Dr Chee Soon Juan at SDP's GE Campaign Launch on 11 May 2024. (Photo credit: Singapore Democratic Party)
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has launched a scathing critique of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the People’s Action Party (PAP), accusing the ruling party of rushing into the General Election and denying Singaporeans the time needed to scrutinise key issues.
In a sharply worded statement released on Tuesday evening, the SDP called the compressed electoral timeline “a return to the PAP’s old playbook,” despite Mr Wong’s pledge to do things differently when he took over as Prime Minister last year.
“When he was sworn in, Mr Wong promised Singaporeans, ‘I will never settle for the status quo,’” the party said, “But like many of his other promises, this has turned out to be another empty one.”
The SDP highlighted the 35-day window between the release of new electoral boundaries on 11 March and the dissolution of Parliament on 15 April, comparing it unfavourably to the more than three-month lead time ahead of the 2020 General Election.
“This unseemly haste can only mean one thing: The PAP is fearful of the people’s anger with the high cost of living and its irrational immigration policy,” the party claimed, “Singaporeans need the time to thoroughly examine these issues before casting their votes.”
The opposition party argued that such a tight timeline hinders their ability to campaign effectively, reach voters, and present alternative policies. It also alleged that the PAP’s strategy is designed to limit public debate and cement its dominance ahead of a difficult election.
“Elections are solemn exercises,” the SDP said. “People must be given ample time to become thoroughly familiar with the parties, their platforms and candidates so they can make informed decisions at the polls.”
The SDP went further, accusing PM Wong of “desperation” and of falling back on familiar tactics due to a lack of “new ideas” for dealing with Singapore’s pressing issues. The party made clear its intention to frame the coming election as a referendum on whether Singaporeans want meaningful change or “more of the same.”
“It is, therefore, essential for the electorate to send an unambiguous message to the PAP in this GE that it needs to do better and not resort to its old ways of crippling the opposition’s effort. Its smash-and-grab tactic to secure another term – another term which would merely put more than $10 million in Mr Wong’s bank account for piecemeal measures for global problems – cannot be tolerated any longer.”
Screengrab from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ1HZLA5T6Q
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) youngest election candidate has raised a pointed question. “Do million-dollar ministers know and understand what the young people of Singapore are facing today?” asks Ariffin Sha.
Sha, 27, is the creator and editor-in-chief of alternative news site Wake Up Singapore (WUSG). He is part of the SDP team contesting Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the 2025 General Election (GE).
The team also includes
Dr Gigene Wong, 59, who was the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) candidate in Hong Kah North Single-Member Constituency (SMC) in the 2020 General Election;
Theatre director and filmmaker Alec Tok, who was the SDP candidate for Bukit Panjang in the 2011 General Election but part of the Red Dot United (RDU) team in Jurong in the 2020 General Election;
SDP stalwart and organising secretary Jufri Salim, 41.
Fighting for the youth in Singapore
Sha is concerned about the future of young Singaporeans. He made that clear while addressing the media; his words were video-recorded and posted on Facebook.
“What I want to focus on is something close to my heart, which is the concerns of the young people,” he said, pointing out this has special relevance in Marsiling-Yew Tee, where one in three is “aged 25 or below”.
“Last year, there was a very alarming study released by IMH [Institute of Mental Health] which shows that one in three young people in Singapore suffer from severe symptoms or very severe symptoms of anxiety, depression or stress,” he said. “This is nothing short of a mental health crisis in Singapore. And this mental health crisis is exacerbated by the cost of living crisis that we are already going through.
“It’s very easy to dismiss the concerns of young people in Singapore by saying, oh, this is a strawberry generation; they care too much about work-life balance. But the secret lies in what I call the ROI on hard work, the return on investment for hard work,” he added.
“We have all heard anecdotes about blue-collar workers in the 70s and the 80s about how they can, let’s say, drive a taxi and still put food on the family table, still afford an HDB flat.
“But can a young person graduating honestly say that they have the same level of opportunity here?
“Look at the immense pressure of the education system, the cost of housing, and the cost of living. And let’s not even get started on the mental capacity and the cost of wanting to bear a child.
“Young people face an increasing level of burnout and motivation. But do we really expect million-dollar ministers to understand that?
“You know, there was a time when young Singaporeans used to dream about the five Cs,” Sha recalled when people aspired to have plenty of cash, a car, a condo, credit cards and a country club membership.
