CNA | While there is value in being proficient in English, it should not be the single criterion when deciding if someone should become a Singapore citizen, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said.
“The knowledge of English at the working level, while helpful, should not be a defining or indeed a limiting factor, which might happen if you introduce it as a test, as a single point test,” Mr Tong said during the parliamentary debate on President Halimah Yacob’s Address on Friday (Apr 21).
Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh had on Feb 27 advocated for an English test when assessing a person’s application for citizenship or permanent residency in Singapore.
The Workers’ Party chief repeated the suggestion on Friday and cited a recent poll done by CNA, which found a large majority of Singapore-born citizens being in favour of the test.
About 80 per cent of the 500 respondents polled said they believe such a test should be part of the application process.
Mr Tong noted that a “significant proportion of Singaporeans throughout our history have not been able to speak English well”.
Citing his 96-year-old grandmother as an example, he added: “If we had years ago applied this test, then someone like her may not have made it into Singapore.”
The minister also said that an English test may not be the best marker of an applicant’s ability to integrate in Singapore.
He pointed to the country’s immigration framework, which was “tightened significantly in 2009”, that considers a broader range of factors, including family ties to Singapore, whether the applicant has studied here or has done National Service.
These other factors would be “equally, if not perhaps in some cases, more effective” as a marker of integration.
Mr Tong noted that the Constitution currently states that one of the markers for naturalisation is working knowledge of any of the four official languages.
“So I would say not that English proficiency is not important – I think there's value in that – but not make it a single qualifying test and don’t make it a single point assessment for citizenship," he added.
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