26-04-2025
GE2025: PAR's Lim Tean pledges free education and healthcare, criticises PAP's track record
SINGAPORE: In the first public political broadcast of the 2025 General Election on 25 April, Lim Tean, the secretary-general of the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), sharply critiqued the People's Action Party (PAP) for its handling of key national issues, including the rising cost of living, public housing affordability, and growing job insecurity.
Lim argued that Singaporeans are now facing an unprecedented economic crisis, which he believes has been exacerbated by the long-standing policies of the PAP.
During his speech on Friday (25 April), Lim highlighted the significant financial pressures on Singaporeans, describing the current economic climate as 'the greatest cost of living crisis in living memory'.
He pointed out the escalating unaffordability of public housing, mounting job insecurity, and increasing frustration with the influx of foreigners.
Lim contended that after 66 years of PAP governance, the government's response has been insufficient, with reliance on short-term fixes like vouchers and subsidies rather than addressing the deeper systemic issues.
'The government has no solutions to the problems they created, except to give out vouchers and subsidies to tide you by,' he said.
Lim stressed that Singaporeans are not seeking handouts, but rather meaningful work that provides dignity and purpose.
He warned that citizens would not accept a future that is 'less than what their parents enjoyed', emphasising that it is human nature for each generation to strive for a better future than the last.
PAR's Vision for the Future
PAR, which comprises the Democratic Progressive Party, Peoples Voice, and the Reform Party, is fielding 13 candidates across several constituencies in the upcoming election, including Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) in Queenstown, Potong Pasir, Radin Mas, and Yio Chu Kang, as well as Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) in Tanjong Pagar and Jalan Besar.
If elected, PAR has proposed a bold set of reforms, including free education, free school meals, and free healthcare for every Singaporean child.
Lim reiterated these proposals, which he had initially introduced on 13 April, prior to Nomination Day.
He argued that these measures would help ease the cost of living for parents and encourage higher birth rates, counteracting the 'disastrous' fertility rate of 0.97.
Lim firmly rejected continuous net immigration as a solution to the country's demographic challenges.
'If we continue to go down this path, there will be grave consequences for our societal cohesion in future. Such a path will lead to the atrophy of our national identity and social fracture,' Lim warned.
Singapore has long relied on immigration to offset the effects of an ageing population and persistently low birth rates.
According to official figures, over the past 20 years, the country has granted citizenship to more than 400,000 individuals and issued over 800,000 permanent residencies—contributing to population growth from 4.17 million in 2004 to over 6.03 million in 2024.
Addressing Public Housing and Taxation Policies
While Lim did not specify how PAR's proposed policies would be funded, he assured the public that Singapore has the financial resources to provide these services without further taxing citizens or dipping into national reserves.
He also called for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to be exempted from essential items like food, groceries, utilities, education, healthcare, and medical services.
Additionally, PAR advocated for free public transport for those aged 65 and above.
On the issue of public housing, Lim expressed concerns over the rising resale prices of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats.
He blamed the PAP's policy allowing permanent residents to purchase resale flats, which he argued has caused an 'astronomical surge' in prices.
He explained that this increase has also driven up the cost of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats, making them less affordable for many Singaporeans.
'It is no answer to say that the BTOs are affordable when, for many, they are only within reach with substantial subsidies from the government,' Lim stated.
He also proposed gradually reducing the land cost component in BTOs to make them genuinely affordable for Singaporeans once again.
A Call for Change
In his closing remarks, Lim posed a series of reflective questions to the public, invoking a challenge famously made by former US president Ronald Reagan during his 1980 presidential campaign.
Lim asked: 'Are you better off today than you were 5 years ago? Is it easier for you to buy things from the shops than it was 5 years ago? Are you prouder of your nation than you were 5 years ago? Are you prouder of your government than you were 5 years ago?'
Lim suggested that many Singaporeans would respond negatively to these questions, expressing his belief that the government has not delivered on its promises.
He concluded by urging voters to 'take back what belongs to you' on 3 May, calling for a rejection of the PAP, which he claimed has 'taken too much from you and given too little in return'.
PAR was allocated five minutes for the public political broadcast (PPBs) as it is contesting a total of 13 parliamentary seats. Eligibility for the PPBs is limited to political parties that field at least six candidates under a recognised party symbol.
The PPBs were aired across six Mediacorp television channels and 13 radio stations operated by Mediacorp, SPH Media, and So Drama! Entertainment, on top of its social media channels.
The next political broadcast will take place on 1 May.
