GE2025: Recent missteps have 'chipped away' at trust in PAP government, says PSP's Hazel Poa
Speaking at the PSP's second rally at Bukit Gombak Stadium, she also highlighted the last-minute change to the People's Action Party's (PAP) team in Chua Chu Kang GRC as something that has damaged trust.
The party's vice chairperson said building trust can be painstaking, but that Singapore's first-generation leaders managed to do so with the bulk of the population.
"It would be a waste to chip away at that," she said. "Unfortunately, there have been many incidents in recent years doing exactly that."
RECENT MISSTEPS
Although the Land Transport Authority ultimately reversed its decision on SimplyGo, it only did so after 'huge public outcry', the former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament said.
She said members of the public had already given feedback on the shortcomings of SimplyGo, but the government still wanted to go ahead with phasing out the older system and pushing users to SimplyGo.
'The question is, were the decision makers not aware of the public feedback?' she asked.
If they were not aware, it is a case of poor management. If they were aware but disregarded the feedback, it is a case of poor judgement, she added.
'Either way, not a world-class performance commensurate with world-class salaries,' she said.
Ms Poa also brought up the Income-Allianz deal which was blocked, with Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong telling parliament that the deal in its current form "would not be in the public interest".
'I find it astounding that NTUC supported the deal while being unaware of the capital reduction exercise to the tune of S$1.85 billion (US$1.41 billion),' she said, adding that she believes that NTUC and Income Insurance did not perform their duties responsibly.
'I suspect that if any of these were to happen during the time of our first-generation leaders, heads would have rolled,' she said.
Another incident she brought up was the food poisoning cases which were reported by some students after they consumed ready-to-eat (RTE) meals that were handed out as part of a Total Defence exercise.
The Singapore Food Agency and Ministry of Health said earlier this month that there was no conclusive evidence linking the gastroenteritis cases to the RTE meals.
Ms Poa said this is a cause for concern.
She added: "Is our public service falling in competence as compared to before? There are many instances telling us that it is important for us to have more opposition in parliament to check on the government."
CHANGES TO CHUA CHU KANG SLATE
The opposition party leader also suggested that trust may have been broken when Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong unexpectedly left Chua Chu Kang GRC to be fielded in Punggol GRC.
She noted that Mr Gan had said he would lead the Chua Chua Kang team around 10 days before the surprise on Nomination Day.
'I'm sure CCK residents were shocked as well, to lose their long-time MP so suddenly. What made the PAP go back on their public announcement?' she said, asking where the line should be drawn between what can be believed and what cannot be believed.
She said she would have preferred if the PAP did not announce its slate for Chua Chu Kang, rather than change its mind after doing so, adding: "This is so damaging to trust."
Citing Health Minister Ong Ye Kung's comments that there is nothing wrong with switching constituencies as long as candidates are upfront about it, she said: 'I totally agree. PAP should practice what he is preaching."
In her rally speech, Ms Poa also called on the government to release the outcome of the investigation into police reports made by PAP and PSP after volunteers clashed in January.
PSP claimed that PAP volunteers intimidated them while they were distributing flyers to residents, while Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling said PSP 'twisted the truth'.
Ms Poa said she understands that the police have finished investigations and that the matter is now with the Attorney-General's Chambers.
'If the accusation that a PSP member has slapped a PAP volunteer is baseless, do you agree that an apology is due to the poor fellow who is falsely accused of assault?' she asked supporters at the rally.
'This is only fair and it is the standard we expect,' she said.
