179 new S’poreans take the pledge; diversity a strength amid shared conviction: Edwin Tong

“That means everyone in Singapore is treated the same. It doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter your background. One rule for all,” he said.

He added that since the inception of Britain’s Second Charter of Justice 200 years ago, which gave Singapore its legal framework, the Republic has amended and contextualised laws to make it applicable for the nation.

This includes recognising race and religion as a special feature of Singapore’s community, and protecting spaces for the practice of religion and for growing different ethnicities, he said.

He also highlighted the significance of Singapore’s pledge, which he led the new citizens in reciting.

The first word, “we”, is particularly important, he said. “If you look around the world, you will see a fractured society that is driven by identity, driven by differences in skin colour, in race, in language, in religion, sometimes even in gender or even the way you speak.”

Singapore cannot afford the same divisions, he added.

The number of immigrants expected to call Singapore home in the coming years is expected to rise, amid the nation’s falling birth rate and ageing population.

In February, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said Singapore’s preliminary total fertility rate fell to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, and warned that the population could shrink by early 2040s without intervention.

Over the next five years, Singapore will grant up to 30,000 new citizenships annually, up from the 21,300 citizenships granted annually between 2020 and 2024.

The number of permanent residents (PRs) will also increase from an average of 33,000 a year between 2020 and 2024 to around 40,000 a year in the next five years.

Those looking to apply for Singapore citizenship must be PRs for at least two years.

For new citizens such as Nathaniel Naplah, 51, the process of putting down roots in Singapore has taken decades.

Originally from Liberia, Naplah came to Singapore in 1995 and played professional football in what was then known as the S. League, alongside household names Fandi Ahmad, V. Sundramoorthy and Malek Awab.

Now working as a teacher’s aide, Naplah said: “It is an honour to become a citizen of the nation I have called home for almost three decades.

“Being here – watching my three boys grow up and building a life with my wife – has given me deep roots and a foundation for our family. I’m truly grateful and proud to call Singapore home.”

Another new citizen, commodities trader Michael Phelps, originally from Britain, came to Singapore in 1999 for a two-year work assignment.

Phelps, who had by that point worked in London, Tokyo and Hong Kong, said he arrived in the Republic with no expectations.

“Two years became three years, then five years, then 10 years. I loved my work and Singapore lifestyle,” said the 51-year-old, adding that he had met his Singaporean wife Lynn during that time, which led to his decision to become a citizen here.

“I hope to grow my career further and contribute to the country’s future. I have so many dreams and ambitions, and if they can happen anywhere, it’s in my new home,” said the father of four children.