GE2025: Eight parties deliver campaign messages in final political broadcast

CNA

01-05-2025

SINGAPORE: Eight political parties delivered their final campaign messages on Thursday (May 1) in political broadcasts on free-to-air television and radio.
This is the second bout of political party broadcasts – the first round aired on Apr 25. Each broadcast will be transmitted once on television and once on radio.
Political parties that field at least six candidates under a recognised party symbol are eligible to take part in the broadcasts. Independents and political parties fielding fewer than six candidates are not eligible for them.
In this General Election, eight parties are eligible for the political broadcasts – the National Solidarity Party, People's Power Party, Singapore Democratic Party, People's Alliance for Reform, Progress Singapore Party, Red Dot United, Workers' Party and People's Action Party.
The duration of airtime allocated to each political party is based on the number of candidates it fielded. Eligible parties have been allocated between four and 14 minutes of airtime.
The order of the broadcasts is determined by the number of candidates fielded by the parties, starting first with the party fielding the fewest candidates and ending with the party fielding the most candidates.
NATIONAL SOLIDARITY PARTY
When one political party dominates parliament, mistakes are overlooked and alternative ideas are buried, said NSP candidate Lee Wei.
'Without a stronger, fairer parliamentary system, your concerns are too easily ignored once the votes are counted,' said Mr Lee, who is contesting Sembawang GRC.
A first-time candidate, Mr Lee highlighted rising HDB prices, escalating healthcare costs and recent scandals and data breaches that "slipped past without proper accountability" as examples of why stronger parliamentary scrutiny is needed.
Political diversity does not create chaos, Mr Lee said. 'It creates better solutions. It forces leaders to listen, innovate and act in your interests.'
He argued that Singapore needs more voices in parliament to push for transparent HDB pricing, better healthcare funding models and policies that ensure no one is left behind.
'We are not just about checks and balances. We are about action and accountability,' he said.
Positioning himself as a relatable voice for the average Singaporean, Mr Lee said he understands the lived struggles of many.
'I speak to you not just as a candidate, but as someone who, like you, feels the pinch every day – at the supermarkets, coffeeshops, when paying for home loan or when planning for retirement.'
He said Singaporeans deserve affordable homes without life-long mortgages, lower living costs and secure jobs.
NSP has proposed solutions such as targeted GST exemptions for essential items as one measure to reduce everyday expenses.
'You deserve a government that fixes your bills today and a system that protects your dreams forever,' said Mr Lee, calling on Singaporeans to vote for his party.
PEOPLE'S POWER PARTY
PPP's Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Thaddeus Thomas said there was a need for more diverse opposition in parliament.
He noted there were several opposition parties to vote for, each with distinct values and visions.
'A parliament with multiple parties is like a vibrant marketplace. It drives all to work harder for Singaporeans' interests,' said Mr Thomas. 'And diversity is the foundation of innovation and progress.'
In the party's political broadcast, he said PPP offers 'fresh, pragmatic policy solutions' and is not afraid to 'challenge established narratives'.
For example, in housing, the party has suggested building for young couples affordable 2.5-room Housing and Development Board flats 'without land cost', to encourage them to start families early.
PPP has also proposed including 1.5 million foreign workers in MediShield Life to 'expand risk pooling' and help 'lower insurance premiums' for Singapore citizens, said Mr Thomas.
MediShield Life is a basic health insurance plan, administered by the Central Provident Fund (CPF), which helps to pay for large hospital bills and selected outpatient treatments.
'As we navigate complex challenges ahead, we need more than just a good co-driver,' said Mr Thomas. 'We also need vigilant inspectors to keep the driver and co-driver alert to ensure a safe journey ahead amid uncertainties.
'Real progress doesn't need a bigger opposition. It needs a more diverse opposition.'
SINGAPORE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
The party said it promises to run its own town councils if elected to parliament, as well as hold regular town halls and invite 'the relevant civil servants' to hear residents' views and solutions.
SDP chairman Paul Tambyah hit out at the PAP, saying it 'appears to have no meaningful policies beyond vouchers and other handouts' in a period of global inflation.
'They have not addressed structural issues such as rental costs, utilities and transportation. Instead, they chose to raise the GST (Goods and Services Tax), not once but twice, adding fuel to the fire of inflation,' he said.
He reiterated the party's proposal of reducing GST to 7 per cent, saying that SDP has shown this can happen without 'significantly affecting' the projected Budget surplus for the 2025 financial year.
Professor Tambyah said the PAP 'appears determined' to raise Singapore's gross domestic product by 'attracting individuals who do not want to pay their fair share of taxes' and 'exploiting low-wage migrant workers to drive down the wages of Singaporeans'.
He added that the SDP, in contrast, has a vision of Singapore where everyone can thrive – in reference to the party's slogan 'thrive, not just survive'.
Prof Tambyah also said the PAP has 'chosen to parachute' some senior leaders to new constituencies 'at the very last minute for their own political agendas', but the SDP – with fewer resources – has been 'active in northern Singapore for the last 20 years'.
He pointed to the party's policies that cover issues such as healthcare, housing and the economy.
PEOPLE'S ALLIANCE FOR REFORM
The People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) chief Lim Tean said PAP's call for a 'strong mandate' through turbulent times is 'nothing more than a distraction to mask their utter incompetence'.
"This has been the most incompetent PAP government in history. They have turned (the) government into a sorry and unedifying spectacle. And yet, they have the audacity to ask you for a strong mandate again,' he added.
Mr Lim listed previous PAP controversies, such as two ministers' rental of state bungalows at Ridout Road, a minister convicted of obtaining gifts as a public servant, the disclosure of individuals' full NRIC numbers on a government business portal, and the intended sale of Income Insurance to German insurer Allianz.