A total of 10 PSP candidates spoke at the rally on Saturday night. PSP is fielding 13 candidates across two GRCs and four SMCs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
5 minutes ago
- Business Times
US housing warning sparks worst James Hardie rout since 1973
[SYDNEY] A downbeat outlook on the US housing market from James Hardie Industries sent shares of the building materials producer tumbling the most in five decades, the latest sign of caution around a pillar of the world's largest economy. The company's stock tumbled 28 per cent in Australia, the most since November 1973, after its quarterly profit sank and it warned demand for repairs and new construction in North America remains challenging. Its US-listed shares plunged as much as 37 per cent. 'Uncertainty is a common thread throughout conversations with customer and contractor partners,' chief executive officer Aaron Erter said. Homeowners are deferring large-ticket remodelling projects, and affordability remains the key impediment to improvement in single-family new construction, he added. Difficult economic conditions continue to weigh on American homebuyers, with the real estate market recently recording its slowest spring selling season in more than a dozen years. US luxury builder Toll Brothers on Tuesday (Aug 19) also reported quarterly orders that missed analysts' estimates. The weak housing sector has attracted attention from US President Donald Trump, who's been pushing for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in part to make mortgages more affordable. 'This is a tough quarter to swallow,' William Blair & Co analyst Ryan Merkel wrote in a note. 'Big picture, North America volumes down 15 per cent in the quarter was much worse than we thought and brings into question share loss and business model cyclicality.' A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up The result set a 'conservative bar' as single-family new construction caused a big miss and guidance cut, he wrote. James Hardie's adjusted net operating profit dropped 29 per cent year on year to US$126.9 million for the three months ending June. Net sales in its North American fibre cement business decreased 12 per cent during the quarter as key markets such as Texas, Florida and Georgia grapple with cost barriers and elevated housing inventory. The firm gets about 70 per cent of its revenue from North America, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. James Hardie's stock has also been pressured by the company's US$8.75 billion acquisition of home-decking provider AZEK in March. The deal amounted to a major bet on the durability of the US housing market and consumer spending. Meanwhile, home-improvement retailers Lowe's and Home Depot showed sales holding up better, with consumers spending on essentials and opening their wallets for good deals. Home Depot said this week that comparable sales growth accelerated in the US during the latest quarter, after a weak couple of years in which consumers deferred spending on big-ticket projects. Lowe's shares gained after earnings beat estimates and the home-improvement supplier said that it agreed to buy Foundation Building Materials. BLOOMBERG
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Analysis:US tech-stock stumble shows vulnerability in AI trade
NEW YORK :U.S. technology shares are showing signs of vulnerability after a massive run, which has some investors pointing to overdone AI-driven gains while funds have taken steps to position away from the high-flying sector. Investors are looking to de-risk portfolios or lock in profits during a seasonally difficult period for stocks. Friday's looming speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the annual Jackson Hole symposium is creating caution, investors said, with the potential for volatility if his comments fail to meet growing market expectations that the central bank is poised to cut interest rates. "When you have overcrowding and you have had such strong performance, it doesn't take much to see an unwind of that," said Keith Lerner, co-chief investment officer at Truist Advisory Services. "At the same time this week, everyone is waiting for the Fed, and there is repositioning ahead of that." The heavyweight S&P 500 tech sector fell sharply for a second consecutive session on Wednesday, putting its decline on the week at about 2.5 per cent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was off about 2 per cent for the week. Shares of some highflyers, including Nvidia Corp and Palantir Technologies, were getting hit particularly hard. The pullback comes after a huge rally in which the tech sector soared over 50 per cent through last week since the market's low for the year in April. That easily topped the 29 per cent gain of the broader S&P 500 during that period and drove up valuations of tech stocks to lofty levels. Investors cited wariness about the artificial intelligence trade, which has been a key driver of tech stocks and the broader market as indexes have soared to record highs this year. Shares of Nvidia, the semiconductor giant that has symbolized the AI trade, have gained about 30 per cent this year while shares of AI-focused data and analytics firm Palantir have roughly doubled year-to-date. Indeed, the tech sector's price-to-earnings ratio recently reached about 30 times expected earnings for the next 12 months, its highest level in a year, according to LSEG Datastream, while tech's share of the overall S&P 500's market value is nearly its highest since 2000. Recent cautionary signs included a study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that found that 95 per cent of organizations are getting no return on AI investments, as well as comments by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who told tech news website the Verge last week that investors may be getting overexcited about AI. Since last week, some AI-linked shares have pulled back sharply: Nvidia has dropped about 5 per cent while shares of Palantir have slumped some 16 per cent. In Europe, stocks of so-called AI adopters have been under pressure over concerns over how powerful new AI models could disrupt the software sector. Still, some investors said, the caution is unlikely to be a sign that enthusiasm over AI is fizzling. 'These are price corrections," said Andrew Almeida, director of investments at financial planning network XYPN. "But if you look at the big picture, it's clear that more people will be investing more dollars in AI infrastructure. This is certainly not a 'reckoning' with the AI theme." JACKSON HOLE SEEN AS CRITICAL Investors also could be paring back their stock exposure during a traditionally rocky period for equities. August and September rank as the worst-performing months on average for the S&P 500 over the past 35 years, according to the Stock Trader's Almanac. "Valuations were stretched, these names have not taken a breather, and we're going into a tougher season for stocks," said King Lip, chief strategist at Baker Avenue Wealth Management. Other sectors such as consumer staples, healthcare and financials were up on the week, while relative strength for the equal-weight S&P 500 signaled to some investors a possible start of broadening of gains beyond the massive tech stocks that have led indexes higher. Powell's upcoming speech comes as Fed fund futures on Wednesday were indicating an 84 per cent chance that the central bank will cut rates at its next meeting on September 16-17. Investors will be watching to see if Powell gives any indication that the central bank is on track for such a move or if he pushes back on the market's expectation for easing, which could spark volatility. Tech stocks tend to carry higher valuations which could make them sensitive to higher-than-expected interest rates going forward. "There are a lot of people who have overweighted tech, and it has worked for them," said Chuck Carlson, chief executive officer at Horizon Investment Services.
