GE2025: PAP manifesto 'loaded with motherhood statements', Pritam Singh says at WP rally, Singapore News
The People's Action Party's (PAP) manifesto for this year's General Election is "loaded with motherhood statements", Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general Pritam Singh argued at his party's rally on Saturday (April 26).
Singh attended the event alongside party chair Sylvia Lim, as well as Tampines GRC candidates Faisal Manap, Jimmy Tan, Eileen Chong, Dr Ong Lue Ping and Michael Thng at Temasek Junior College.
Also present were Tampines Changkat SMC candidate Kenneth Foo and Gerald Giam, Fadli Fawzi, Kenneth Tiong, Jasper Kuan, Paris V Parameswari, Yee Jenn Jong, Sufyan Mikhail Putra and Nathaniel Koh.
Singh prefaced his statement by pointing out that many voters have made comparisons between the two parties' manifestos.
However, "the result is clear," said Singh. "The PAP manifesto is short on substance and specifics."
He said the Singapore population has increased from under two million in 1965 to over six million today, that "Singapore is a far more complex society, and it will always need fresh thinking".
"Yet we have a PAP manifesto without specific policy ideas," he argued, highlighting that the PAP manifesto chapter on housing affordability only promises to keep HDB flats affordable with scant details on how that might happen.
"I believe it is because the PAP wants Singaporeans to sign a blank check."
He said that the PAP government implemented the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (Vers) but did not provide sufficient details in Parliament, and families buying resale flats while planning for the future or for retirement lose out.
"What does the PAP manifesto say about this concern? Nothing at all."
Lim also went after the document while delivering her rally speech.
"In the PAP manifesto, there is one sentence about caregivers.
"It reads: 'Strengthen support for caregivers, the unsung heroes in our families'. There are no details stated about how this will be done."
Comparatively, WP's manifesto has a "concrete proposal" to provide aid to caregivers in the form of family care leave, Lim said.
With WP, caregivers would be able to take paid time off, with costs covered equally by employers and the government, she stated.
"This will send a signal that society values our seniors being cared for at home by loved ones."
She also reiterated WP's stance towards the elderly, stating that the goal of the party is "to enable our seniors to live their golden years with security, dignity and purpose".
"Remind the government that it was seniors who built this country, send a strong signal that more needs to be done for seniors to live with security, dignity and purpose... let's create our own kind of silver tsunami," she concluded.
At the end of the rally, Singh also took the chance to repeat WP's stance on the topic of foreign interference that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong addressed earlier in the day.
"My colleagues and I categorically reject the involvement of any foreign element whatsoever in our domestic politics. Singapore is our business, nobody else's," he said.
[[nid:717255]]
The PAP manifesto was launched by PM Wong on April 17 before a crowd of over 400 PAP activists.
He introduced it as a promise to Singaporeans, saying that it reflects "hopes, concerns and aspirations".
"It reflects our commitment: to keep Singapore strong, stable and united."
The section on housing states that the government's building programme was set back by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, they are on track to launch 100,000 new flats between 2021 and 2025.
They also promise to build more than 50,000 new flats over the next three years, decrease waiting time for flats, explore more public housing options and plan for rejuvenation of HDB towns, including through Vers. WP seats 'important for Singapore's democracy'
Singh had previously stressed in his party political broadcast that it is "important for Singapore's democracy" that WP wins more seats.
"With more WP constituencies comes a higher chance that Parliament will continue to have a fully-elected democratic opposition presence for the longer term," he had stated.
"This will make our system stable and sustainable for the future."
He added: "The WP will not form the next government. The PAP will certainly do so. But the WP needs your support to strengthen our presence in Parliament."
[[nid:717229]]
Singh had also mentioned in the party's first rally on Thursday that his team has been "stress-tested" amid crisis in Singapore and has proven to be a "force of good".
