Singapore – Opposition party leader Lim Tean took to Facebook to explain why he “keeps going about Covid-19” and urging the Government to implement timely responses toward the pandemic.
On Wednesday (Mar 12), the leader of People’s Voice (PV) party shared in social media the numerous reasons why they have been “very vocal since the first days of the Covid-19 crisis.” Mr Lim noted how they could see what was coming, equally alongside many ordinary citizens who felt the same when it came to the growth and spread of the outbreak.
“We are not psychic, and we are privy to far less information than the PAP,” said Mr Lim. However, they saw that the crisis was only going to grow and noticed that the Government’s first measures “were not far-reaching or adequate enough to contain it.”
The party had demanded measures such as the closure of schools, implementation of travel restrictions, among others, which the PAP are only now getting around to contemplating, said Mr Lim.
“The demand for schools to close has shown how ill-prepared and backwards our Ministry of Education is in delivering our curriculum online,” wrote Mr Lim and added that the inability for the country to be tech-smart was “damning.” It was 10 days after the group urged for travel restrictions for passengers from South Korea to be imposed that the Government implemented such measures, he noted.
“We have listed out what kind of a budget we needed to cope with the economic fallout of this disaster,” said Mr Lim. Measures such as an immediate two per cent reduction on GST, an emergency loan fund for small businesses, rental pauses, taxi rental fees reduction, a national hotline for patients to lessen the load on clinics and hospitals and many more.
Mr Lim reassured the public that the PV will “continue to carry the mantle of duty than an opposition party is tasked with.” He mentioned how their voices would remain “just as strong and pro-active” when they are represented in Parliament instead of the “sleepy silence that descends” a session.
He gave an example when the peoples’ voice won by putting a stop to the release of the late Lee Kuan Yew coins for being “extremely distasteful.” The incident was proof of the influence a collective voice possesses to force change, said Mr Lim.
As the leader of the PV, he thanked everyone for gathering online to become an opposition force and create changes the “PAP are blind to see.”
“We named our party Peoples Voice for this very reason,” said Mr Lim. “We are called Peoples Voice, but YOU are the peoples’ voices,” he added.
https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesVoiceSingapore/posts/2506697166265141
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