“But these days we don’t hear too much about the five Cs any more. Of course, the powers-that-be want you to believe that that’s because the young people are not so materialistic. Well, that’s only half the story. The truth is the five Cs are simply unattainable for many Singaporeans.”
Need for a close fight
Sha stressed the need for a close fight.
“What matters particularly in the battle for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC is not just who wins but the margin of victory. History has shown that the smaller the margin of victory, the better the policies and the welfare for the people. The results of GE 2011 and GE2020 have made this clear.
“Finally, being an MP is a lot more than just erecting sheltered walkways. What we need is for people to speak up in Parliament and make the voices of Singaporeans heard. Now many young Singaporeans, when they go for interviews, we are often asked, ‘Where do see yourself in five years?’ Honestly, this is a very difficult question to answer because of the stresses that people are facing. But this is the time for us to ask Mr Lawrence Wong where do we see Singapore in the next five years.
“During Covid and even now our million-dollar ministers like to say that we are in this together, we are all on the same boat. Are we really on the same boat? Because it looks like we are on a sampan and they are on a mega yacht.
“Voters of Marsiling-Yew Tee, this is your golden opportunity to step up and make your vote count. Send a signal. A signal that will be heard from the West Coast to the East Coast. To show that all is not okay and a mandate must be earned. We need to fundamentally relook the direction we are heading in as a society.”
Sha ended with a direct appeal to the young: “And, finally, a special call to all young voters in Marsiling-Yew Tee, Sembawang, Woodlands. This is for you. Hope you can step up and join us and we can walk this path together. It’s time for all of us to thrive and not just survive.”
People are rallying behind Sha
On Facebook, several voters responded positively to Sha.
One netizen considered everything Sha said as a “very well said speech. He sounds good in leading a pack of hopes. Likes the comparison of liner n sampans, we’re in.”
Another one agreed, saying, “Excellent speech, right on point…. unfortunate truth of discounted eggs, vote buying vouchers and cheap display of hypocrisy fit for third world countries and politics.” Another briefly expressed his favour for Sha by saying, “You are the Man!”
Another voter impressed with Sha said that it is “very refreshing to see the young generation engaging their role in society”.
Two others said, “Give him a chance! Better than many useless white MPs,” adding: “These are politicians that we need in Parliament today.”
Issues, not personalities
In 2024, Sha was charged with criminal libel and fined S$8,000 for the publication of a false account about a woman who claimed she suffered a miscarriage at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in 2022.
At a press conference, SDP secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan was asked how he would respond to voters concerned about Mr Ariffin’s previous conviction.
Dr Chee responded that voters must focus on the ideas presented, not the individual candidates or their past.
“We want Singapore’s political system to mature into a higher level where we can talk about issues and not go back into past practices where we are just destroying people in terms of talking about their personalities,” Dr Chee said.
SINGAPORE: The next step towards the General Election was taken in Singapore on Tuesday afternoon (April 15) with the announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office that Parliament has been dissolved. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam dissolved the legislature on the advice of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Singapore will go to the polls on May 3, Voting Day, after the full list of election candidates emerges on April 23, Nomination Day.
Nomination Day is when prospective candidates file their election papers. This will be followed by a nine-day election campaign and then one “cooling-off day” before Singaporeans cast their vote.
The Returning Officer responsible for overseeing elections is Han Kok Juan, director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. He has had this position since April 1, 2024.
This is the third time Singapore will be going to the polls in May in the new millennium. The 2006 General Election (GE) was held on May 6 and the 2011 GE on May 7.
There will be nine nomination centres across the city-state: Bendemeer Primary School for Queenstown, Radin Mas and Tanjong Pagar; Chongfu School for Nee Soon, Sembawang and Sembawang West; Deyi Secondary School for Ang Mo Kio, Jalan Kayu, Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang; Jurong Pioneer JC for Bukit Gombak, Chua Chu Kang and Marsiling-Yew Tee; Kong Hwa School for Jalan Besar, Marine Parade-Braddell Heights, Mountbatten and Potong Pasir; Methodist Girls’ School for Bishan-Toa Payoh, Bukit Panjang, Holland-Bukit Timah and Marymount; Nan Hua High School for Jurong Central, Jurong East-Bukit Batok, Pioneer and West Coast-Jurong West; Poi Ching School for Aljunied, Hougang, Tampines and Tampines Changkat; and Yusof Ishak Secondary School for East Coast, Pasir Ris-Changi, Punggol and Sengkang.
