GE2025: WP has been 'stress tested' when Singapore is in crisis, says Pritam Singh
Singaporeans should still vote Workers' Party MPs into parliament even in this uncertain climate as they will not hamper the country in a crisis, said party chief Pritam Singh during the party's first rally for GE2025.
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SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party (WP) has been "stress tested" when Singapore is in crisis and has proven to be a "force of good", said party chief Pritam Singh.Speaking during WP's first rally of GE2025, Mr Singh brought up the example of the COVID-19 crisis where WP MPs supported the national effort, and were even recognised by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) for doing so.
In the lead up to this point, Mr Singh said that the world is changing and the US trade tariffs have led to an uncertain economic climate but even in such a climate, Singaporeans should still vote for the WP.
"A parliament with a more rational, respectable and responsive WP MP will not hamper Singapore," said Mr Singh, at a field along Anchorvale Crescent on Thursday (Apr 24) night.
Mr Singh, who rounded up the speeches for the night said: "The Workers' Party has proven itself to be a loyal opposition in Parliament, loyal not to the party, loyal to Singapore and the people of Singapore.
"We will do the same as Singapore navigates this long transition to a new world order."
The candidates who spoke before him included the Punggol GRC candidates Harpreet Singh, Alia Mattar, Alexis Dang and Jackson Au; Sengkang GRC candidates He Ting Ru, Louis Chua, Associate Professor Jamus Lim and new candidate Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, along with East Coast GRC candidate Yee Jenn Jong, Aljunied GRC candidate Gerald Giam and Hougang SMC candidate Dennis Tan.
Mr Singh added that more than just supporting the Government if needed, WP MPs will provide "independent ideas to break through the groupthink of the party".
He also reiterated the point that there was "no way" the WP could form the next Government as it was not even contesting one-third of the seats.
"The PAP will certainly govern for the next five years. So give Singapore a chance to build - to grow - a more balanced political system," he said, adding that the WP is working towards a "balanced political system to check the PAP and prevent it from acting however it wishes".
DISPELLING FEAR
Several WP candidates, who spoke earlier in the rally which started at 7.45pm, brought up points that ran along the same vein as Mr Singh, arguing against the fear of voting for the opposition party during uncertain times.
Hougang SMC candidate and former MP Dennis Tan in his speech said that the PAP uses fear tactics to scare people into not voting for the opposition, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.
He quoted then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech in 2020 that investors will scrutinise Singapore's election results and act on their conclusion.
"Sengkang voters did not listen to his threats. They sent our Workers' Party candidates into parliament. Did investors react negatively to your vote?" he asked the crowd.
"This is typical PAP flight-to-safety, politics of fear tactics which we must reject," he said.
"In the next few days, Singaporeans may well hear very similar messages from the PAP asking for a strong mandate again. But do not ... believe what they say."
New candidate Jackson Au, who is standing in Punggol GRC, spoke about how the PAP is sending voters a "message of fear".
"The PAP feels it has too much to lose, so it needs you to feel it too."
He said the PAP also tells voters that these challenges are external and beyond control or structural.
"When it comes down to it, where does the buck stop?"
PUNGGOL GRC, JALAN KAYU SMC CANDIDATES TAKE TO THE STAGE
Senior counsel Harpreet Singh, who leads the WP's Punggol GRC team and is a new face to the party, also took the stage emphasising on the need for change in Singapore.
"The world is changing. It is faster, more competitive, more unpredictable. And if we as a nation do not change, we risk falling seriously behind," he said.
"The future requires us to adapt, to change, to open up. And if we want to move forward, we must dare to change."
He highlighted several concerns Singaporeans faced, such as job security, seniors working to make ends meet and children who struggle under the "weight of endless tests", describing them as "cries from the heart of a people who love their country".
"They are symptoms of a system that was built for yesterday, not for the challenges of today, and certainly not for the world of tomorrow," he said.
Mr Harpreet Singh, who also addressed the crowd in Teochew, added that the WP is not here to "tear down what works" but rather the party will "build on it".
He then made several suggestions, including pushing for better Central Provident Fund returns, smaller class sizes in schools and for parents to have a through-train programme option for their children from primary to secondary school which will allow children to bypass the Primary School Leaving Examinations.
"A country is not just a skyline or GDP (Gross Domestic Product). A country is its people and how they live," he said, adding that a vote for the WP is a chance for a fairer, more open and more balanced Singapore.
Similarly, Jalan Kayu SMC candidate Andre Low brought up the proposal of smaller class sizes for students to get more attention in school.
Mr Low also called for allowing single persons to access housing options at a younger age and reducing the waiting time for housing "back to what they were decades ago", alongside education reforms to reduce examination stress.
The other issues he advocated for during his speech included exempting the goods and services tax for essential goods, tiered pricing for utilities for lower-income groups and free public transport during off-peak hours for seniors.
Mr Low, who is up against PAP candidate and NTUC secretary general Ng Chee Meng, also brought up the NTUC-Allianz saga, calling for the need for more transparency.
German insurer Allianz had attempted to purchase a majority stake in Income Insurance, but the transaction was blocked by the Singapore government earlier last October.
"The situation was so serious that we had to pass emergency legislation to block the deal - a deal that the NTUC publicly endorsed just two months before that. And despite their close relationship with the PAP," he said.
"This is why we need strong opposition voices in Parliament. Because without proper checks and balances, without proper oversight, without people willing to challenge those in power, these kinds of decisions get taken behind closed doors.
"We were so lucky with the NTUC deal that it got blocked. We may not be so lucky again."
The soon-to-be-father said that as he was making the transition from WP to candidate, he thought about how he could still be the best father to his child while giving his all for Singapore.
He added that he drew inspiration from previous WP leaders and opposition MPs Low Thia Khiang and JB Jeyaretnam.
"They had the iron in them. I have the iron in me. They laid the foundations for me to step up, and that is why I am here speaking to you today," said Mr Andre Low.
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