I agree with Straits Times associate editor Vikram Khanna's statement that what population Singapore can support in the future depends on how it prepares years before (Population debate should not be about picking a number, July 19).

With a low fertility rate and an ageing society, Singapore needs to discuss rationally this crucial yet emotive issue of population size.

Mr Liu Thai Ker, an expert in urban planning, has been dubbed the "architect of modern Singapore". We should be eternally grateful to him and his team for their roles in developing public housing and in urban planning.

I respect his view that Singapore should plan for 10 million people to remain sustainable.

We need to seriously consider why he is sticking to his view.

As he mentioned, we must plan on the basis of a large enough population in order to preserve the quality of Singapore's landscape despite space and resource constraints (10m population wasn't a goal but planning parameter: Liu Thai Ker, July 18).

As we actively seek the advice of medical experts on the handling of Covid-19, would it not be ironic if we were to reject Mr Liu's expert views without giving them a second thought?

At the age of 82, Mr Liu is still actively seeking answers to improve Singapore's landscape and urban planning.

We owe it to our future generations to discuss the population size for Singapore 50 or 100 years down the road, as planning must be done in advance.

Hopefully, now that the general election is over, this important issue of the right population size will be discussed as a national conversation. We need to be rational, not emotional, in discussing it.

Foo Sing Kheng