Other Singaporeans may be on vacation at the moment, but on-ground engagements continue for Workers’ Party members.
In one recent engagement at Bedok, residents talked to WP’s Kenneth Foo about “the need for a stronger opposition presence in parliament or concerns over rising cost of living,” Mr Foo wrote in a June 15 (Wednesday) Facebook post.
He and a team of volunteers had gone over to Simei and Bedok Corner Hawker Centre last weekend to talk to residents about their concerns.
Aside from the need for a stronger opposition, many spoke to Mr Foo and the WP team about cost of living concerns due to the increase in prices.
Mr Foo described these concerns as “familiar feedback,” and outlined what the WP can do to address them.
“We assure Singaporeans that WP is always on the lookout for people who are willing to serve the nation to be in the team.
Forming a strong and credible team, WP can then put forth more proposals and suggestions for the benefit of our country.”
He also underlined that the WP has said no to the increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The hike had been announced as early as 2018 and was set to take place in 2020. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, implementation was delayed. But this year, when the national Budget was announced, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced that the GST tax hike from 7 to 9 per cent is set to be raised by one percentage point each time on Jan 1, 2023, and Jan 1, 2024.
“We understand how rapid rise in cost of living affects the daily lives of fellow citizens and hence said NO to GST increase and propose other means to raise income, to lessen the impact on low-income families and the sandwiched class,” wrote Mr Foo.
He has been very active on the ground at East Coast GRC for the past few years, together with Nicole Seah, who is a member of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) as the president of its youth wing.
It appears that Ms Seah, 35, is still on maternity leave. She and her husband welcomed their second daughter in April.
Ms Seah, together with Mr Foo, Mr Abdul Shariff, Mr Terence Tan and Mr Dylan Ng, contested at East Coast GRC in the 2020 General Election.
The WP slate won a very respectable 46.61 per cent of the votes against the ruling People’s Action Party slate’s 53.39 per cent. /TISG
Corporate & wealth taxes: Workers’ Party outlines alternatives to GST hike