Up for grabs are 97 seats across 33 constituencies.
This election will be the first under Prime Minister Wong, who was sworn into office on May 15, 2024. While the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) is expected to win many seats in Parliament, as it has in past elections, just how much of a dent opposition parties will make this year is being closely watched. In 2020, the Workers’ Party (WP), the only opposition party with elected MPs, won an unprecedented 10 seats in Parliament, significantly clinching a second GRC for the first time. In the elections in 2011 and 2015, the WP won only six seats.
WP chief Pritam Singh was officially designated as Leader of the Opposition on July 11, 2020, the day after the polls when the party won two GRCs: Aljunied and Sengkang.
Then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that he personally gave the WP chief a phone call, adding, “I told Mr Singh that with 10 MPs, I think it is right that he, the Workers’ Party leader, be formally designated as the Leader of the Opposition, and that he will be provided with appropriate staff support and resources to perform his duties.”
Some Singaporeans, reacting to the 2025 poll schedule, noted that the big day falls smack in the middle of a long weekend, as it follows Labour Day, which this year falls on a Thursday. This means the cooling-off day is on a Friday, and the polls will be held on a Saturday.
Labour Day is one of Singapore’s public holidays, held to mark solidarity with workers. The National Trades Union Congress holds a rally on this day, with one of the highlights being a speech held by the Prime Minister or another high government official. Other political parties also traditionally release statements on Labour Day.
“Why must put polling day in the middle of a long weekend?” one wrote, adding, “There goes my holiday.”
“Why weekend sia? Don’t want people to rest liao!” wrote another. /TISG
SINGAPORE: The boom in Singapore’s food and beverage (F&B) industry is now starting to do more harm than good for operators, diners, and the entire food business landscape as store openings continue to outpace closures, The Business Times reported, citing Knight Frank’s report released on Monday (Apr 14).
The report noted that with Singapore’s small market size and current demand levels, it’s becoming harder for F&B businesses to stay profitable as more players compete for the city-state’s “limited pie.”
Still, new brands, local and international, continue to enter the market, with some local entrepreneurs operating from their homes to mitigate occupancy costs while others are testing new retail formats to attract customers. Knight Frank said 3,793 new businesses entered the F&B scene last year.
Ethan Hsu, Knight Frank Singapore’s head of retail, said the dining scene appears to have reached oversupplied levels, and “measures to cool the market for a sustainable sector may be needed sooner than later.”
The report noted that one option is to limit the number of F&B licences allowed in certain areas. Another is to cap the share of lettable areas in malls that can be used for F&B outlets. Knight Frank also suggested setting a minimum size for the shop that will be set up. To stop chains from growing too quickly, the report proposed a tax on F&B chains that expand beyond a certain number of outlets within a short time frame.
Mr Hsu said: “Rapid expansion that has led to just as rapid closures in recent years cannot possibly be healthy when it has also led to a wastage of funds and material, especially when new fit-outs and equipment are abandoned when operations prove to be financially unviable.”
He suggested that acting sooner rather than later could “alleviate some of the ailing symptoms” of the sector, such as the closure of several Michelin-starred restaurants while ensuring the market remains sustainable for both local and international brands to thrive.
The consultancy also pointed out that US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs could hurt business sentiment and rental growth.
In the first quarter of 2025, the average gross rent for prime retail spaces in Orchard rose by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), reaching S$31.20 per square foot per month (psf pm). Rents in suburban areas also grew by 0.3% QoQ to S$26.80 psf pm, while those in Marina Centre, City Hall, and Bugis grew by 0.6% to S$26.40 psf pm. Meanwhile, rents in the city fringe dropped by 0.3% QoQ to S$24 psf pm.
Knight Frank noted that tariffs could “undermine the delicate 1% to 3% growth forecast of prime retail rents in 2025” in trade-dependent Singapore.
While the consultancy pointed to many factors affecting the oversupply and rapid closures of F&B businesses in the city-state, a netizen online pointed out that only “rent and labour costs” are the two big concerns in the industry, while the rest are variable. Another noted it may be because Singaporeans have realised that dining out is “too expensive, with goods and services tax (GST) and service charge; many begin to realise eating at home is better.” /TISG
SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party (WP) has called for redundancy insurance for many years now. It published a comprehensive proposal on this additional support for the unemployed way back in November 2016, although the WP started talking about it a decade before.
