Three issues will be the staple of the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) pre-election rally on Oct 19 at Hong Lim Park and these issues are all relevant to middle-class Singaporeans.
The speakers will focus on three major themes – “no to 9 per cent goods and services tax (GST)”, “no to 10 million resident population” and “no to the retention of Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings.”
This was announced during a media briefing when it also announced the launch of its revamped website. The briefing was hosted by SDP’s vice-chairman John Tan and Mr Benjamin Pwee at their Ang Mo Kio office.
According to Associate Professor Alan Chong from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, the topics were relevant and important to Singaporeans. “The middle class in Singapore is under extreme economic pressures, and the SDP agenda looks to be promising,” he said.
“The GST is something Singaporeans are looking to save up on; and the population pressure is an issue that never goes away.”
Prof Chong added that the three issues would hit a nerve with the middle-class young people, which includes fresh graduates, or those who were about to graduate, who might have trouble finding jobs.
Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, department of sociology, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, agreed that the topics about GST and CPF savings might gain some traction but also pointed out that the PAP Government has been conscientiously responding to these issues.
He added while it was not too early for SDP to gear up its efforts, particularly with the elections on the horizon, the momentum must be sustained. “And if its message is constantly reinforced or elaborated on from now till election time, it may establish a foothold in the minds of voters. This will serve as a lens by which they assess the messages coming from other parties,” he said.-/TISG
