Pritam Singh

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.

Applicants must also be able to answer questions on Swiss geography, history, politics and society. We want those who really want to live here and be there,” he said. “The reason being that, firstly, one can imagine that for most applicants for permanent residency and citizenship – if they have been in Singapore for a number of years, particularly if they had worked here, a facility with English is not surprising and I would think that the test need not be applied.” 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. Advertisement “Singaporeans do not want new citizens who don’t want to live here but only want the power of the Singapore passport for their convenience, and a safe and secure environment for their assets and wealth.”