In the years that followed, the WP brought it up in Parliament several times, including in Budget debates. The matter has become one of the key points the party has called for repeatedly, making it part of their GE2020 Election Manifesto. In 2024, redundancy insurance was again mentioned in WP chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh’s May Day statement.
On Apr 15, the first day of applications for the government’s redundancy scheme, the WP re-shared a video over social media it released on Feb 17, 2024, titled “Let’s Talk: Redundancy Insurance,” featuring Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam.
However, the WP had something to say about a news report that said the “idea of supporting the involuntarily unemployed in Singapore was first mooted” in 2023,
“This is inaccurate in our view,” the party wrote in the caption to the video, adding, “The Workers’ Party has been publicly championing the idea of support for the involuntarily unemployed for much longer, more than a decade. Our proposal for a Redundancy Insurance scheme may be found in our party’s manifesto back in 2006, and our MPs (Members of Parliament) have continued to raise this in parliament, most recently during the Budget debate in March.”
It also wrote that “in the name of public interest,” it was relaunching the video with Mr Giam, where he speaks about the key features of the WP’s proposed Redundancy Insurance Scheme and how it would be a safely net for workers going through troubled times.
The party wrote in its 2020 manifesto that under the scheme, employees would pay S$4 a month. This would be matched by employers into an Employment Security Fund. Retrenched workers will then receive a payout equivalent to 40% of their last drawn salary for up to six months.
The payout would be capped at S$1,200 a month, with a minimum payout of S$500 a month for low-wage workers. The second and any subsequent payouts will be conditional on the worker actively seeking a new job or undergoing retraining. This is, as they mentioned, due to technological disruption and global events that will lead to higher rates of workers becoming redundant, heightening insecurity.
“Redundancy Insurance will not only ease the immediate financial pressure that retrenched workers face but will also provide an automatic stabiliser to the economy — consumer spending will be sustained to help prevent the economy from spiralling downwards,” the WP said.
During the Budget debate in 2020, Aljunied MP Sylvia Lim proposed the implementation of unemployment insurance for older workers who have been retrenched. Then Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said that the Government would “keep an open mind” to the suggestion but called the present support given to such workers “more sustainable.”
Ms Teo answered that providing unemployment insurance would lessen the motivation of workers to become employed again and also reduce employers’ willingness to shell out retrenchment benefits. /TISG
SINGAPORE: After the announcements from the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday afternoon (April 15) regarding the dissolution of Parliament, Nomination Day on April 23, and Voting Day on May 3, Pritam Singh, the secretary-general of The Workers’ Party (WP), thanked the residents of Aljunied, Sengkang, and Hougang, the constituencies the WP has represented in Parliament in the past five years.
Posting a photo on social media of the eight WP MPs taken last week, Mr Singh, Singapore’s first officially designated Leader of the Opposition, wrote, “Thank you to all residents of Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC and Sengkang GRC for the privilege of serving you. All of you. Regardless of political party. It was an honour to be your loyal opposition in Parliament.”
On the WP’s Facebook page, the party has also put up posts since the announcements from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) were made.
Noting that while its slogans may change as the years go by, its mission to “represent the diverse Singaporean population while working towards a First World Parliament,” remains as the party prides itself on “contributing to unity in diversity.”
Like Mr Singh, the posts alluded to the continuous support from many Singaporeans especially in 2020, when the party won an unprecedented number of seats in Parliament, as well as a second GRC, which led to Mr Singh being designated Leader of the Opposition.
“From 2020 to 2025, our ideas were heard and acted upon by the government. Together, we’ve shown that constructive opposition leads to better outcomes. But the work is not done. We cannot stop here. We will continue to work for Singapore, and we hope you will step up and do so too,” it added.
The WP also posted a video with its MPs talking about the work they’ve done and the issues that matter to them. Party chair Sylvia Lim can be heard saying, “My opinion is as important as yours,” and vice-chair Faisal Manap is filmed saying, “If I want to make a change, especially for the Muslim community, I need to do my part.”
Hougang SMC MP Dennis Tan brought up the high cost of living in Singapore since the COVID-19 pandemic, while the younger WP MPs mentioned other issues. For Louis Chua, it’s housing, for Jamus Lim, education, for Gerald Giam it’s more balance in Singapore politics. He Ting Ru, meanwhile, spoke of the concerns residents have communicated to her for the next generation.