Online Citizen
5 hours ago
- Online Citizen
PSP's Stephanie Tan calls for transparent process in handling school bullying complaints
Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Central Executive Committee member Stephanie Tan has urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) to implement a transparent process for handling school bullying cases, arguing that current 'good practices' are inadequate. In a Facebook post on 18 August 2025, Tan responded to a widely publicised case at Sengkang Green Primary School, where a Primary 3 student was allegedly bullied for months, and her mother received death threats after raising complaints. Tan said that while MOE previously stated it would share good practices with schools and review strategies, this approach does not provide sufficient safeguards for students. Instead, she argued, a consistent process must be applied across all schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), with strict timelines for investigations. P3 girl bullied for 6 months at Sengkang Green Primary; mum gets death threat after complaint The Sengkang Green case, shared online on 14 August by parent Ni Yin, described how her nine-year-old daughter endured verbal and physical bullying by three male classmates. Allegations included racial slurs, shoving, and prolonged harassment. Ni claimed the school failed to act despite repeated reports. On 24 July, her daughter told her: 'Mummy, I don't want to go to school anymore.' Days later, Ni said she received anonymous calls and graphic voice messages, including one allegedly from a bully, threatening to 'dissect' or 'kill' her daughter. Her phone number was reportedly leaked by another parent. Police, MOE, and the family's MP were alerted. Despite this, Ni alleged her daughter was assaulted on three further occasions in August, including once returning home with a bruise. The child has since stopped attending school and is receiving psychological support. Parent's plea for accountability On 15 August, the school confirmed the suspension of three students, who will undergo counselling and may face caning. However, it added that Ni's daughter had also 'engaged in hurtful behaviours'. Ni strongly denied this, accusing the school of shifting blame. She is now seeking a school transfer and accountability measures. In her viral post, Ni said her only demand was for schools to guarantee safe and respectful environments for children. 'From beginning to end, my demand has been simple: that children be able to study and grow in an environment that is safe, respectful, and just. This is not only my daughter's right — it is the most basic right of every student,' she wrote. Tan calls for transparent system Tan said the case had brought the handling of bullying cases in Singapore schools 'back to the fore'. 'As a parent of two young children, I fully understand and relate to the anxiety and pain of having to witness your child endure rejection and bullying from others, and it can be made so much worse when complaints are mishandled and victim-blaming occurs,' she wrote. Referring to parliamentary questions raised in October 2024, Tan noted that MOE's response then was limited to emphasising good practices and strategic reviews. She argued that this approach leaves parents vulnerable to the discretion of individual schools. 'In my view, 'good practices' are insufficient. There should be a transparent process for handling bullying complaints, applied equally across all schools and IHLs,' Tan stated. She further suggested that investigations should ideally be conducted by a neutral party, independent of the school. If not feasible, she said MOE should at least actively monitor all investigations to ensure due process and timeliness. Proposals for improvement Tan also recommended wider installation of closed-circuit cameras in schools and IHLs. This, she argued, would provide objective evidence in cases where complaints often hinge on conflicting accounts, preventing prolonged delays. She warned that time is critical in such cases. Parents of victims, she said, are frequently torn between sending their children back into unsafe environments or keeping them home, which affects their education. 'The mental trauma caused to victims of bullying is never completely 'cured' by counselling. Many victims carry their scars into adulthood,' she added. Tan concluded that without a transparent, standardised process overseen by a higher authority, parents are left 'at the mercies of the school staff and their management style and efficiency—or lack thereof.' Oct 2024 parliamentary debate highlights stable bullying figures but questions raised on long-term trends During the parliamentary session on 14 October 2024, then-Education Minister Chan Chun Sing addressed concerns regarding school bullying trends. He revealed that the number of reported bullying incidents in schools has remained stable over the past five years, with an average of two incidents per 1,000 primary school students and six per 1,000 secondary students annually. Incidents involving technology were reported at fewer than one per 1,000 secondary students and even lower at the primary level. This discussion was prompted by cases including a video that surfaced showing students from Bukit View Secondary School bullying a peer, which was later confirmed to have occurred in October 2023. Chan reassured MPs that the MOE equips students with pro-social skills through the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum, which includes lessons on kindness and conflict resolution. Teachers are trained to foster a supportive environment and proactively address bullying. He explained that disciplinary actions are determined based on the severity of incidents, with options ranging from detention and suspension to caning for boys as a last-resort measure. Serious cases may be referred to the police. However, Chan emphasised the importance of balancing punishment with rehabilitation, cautioning against counterproductive actions on social media. He stressed the need to give perpetrators a chance to reform. Hazel Poa, then-Non-Constituency MP challenged the sufficiency of a five-year timeframe for assessing bullying trends, arguing that social behaviour patterns may take longer to emerge and suggested a review period of 20 years. In response, Chan acknowledged the absence of 20-year data and highlighted the recent inclusion of incidents occurring outside school in their records.
