Lawyer and opposition politician Lim Tean announced that there will be a “People’s Forum” at Hong Lim Park on Sunday, April 24, at 4 pm to discuss cost of living issues.
The founder and leader of the People’s Voice party made the announcement in a Facebook post on Friday morning. “It has been too Long since Singaporeans had the opportunity to converge on Hong Lim Park to discuss the burning issues which affect their Everyday lives,” he said.
Hong Lim Park was designated Singapore’s Speakers’ Corner in September 2000. This is where public protests and community events can be held and where Singaporeans can freely discuss social and political issues.
Demonstrations and public protests were disallowed during the Covid-19 pandemic but resumed earlier this month.
Mr Lim writes: “Nothing can be more urgent or important now than a proper discussion and debate on how the spiralling cost of living is hurting the majority of Singaporeans very badly.”
He claims that “elected Members of Parliament are not giving this urgent issue the attention it deserves and requires” but instead “spend their time discussing about bubble tea and weird ideas such as time-stamping local degrees”.
He also took a potshot at Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, who was named last week as the leader of the ruling People’s Action Party’s fourth generation (4G), making him the successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Mr Lim says Mr Wong “refuses to help Singaporeans in practical ways to alleviate the problem, such as reducing fuel taxes” and also claims the government is “pouring fuel on the fire by increasing GST by a whopping 28.4% in real terms between 2023-24”, although he did not state the references for this rate of increase.
When Mr Wong delivered the Budget speech in February, he said that the goods and services tax (GST) rate would increase from 7 to 9 per cent in two stages, by one percentage point on Jan 1, 2023, and a second percentage point on Jan 1, 2024.
Revenues from the GST hike will be allocated toward healthcare expenses, as well as additional support for elderly people and other social services.
The increase was first announced in 2018 by Mr Wong’s predecessor as Finance Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat, who is Deputy Prime Minister. But because of the pandemic, the anticipated rise in GST was postponed.
The “urgent issue of the spiralling cost of living will finally receive the attention it deserves”, says Mr Lim.
He encouraged followers to “attend and participate in the discussion” at the upcoming People’s Forum at Hong Lim Park. /TISG
Lim Tean claims egg prices have increased by 2.5 times in 3 years