I REFER to Mr Francis Ngiam's comments in last Saturday's collation of views ("Your insights") about the distinction between citizens and permanent residents (PRs).

Mr Ngiam's view is that if PRs happen to turn down invitations to become citizens when they are
eligible to do so, they should be relegated to work permit holders or treated as foreigners. His argument is that for a PR to say no is a clear case of exploitation of privileges and perks that come with PR status.

I am 20 years old and have lived in Singapore for the past 19 years. I am currently doing my national service, just like any Singaporean, after having gone through the Singapore education system like any Singaporean. But unlike citizens, I am a PR.

Mr Ngiam's "take it or leave it" option is wrong and penalises an individual's decision to hold on to his roots. The "P" in "PR" does not stand for "provisional" - it stands for "permanent".

Ko Yuen Gi

This article was first published in The Straits Times.