed out the citizenship certificates at the National Citizenship Ceremony held for the first time in the hall of Parliament House. Previously such grand ceremony was not held but citizenship certificates were issued by the Immigration Department and Community Development Council.

One of the new citizens, Suhas Malhotra said, "This has given me greater motivation to come back and serve Singapore and give back to society that has given me so much." "I'm very happy that I have got my citizenship and now I can officially be part of this country and be one with everyone else here," the Channel News Asia quoted Mr Malhotra as saying.

Welcoming the new citizens, Mr Wong said they will now add to Singapore's economic, cultural and social milieu in making the country more vibrant.

Mr Wong recalled that one of the founding fathers of modern Singapore and Deputy Prime Minister, late Mr S Rajaratnam, had once said that being a Singaporean was not a matter of ancestry but a matter of conviction and choice.

"Whether you are born in Singapore, or a naturalised citizen, what truly defines all Singaporeans is that we continue to choose to be Singaporeans, and that we want to carry on with the Singaporean way of life," Mr Wong said.

UNI