Ms Lim makes an appearance again at the end, asking, “If the PAP fails, what is our Plan B?”
In the end, however, Mr Singh says that Singaporeans are the “true agents of change,” with the WP merely being a platform to bring Singaporeans’ voices into Parliament.
“The true people who have power are the voters, and they control the future,” he adds.
Many netizens commenting on the posts the WP and its members have put up thanked Mr Singh and the other MPs in return, wishing them the best for the upcoming election.
“A Big THANK YOU!,” one wrote, while another said it is “Time to step up and vote.”
“Thank you, WP for representing the voices of Singaporeans. I look forward to seeing even more voices in GE 2025! All Singaporeans should #StepUp and put more voices into Parliament!,” a commenter wrote.
“Let’s win this,” another chimed in.
Another played with the date of the election, writing, “May The Force Be With You” and calling May 4th, the day after Voting Day, “A New Era.” /TISG
PARIS: The 2025 Schneider Electric Paris Marathon ended with Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes taking the top spots once more.
Kenya’s Benard Biwott won the men’s race, finishing with his fastest time ever of 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 25 seconds. Ethiopia’s Bedatu Hirpa won the women’s race, beating her teammate Dera Dida in a close sprint with a final time of 2 hours, 20 minutes, and 45 seconds.
A social media post by SE Marathon de Paris (Paris Marathon) shared: “Benard Biwott et Bedatu Hirpa, les grands vainqueurs du #SchneiderElectric#ParisMarathon 2025 ! 🔥 (Benard Biwott and Bedatu Hirpa, the big winners of the 2025 #SchneiderElectric #ParisMarathon! 🔥)”
Netizens offered their congratulations in the comments section by saying: “You are exceptional bravo 😍 (translated)”, “Wowww🙌 elite runners🔥 👏”, and “Huge well done to both of them 👏 (translated).”
Several runners finished the race in under 2 hours and 10 minutes for men and under 2 hours and 30 minutes for women. With this, the Paris Marathon proved that it’s one of the best races in Europe for top runners.
Highlights of the men’s race
Benard Biwott bettered his old record by 29 seconds at this year’s Paris Marathon. During the race, the 22-year-old went ahead of a group of nine runners with 10 kilometres left in the race. This was his second big marathon win in Europe, following his success at the Frankfurt Marathon seven months ago.
Ibrahim Hassan from Djibouti was the only runner who kept up with Biwott and finished second with a total time of 2:06:13. Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo came in third at 2:06:21, followed by Enock Kinyamal (2:06:32) and Dominic Ngeno (2:06:37).
Impressively, all of the top ten male runners finished in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Men’s Marathon Results:
Place
Name
Country
Time
1
Bernard Biwott
KEN
2:05:25
2
Ibrahim Hassan
DJI
2:06:13
3
Sila Kiptoo
KEN
2:06:21
4
Enock Kinyamal
KEN
2:06:32
5
Dominic Ngeno
KEN
2:06:37
6
Dinkalem Ayele
ETH
2:07:54
7
Tsedat Ayana
ETH
2:08:19
8
Edwin Kibichy
KEN
2:08:29
9
Timotyh Kibet
KEN
2:08:38
10
Haile Zeru
ETH
2:09:02
Highlights of the women’s race
Ethiopia’s Bedatu Hirpa finished four seconds ahead of her training partner, Dera Dida. The event was almost similar to the 2024 Dubai Marathon, where Hirpa narrowly defeated Dida by five seconds.
Kenya’s Angela Tanui came in third with a time of 2:21:07. Tanui placed third in Beijing last year and just recently returned to the marathon scene. She won the Amsterdam Marathon in 2017 and has a personal best of 2:17:57, and recently won the 2024 Napoli Half Marathon in 1:07:04.
SINGAPORE: City Developments Limited (CDL) executive chairman Kwek Leng Beng received 13.6% less in remuneration for 2024, taking home S$5.97 million, down from S$6.91 million a year earlier. The 84-year-old executive chairman’s pay cut followed CDL’s boardroom dispute in late February, which affected the property giant’s performance and share price, The Straits Times reported, citing the firm’s annual report released on April 8.
His son, CDL group chief executive Sherman Kwek, also took a 15.4% pay cut, receiving S$2.97 million in 2024 down from S$3.52 million the previous year. He also chose to forgo a S$1.35 million long-term incentive grant for FY2023, according to The Business Times.
