SINGAPORE: In an audacious move, Dr Chee Soon Juan, the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), has taken to social media to express his displeasure with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s recent National Day Rally speech that was, according to him, replete with motherhood statements.
According to the report published in The Online Citizen, Dr Chee’s critique is scathing. It asserts that despite the speech parading a slew of policy proposals, it glaringly sidestepped the two most urgent issues plaguing Singaporeans—the relentless influx of foreigners and the dire necessity for productivity enhancements.
According to Dr Chee, this omission is not just a missed opportunity but a blatant disregard for the real challenges that Singaporeans are grappling with.
NO to motherhood statements, empty declarations
Dr Chee underscored that Singaporeans yearn for tangible, executable strategies, not merely comforting yet empty declarations.
The SDP Sec-Gen likewise underscored the need for concrete details, questioning how the government plans to reduce the influx of foreigners and by what measure and how they intend to enhance productivity beyond mere declarations of economic transformation.
In a video uploaded to Facebook, Dr Chee highlighted that reducing the cost of living and managing the influx of foreign workers while improving labour productivity are the top priorities for Singaporeans.
Dr Chee stressed that Singapore’s economic expansion has traditionally been heavily dependent on the influx of foreign labour. This tactic has resulted in companies overlooking the critical need for productivity enhancements.
Have Lee Kuan Yew’s views been forgotten?
He further contended that the dependency on inexpensive foreign labour must be curtailed for the sake of sustainable growth, mirroring the views of Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, who championed the regulation of foreign worker influx and the elevation of productivity.
Dr Chee voiced apprehensions about the escalating property prices, attributing this trend to affluent permanent residents snapping up private and commercial properties, thereby inflating the cost of living for everyday Singaporeans.
Dr Chee drew attention to the unparalleled surge in HDB resale prices, with recent deals surpassing S$1.7 million, rendering homeownership increasingly out of reach for younger generations.
More concerns and criticisms
Dr Chee also lambasted the government’s execution of various cost hikes, including the Goods and Services Tax (GST), bus fares, water prices, and healthcare costs, challenging whether the nation’s highest-paid political leaders comprehend the hardships ordinary Singaporeans endured.
His biggest call is for the government to have a more concrete and transparent strategy in tackling these critical issues that impact the lives of all Singaporeans.
Dr Chee’s critique serves as a clarion call for all Singaporeans to demand more from their leaders. It is not enough to be placated with motherhood statements and vague policy proposals; the time has come for actionable, transparent strategies that address the nation’s real challenges.
The relentless influx of foreigners, the need for productivity enhancements, and the escalating cost of living are not just economic issues; they are social and cultural issues that affect the very fabric of Singaporean society.