SINGAPORE: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has launched its general election slogan “Thrive, Not Just Survive”, and its manifesto, which has more than 60 proposals, that focuses on six key areas: economy, healthcare, housing, education, immigration, and climate change.
Dr Chee told reporters that the election slogan was conceptualised after their numerous engagements with residents, with many saying that they are merely surviving at this moment.
“Whether they are a Grab, driver, delivery or whether they are working in their offices, basically what they just do is frantically trying to keep pace with the costs of living that keeps going up,” said Dr Chee who will be contesting in the newly-created Sembawang West SMC against PAP’s Poh Li San.
“Even Prime Minister (Lawrence) Wong has acknowledged that’s why he keeps doling out vouchers after rebates. They know Singaporean wages cannot keep up with the rising cost of living.”
The party is calling for the reduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to seven per cent from the current nine per cent, and is also advocating for HDB flats to be priced at a much lower rate, as well as removing the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
Under the SDP’s non-open market scheme, the party proposed more affordable pricing for the HDB flats at the following rates: two-room units at $90,000, three-room units at $120,000, four-room units at $200,000, and five-room apartments at $270,000.
The SDP’s slogan for the upcoming general election was announced by the SDP’s secretary-general, Dr Chee Soon Juan, on Saturday (April 19) during a media doorstop at Block 257 Bangkit Road, within Bukit Panjang SMC.
The party is once again set to field Prof Paul Tambyah against the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) incumbent member of parliament, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, in this single-member constituency. In 2020, the Bukit Panjang SMC saw a fierce battle between Prof Tambyah and Mr Liang, with the latter polling 53.37% (18,085) of the votes.
WHAT DOES “T.H.R.I.VE” MEAN TO SDP
SDP’s chairman, Dr Tambyah, launched the party’s manifesto a day later, on Sunday (April 20) at the Yew Tee Square flanked by vice-chairman Mr Bryan Lim, alongside two of their Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC candidates, Mr Jufri Salim and Ms Gigine Wong.
Dr Tambyah elaborated that their campaign slogan “Thrive” has a profound significance that not only underpins the essence of their election manifesto but also symbolises the party’s vision for a prosperous and resilient future.
“T stands for taxation, and what we are asking for is taxation that is fair and equitable to everyone. We have long called for a decrease in the GST,” said Prof Tambyah.
“H is healthcare. It is an issue which is closest to my heart because I’ve spent more than 40 years in public healthcare in Singapore. SDP has proposed a universal single-payer healthcare insurance scheme.”
The SDP’s chairman explained further that “R” stands for respect for the environment and the climate, while the letter “I” in their slogan refers to the current hot-button issue, immigration.
“The SDP is not against immigration. We are against the unbridled immigration, which has contributed to overcrowding, which is stressed on the environment that we live in, and pressure for jobs for Singaporeans,” explained the senior consultant of the Infectious Diseases Division at the National University Hospital.
The SDP’s chairman also reiterates the lack of updates from the government’s Voluntary En-Bloc Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) that was launched in 2018.
“We heard that in the 2018 National Day Rally, the PAP government was going to come up with a programme called VERS, that was supposed to help out individuals who are facing lease decay. We’ve heard about it, and in seven years, we are given no information about how VERS is going to work.”
Lastly, Prof Tambyah outlined the meaning of the letter “E” in their campaign slogan, “Thrive, Not Just Survive.”
“E, we feel the most important is education. Having small class sizes, getting rid of the PSLE, and focusing on developing the child into who he or she wants to be, and who is actually gifted and talented to be.”
SDP’S CANDIDATES FOR THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION
Sembawang West SMC: Dr Chee Soon Juan (Secretary-General)
Bukit Panjang SMC: Prof Paul Tambyah (Chairman)
Sembawang GRC: Bryan Lim (Chairman, Suraya Akbar (Treasurer), Dr James Gomez (Deputy Policy Head of Policy), Damanhuri Abas, and Alfred Tan
Marsiling – Yew Tee GRC: Jufri Salim (Organising Secretary), Dr Gigine Wong, Alec Tok, and Ariffin Sha