Jamus Lim concerned over Chee Hong Tat’s rhetoric at the Economic Society of Singapore speech as it “perpetuates a sense of fear”

SINGAPORE: Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat delivered the keynote speech at the Economic Society of Singapore’s Annual Dinner on Wednesday (Aug 29). Also in attendance was Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Jamus Lim.

As the Sengkang MP is also an economist and associate professor of Economics, he noted in a Facebook post the following morning that more than one of his colleagues asked for his opinion on the speech centred around transport infrastructure and public policy.

Assoc Prof Lim wrote that he agreed with Mr Chee concerning a number of parts of his speech, including the government’s role in helping people cope with increasing living costs, as well as the difficulties when it comes to balancing mass transport needs against rising transportation expenses.

He added that he was also excited to hear the minister’s update on the Johor-Singapore rapid transit system.

However, the WP MP noted other parts of Mr Chee’s speech he was less satisfied with, including when the minister castigated “some parties” for “indulging in fiscal fantasies” that are “neither politically responsible nor economically sound.”

“I feel that rhetoric like this is itself irresponsible because it frames moderate differences in policy positions as irreconcilable stances. This then perpetuates a sense of fear and risks transforming a policy disagreement into one governed by emotions,” wrote Assoc Prof Lim.

He then defended the WP, saying that if Mr Chee had been referring to them when he talked about parties that propose greater spending and then called the government out for higher taxes, this was a grave mischaracterization of the WP’s alternative fiscal approach.

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He also explained that the alternative taxes suggested by the WP involve levies on the ultra-rich, big companies and endeavours that are harmful to society, as opposed to taxes that further burden the middle class.

Assoc Prof Lim added that the increases in government spending the WP proposes are reasonable, giving the example of better education and safety nets for workers. Instead of being a “petulant wishlist,” these are a “simple call for sound policies” in proportion to Singapore’s development.

The Transport Minister’s keynote speech at the Economic Society of Singapore’s Annual Dinner may be read in full here. /TISG

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