GE2025: PAR says 'safer' for Singaporeans to vote opposition to challenge 'unjust PAP policies'

CNA

26-04-2025

SINGAPORE: It is "safer" for Singaporeans to vote for opposition candidates who can challenge "unjust PAP policies", People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) chief Lim Tean said on Saturday (Apr 26).
He was one of 11 candidates who spoke at the PAR's first rally of the election, held at Northlight School in Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
Addressing the crowd, Mr Lim said he would "go in and be like a tiger and a lion and fight for you" on issues like the cost of living, public housing, job security and immigration.
The PAR's team for Jalan Besar GRC comprises Mr Chiu Shin Kong, a 51-year-old private tutor and a newcomer to politics, 62-year-old businessman Mohamad Hamim Aliyas, 53-year-old nurse Sarina Abu Hassan, and 42-year-old preschool educator Vigneswari V Ramachandran.
They face a People's Action Party (PAP) team comprising Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Ms Denise Phua, 66, Dr Wan Rizal, 46, and Mr Shawn Loh, 38, a former senior civil servant and a new entrant to politics.
Denying the PAP a "blank cheque" in parliament was also a constant refrain repeated by the PAR hopefuls.
"There is no check and balance in the state system. So the opposition are like QCs (quality control) who ensure the approval of a product," said Ms Sarina.
CHICKEN RICE OR PASTA?
The PAR, formed in 2023, comprises Peoples Voice, the Democratic Progressive Party and the Reform Party.
The alliance is fielding 13 candidates across six constituencies – Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs, and Potong Pasir, Radin Mas, Yio Chu Kang and Queenstown Single Member Constituencies (SMCs).
The PAR is proposing to remove the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for essential items like food, groceries, utilities, education, healthcare and medical services.
The alliance is also calling for free school meals, free education up to university and free healthcare for every Singaporean child.
On Saturday, PAR candidates reiterated these messages while discussing the rising cost of living.
Mr Lim, who is the candidate in Potong Pasir SMC, claimed that PAR's proposals could be funded from the government's Budget without raising taxes or using the reserves.
Tanjong Pagar GRC candidate Mr Prabu Ramachandran proposed rent control to keep costs down for Singaporeans.
The cost of public housing was brought up by many speakers. Ms Han Hui Hui, who is running in Tanjong Pagar GRC, called for land costs to be frozen and gradually reduced in order to bring down housing costs.
Ms Sarina and Radin Mas SMC candidate Kumar Appavoo also linked lowering the cost of living to raising Singapore's total fertility rate, as families would be less stressed.
Some candidates objected to the salaries paid to mayors and Cabinet ministers. Mr Lim called for a 70 per cent reduction to the prime minister's salary to "normalise society", without explaining how he arrived at this figure.
"The sole purpose of a national budget is to decide the society we want," he said.
"It is like giving a housewife a sum of money every week, and with that sum of money, the housewife has to decide what type of food to put on the dinner table. Do you want to put maybe a S$5 chicken rice meal for your family, or a S$10 chicken rice meal for your family? Or do you want to serve them with S$20 pasta?
"Now, the national budget, we decide on the priorities we want. We decide on what our society should look like. If we want to give free healthcare, we want to give free education, other things will have to give. Less benefits, less privileges, to the rich and the powerful."
Mr Lim pointed to the Founders' Memorial, the "bloated civil service" and MRT stations that are "empty during the day" as examples of wasteful government spending that could be eliminated.
IMMIGRATION AND "SINGAPOREAN JOBS"
Almost all of the candidates took issue with the government's immigration policy and its impact on society, especially job security for locals.
"Singapore has always been a global city. But if you feel the opportunity shrinking, if you feel like a stranger in your own land, you're not alone. It's not about shutting doors, it's about protecting your own, even as we welcome others," said Mr Nadarajan Selvamani, a candidate in Tanjong Pagar GRC.
Mr Lim said that he would fight to "cut net immigration by a lot" if elected into parliament, without elaborating.
He claimed that a majority of Singaporeans were "uncomfortable with the number of foreigners in this country", but "don't like to be labelled racist or xenophobic or nativist".
"It is wrong when in two generations, you introduce so many foreigners into a country that Singaporeans today are looking at you and wondering what you're talking about when you talk about the Singapore identity," he said.
He and Dr Michael Fang, the PAR's candidate for Yio Chu Kang SMC, took aim at Singapore's Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with India.
Mr Lim described CECA as a "labour arbitrage agreement" where "the employer takes advantage of cheaper foreign labour, brings them in, and the higher cost Singaporean worker is displaced or replaced".
Mr Chiu, part of the PAR's team in Jalan Besar GRC, questioned whether multinational corporations who received tax breaks and other incentives to do business in Singapore have carried out technology transfer to local workers.
Mr Prabu said the PAR "will put Singaporeans to the front of the queue again for education, for employment and entrepreneurial opportunities".