The cuts came during a sharp decline in CDL’s overall performance. The property giant’s net profit fell 36.6% year-on-year (YoY) to S$201.3 million, while revenue dropped by 33.8% to S$3.3 billion.
In late February, the older Mr Kwek filed a lawsuit against his son, along with a group of directors, for an alleged “attempted coup” by appointing two new directors without proper vetting by the nomination committee. The younger Mr Kwek denied it was an attempt to oust his father, saying it was to ensure CDL has the highest standards of governance.
However, the father and son’s feud has already done damage. VnExpress International reported that CDL’s stock declined by 12% this year, and on April 8, the stock had sunk to a 16-year low at S$4.48. CDL is also no longer Singapore’s most valuable listed property company.
Mathieu van der Poel once again showed that he is one of the best classic bike riders in the sport winning the Paris-Roubaix race for three consecutive years.
It was known that the Paris-Roubaix was a difficult event, with rough roads and cobblestones to overcome. Despite these challenges, van der Poel remained resilient and finished at the top spot once more.
In a social media post shared by Paris-Roubaix, it stated: “🏆🏆🏆 HAT TRICK, HATS OFF @mathieuvanderpoel ! 🏆🏆🏆”
In the comments, netizens were quick to express their thoughts with one of them writing, “Three Roubaix, one king!”, and another one saying, “Congrats champ!!!! And well done to Pogi as well, what a DUO 💯💯🚴♂️💨”
Making history
The Dutch rider made history by winning the so-called “Hell of the North” three times in a row, a feat achieved by only two other riders–Octave Lapize of France over 100 years ago, and Francesco Moser of Italy in the 1970s.
Van der Poel rode to the finish line alone and won the race with 38 kilometres left after his main rival, Tadej Pogačar, slipped off the road on a bumpy cobbled section. Pogačar, who won this season’s Tour of Flanders, was racing in Paris-Roubaix for the very first time. He finished the race with a minor injury on his wrist, possibly from his watch rubbing, and smiled through the pain as he realised how difficult the race was.
Pogačar hoped to be the first Tour de France champion to win the event, but he couldn’t keep up with van der Poel.
Bottle-throwing during the race
However, something unfortunate happened during the race with 32 kilometres left. Someone in the crowd threw a water bottle at van der Poel. It hit the athlete and made him angry, and it looked like it was done on purpose. He then admitted that this kind of thing must not happen again in cycling.
With this, van der Poel stated: “I hope they identify the person and press charges… throwing objects at riders who are giving their all — this has to stop immediately! Just enjoy the race!”
He added: “I got hit in the face with a bottle at 50 kilometres per hour. That’s enough to break a jaw… We can’t just let that slide.”
Moreover, in a post-race conference, he compared the incident to being hit in the face by a stone. The athlete said: “It doesn’t destroy the fun I had, but it’s not normal… It was a full bottle, maybe half a kilogram, and I was riding at 50kph. It was really like a stone hitting my face.”
“It’s not acceptable…When they throw beer, it’s also not acceptable, but that’s a different story. This is really something we have to take legal action against,” he added.
SINGAPORE: Singaporean households will get a total of S$800 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers this financial year— S$500 from May 13 and another S$300 in January 2026—as announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in February as part of the Assurance Package enhancement in Budget 2025, but many online have questioned if the support really helps long-term.
One netizen called the vouchers meant to help households manage daily expenses a “short-term gain, long-term pain,” while another described it as “as good as painkillers,” as it’s not a long-term solution. Another commenter noted that not increasing the goods and services tax (GST) would be more helpful than the vouchers.
Meanwhile, one commenter pointed out, “The problem with these vouchers is that they’re only usable at limited places, only solve the problem temporarily, and inevitably raise the cost of living. Why are we moving from a cashless country to a voucher country?”
According to Channel News Asia (CNA), the S$500 CDC vouchers coming in May will be allocated equally as per earlier rounds of the scheme: S$250 for spending at supermarkets and S$250 for use at participating hawkers and heartland merchants. Singaporean households will receive another S$300 in CDC vouchers in January next year.
According to Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, more than 1.28 million Singaporean households claimed the CDC vouchers in January. She added that of the nearly S$300 million given out, around S$142 million was used at participating hawkers and heartland merchants, while S$157 million went to participating supermarkets.
The CDC voucher scheme is estimated to cost the government S$1.06 billion for this financial year. More information on how to claim the May vouchers will be announced soon. /TISG
