Is It Time to Consider A "Law of Return" For Our Close Cousins Across the Border?

Singapore's population growth is a perennial concern to the global city-state. With a Total Fertility Rate of 0.97 and a rapidly ageing workforce, many employers have to rely on foreign labour at all skill-levels to sustain their businesses.  The birthrate among Singapore residents have stagnated and is unlikely to revert to near replacement level anytime soon given the sombre economic outlook and shift in societal values toward marriage and parenthood. Immigration is thus no longer a stop gap but a permanent feature of our demographic future. 

However, this exogenous boost to the stork is politically sensitive as many Singaporeans are most concerned over its impact on our social fabric, especially in how local cultural practices may be eroded.  For both multinational companies and small-medium enterprises, the uncertainty over workforce could have significant impact to prospective investment. More importantly, this will affect not only the economic vibrancy but also the outlook to the future, and our sense of vulnerability and cohesion. 

To address this challenge, we need a sustainable immigration road map, one that offers predictability to businesses, attracts the right profile of residents, and reassures Singaporeans that their way of life will not be changed. Specifically, we can consider a "union visa" for Malaysians over the crossways, targeting individuals and their families who either have relatives who are Singaporeans, or who have worked or studied in the city-state for at least 5 years in the preceding 20 years. 

The two countries enjoy a special tie as both share a common history, heritage, and values. This travel category - capped at 20,000 visa per annum for a start - allows Malaysians the right to seek employment in Singapore unconditionally (i.e., does not require a job offer at application), and at the appropriate juncture in the future, a definitive pathway to residency for those who wish to sink their roots here.

This proposal is also a timely endeavour with the announcement of Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) in January 2025. It is estimated that more than 1.18 million Malaysians work in Singapore, and approximately 300,000 to 400,000 Malaysians commute across the Causeway daily. Many of them are working, living, or studying amongst us, and share many rituals and norms like the native born and bred Singaporeans.  They are "one of us" in more ways than we know.