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SINGAPORE – While the opposition is free to offer counter narratives and alternative proposals to combat the rising cost of living, many parties do not address how future needs may be funded, said PAP candidate for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Alex Yam in response to calls by opposition parties to roll back the goods and services tax hike.
Mr Yam was speaking to the media on April 25, after a two-hour walkabout with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in the vicinity of Yew Tee MRT station where the duo visited nearby malls and a senior care centre.
At rallies on April 24, opposition parties had criticised the Government’s decision to raise GST rates from 7 per cent to 9 per cent in two stages in 2023 and 2024, despite inflationary pressures.
The Workers’ Party, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) and Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) had said that the tax increase has impacted cost of living, with PSP and SDP calling for a reduction in GST rates.
Mr Yam said that while the Government hears a lot of demands from the opposition, they don’t hear enough of how much the alternative proposals would cost.
“Very often, even when they provide some sort of alternative, it does not come with actual numbers and calculations that make sense,” said the North West District mayor.
“The Government has always been prepared to listen to other views and take them on board, but they must be grounded in reality, not made purely (made) as political statements.”
Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC will see a face-off between a PAP team led by PM Wong, and a SDP team led by party organising secretary Mr Jufri Salim. The PAP team is an unchanged slate from the 2020 elections comprising Mr Yam, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad and Ms Hany Soh.
The SDP line-up comprises alternative news site founder Mr Ariffin Sha, theatre director Alec Tok and former entrepreneur Gigene Wong.
Mr Yam also weighed in on SDP secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan’s decision to contest in Sembawang West SMC against Ms Poh Li San from the PAP, instead of Bukit Batok, where he had contested in the 2020 General Election and 2016 by-election.
At the PAP rally on April 24, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Dr Chee had not given Bukit Batok residents a good reason for why they were “abandoned” and cautioned voters to be careful of politicians who are not honest about their intentions.
Countering that, SDP chairman Paul Tambyah drew a parallel to significant slate changes made at the last minute to the PAP’s Punggol and Chua Chu Kang GRC teams. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong was deployed to Punggol GRC in a surprise last-minute switch on Nomination Day, while Manpower Minister Tan See Leng was moved from Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC to lead the PAP team in Chua Chu Kang.
In response, Mr Yam said the PAP had explained why the slate changes were made, as Punggol needed a good heavyweight minister like DPM Gan who can carry the ground there.
“The difference is that Dr Chee made a public pledge not to abandon Bukit Batok,” he said.
“Here you have an individual who made a promise, but yet changed his mind. That’s the point Mr Ong (Ye Kung) was trying to make,” added Mr Yam.
He was referring to Dr Chee’s pledge to contest in Bukit Batok SMC in the upcoming polls, which he declared in a Facebook video in mid-February before the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee Report. It was later announced that Bukit Batok SMC would be absorbed by Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
On the SDP’s ‘northern strategy’ in this election, Mr Yam added that the PAP does not “have a choice of a northern campaign, or a southern campaign or a central campaign.”
“Our responsibility is to every Singaporean. We run (for) every single seat with the hope of being able to secure representation in Parliament so we can do our best for Singaporeans.”
Mr Yam also addressed an assertion by Mr Sha a smaller margin of victory for the PAP would push the ruling party to work harder. Mr Sha had said that a PAP that wins with 80 per cent of the vote is very different from a PAP that wins by 60 per cent of the vote.
Mr Yam said the PAP has always worked on the basis that every vote counts.
“After the election results are out, regardless of the margin, if we have the opportunity to become the Government, we must make sure that we deliver on our promises,” said Mr Yam.
Describing this election as a watershed one in light of the global climate, Mr Yam added that the PAP’s Marsiling-Yew Tee team has received lot of support and encouragement from residents.
“This is, of course, a good sign but we shouldn’t rest on our laurels. It does mean that we must continue to work hard to secure every vote, not just in our GRC, but across Singapore,” he said.
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