He elaborated that the party has proven itself loyal to Singapore, emphasising that they will continue being loyal as Singapore navigates the changing world.
khooyihang@asiaone.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
Second round of Pofma sanctions for owner of The Online Citizen's website, social media accounts
This is the second time that The Online Citizen has been slapped with the declaration, with its first due to expire in July 2025. PHOTO: THE ONLINE CITIZEN/FACEBOOK Second round of Pofma sanctions for owner of The Online Citizen's website, social media accounts SINGAPORE – The people running The Online Citizen's (TOC) website, Facebook, Instagram, and X pages will continue to be barred from deriving any financial benefits from the running of its platforms till 2027. In a statement on June 11 , the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said TOC's website and social media pages – which were labelled as Declared Online Locations (DOLs) – had first been declared as such in July 2023, and were due to expire on July 21, 2025. DOLs have to comply with actions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) that would prevent their operator from financially benefiting during the period they are listed as one. However, said MDDI, TOC 'continued to communicate falsehoods through its online platforms over the past two years'. Between July 2023 and June 2025 , it received eigh t correction directions under the fake news law . These included one in Feb 25, after TOC published an article about modification works at the Ridout Road colonial bungalow leased by Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam's wife. In its article, it said the Singapore Land Authorit y had given Mr Shanmugam assurances of a lease extension beyond its 2027 expiry, and that public funds were used to pay for the earthworks carried out at the bungalow since 2024, among other claims. These are falsehoods, said MDDI. As a result, TOC's website and social media pages have again been labelled DOLs, a move necessary 'to ensure Singaporeans continue to be alerted to TOC's record of communicating falsehoods', said the ministry. The new declaration comes into effect immediately after the current direction expires and will remain till July 21, 2027 at 12p m. TOC will be able to continue its operations, but will have to carry a notice on its online platforms to notify its audience that it has been declared a DOL. The notice will also have to state that it had 'communicated multiple falsehoods' and that its viewers should exercise caution when accessing it for information. MDDI added that service providers, including digital advertising agencies, will have to take steps to ensure that their paid content on TOC's platforms are not made available in Singapore. 'Individuals and companies must also not provide financial support to TOC's DOLs to avoid promoting the communication of falsehoods in Singapore on these platforms,' it added. At present, there are three other outlets currently listed as DOLs. They are Transformative Justice Collective's website and social media pages, Gutzy Asia's website and social media pages, as well as opposition politician Kenneth Jeyaretnam's website and social media pages. A provision under Pofma allows the Government to order an internet intermediary to disable access to a DOL if the owner of the DOL does not comply with the declaration and paid content on the site continues to be displayed to users here. If an internet intermediary fails to comply and is convicted, it can be fined up to $20,000 for each day that the government order is not fully complied with, up to a total o f $500,000 . The owner or operator of a DOL can however apply to the Minister for Digital Development and Information to suspend, vary, or cancel the declaration. If the minister refuses the application, an appeal can be made to the High Court. Aqil Hamzah is a journalist covering breaking news at The Straits Times, with interests in crime and technology. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Forum: What about a safety net for local students wanting a place in university?
I was heartened to learn that our Government is extending support to the 151 Singaporean students at Harvard (S'porean undergrads at Harvard can continue studies in universities here, June 6). I am sure the Government will similarly extend support to Singaporean students at other elite US universities if the situation deteriorates there. I sympathise with the Singaporeans studying at Harvard, but I wonder if the message is that our local universities do in fact have the capacity to take in more local students. Or is it that our local universities will reduce the number of places available to local students, to accommodate the returning US students? Many local students do not have the financial resources to seek an overseas education, and universities at home are their only option. But due to limited capacity, not every eligible applicant is accepted. So, I was surprised to learn that local universities are able to accommodate the affected Singapore students at Harvard. Wouldn't this be at the expense of eligible local applicants? Finally, these Ivy League students no doubt have the ability and resources to study in the US. They took the decision to study abroad willingly. In the face of adversity, is our Government expected to offer a safety net back home? What about a safety net for local students? Roy Tan Choon Kang More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Singaporeans living in Los Angeles take extra precautions amid immigration protests
Some Singaporeans living in Los Angeles say they are taking extra precautions, like avoiding downtown LA, as US immigration protests enter the fourth day. They tell CNA that the Singapore embassy has also not issued any warnings or advisory notes, as the bulk of the Singaporean community who are still there feel relatively safe.