The PAR candidate for Potong Pasir SMC said: "The sad truth, as we have seen over many years, is that no PAP backbench MP had the courage to challenge any Bills presented by the government in parliament.
"They merely toed the party's line and on matters such as the GST hikes, that has caused you tremendous suffering."
If elected into parliament, PAR MPs would "fight every day" to protect the interests of voters and those of their next generation, said Mr Lim.
He added: 'Our proposals to lower your cost of living, make public housing affordable again, protect your jobs and to reduce significantly net immigration are well known."
PROGRESS SINGAPORE PARTY
The PSP will form a 'constructive and loyal' opposition if elected to parliament, said secretary-general Leong Mun Wai.
'We will continue to be a strong check against the PAP if it tries to bulldoze through policies that you don't really want,' he said in the party's political broadcast, citing the GST increase and Singapore's growing population as examples.
He also pledged to speak out against "bad laws that can be abused", naming the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act as one such law.
As former Non-Constituency MPs, he and PSP vice-chairperson Hazel Poa had questioned the government on issues such as the proposed sale of Income Insurance to Allianz and ministers' rental of colonial bungalows.
They also initiated eight parliamentary debates on issues such as public housing, foreign talent policy, public finances and the preservation of hawker culture.
'We do not oppose for the sake of opposing,' said Mr Leong. 'We support the government when it is in the national interest.'
Mr Leong also addressed what he described as the ruling party's attempts to 'scare' voters – that voting for PSP would result in the loss of ministers, a decline in foreign investment or poorly managed town councils.
But Singapore has 'emerged stronger and better for it' when the PAP lost constituencies in previous elections, he said.
The PSP has members and volunteers with experience managing town councils, Mr Leong said. Even if PAP candidates lose, they will typically be appointed as grassroots advisers by the People's Association, he added.
'If we are elected, we will work with them to make your lives better,' he said.
RED DOT UNITED
RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon called attention to income inequality in Singapore, contrasting "those in power living in black-and-white colonial bungalows" with ordinary Singaporeans living in "shrinking" flats.
'Is the Singapore we have today fair to all citizens so that we can together achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation?' he asked.
While it is 'natural' for people to act in their self-interest, Mr Philemon warned against the rise of a "billionaire class" that he said would 'lock up opportunities' for others.
'We cannot expect them to look after us. We must protect ourselves. We must make our voices heard,' he said, calling on Singaporeans to vote for honesty, fairness and dignity.
Mr Philemon said RDU is committed to ensuring that national policies are shaped by ordinary Singaporeans – 'not by people who are seated in ivory towers, cut from the same cloth, thinking the same way, too far removed from the struggles of ordinary Singaporeans".
He emphasised the calibre of RDU's candidates, noting that they include PhD holders, government scholars and professionals across various fields.
'We have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and risked our careers," he said. "Because building a better Singapore matters more.'
WORKERS' PARTY
Even if all of WP's candidates are elected, the PAP will still have a 'strong mandate to govern', said the opposition party's chair and candidate for Aljunied GRC Sylvia Lim.
'But it will govern subject to scrutiny by well-qualified, dedicated, and independent WP MPs.'
She made this point while calling for 'a new spirit of confidence' needed for the next stage in Singapore's development, in the party's political broadcast.
Ms Lim said Singapore has matured enough as a country to accept 'a much higher number of rational, respectable and responsible opposition MPs than we have now'.
She also called for "a new spirit of caring". Citing a 2020 Singapore Management University survey which found that 10.4 per cent of Singaporean households experienced food insecurity at least once in a year, she noted that soaring inflation has made things worse since.
Ms Lim said Community Development Council (CDC) cash vouchers are 'welcome', but questioned why all households receive the same amount of vouchers regardless of their size.
'And was it caring to raise GST from 8 to 9 per cent when the government was on its way to a huge Budget surplus?'
She then said Singapore needed to adopt "a new spirit of competition", especially in politics.
'If competition is good in principle, then competition in politics must also be good,' she said, adding that the government has promoted competition in other industries like healthcare, telecommunications and transport.
'Vote for the Workers' Party and we will continue working for Singapore with a new spirit of caring, competition and confidence,' Ms Lim concluded.
PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY
The election is not just about forming Singapore's government, but also about building tomorrow's leadership and taking the country forward, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Renewal was needed, and that was why senior members on the team stepped down to make way for new blood.
He said there are 'real consequences' to voting for the opposition, such as the potential immediate loss of three to four Cabinet ministers.
Mr Wong added that amid growing global uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions, Singapore could end up in a "very difficult spot" if caught in a crossfire between the US and China.
'To navigate this world effectively, Singapore will need leaders who are trusted by both sides - leaders whom they are familiar with, who they know personally, and who will not be easily pushed around,' said the PAP secretary-general.
Mr Wong also said opposition parties often offer 'all sorts of sweet deals', but don't have to bear the responsibility of delivering what they proposed.
'Now each opposition party alone may not have enough candidates to form a government. But when you add them up, the numbers are not small. They present a serious challenge,' he said.
He reiterated the Budget measures introduced to tackle cost-of-living and job concerns, and pledged to ramp up support if needed.
He called on Singaporeans to build with him a country where all children fulfil their full potential, where every worker is valued and respected, and where seniors age with dignity.
'We carry a collective new resolve – to keep this Singapore miracle going, and to build a future that's even better than the last 60 years,' said Mr Wong.