PAP MP criticised over comments on who should fund university education in Singapore

SINGAPORE: People’s Action Party (PAP) parliamentarian Shawn Loh has come under scrutiny following remarks he made about university education funding, which have since sparked widespread debate online.

The first-term Member of Parliament (MP) was responding to a question posed during an episode of Friendly Fire by Mothership, where he was asked whether making university education free could help boost Singapore’s birth rates, as an alternative to policies such as free childcare.

In response, Mr Loh drew a distinction between the two, arguing that childcare could be justified as a public good due to its broader societal benefits.

He said, “Free universities ah? So the concept of free childcare is to relieve the burdens and anxieties of parents. Conceptually, you can justify the taxpayer paying for it because children, (are) not a public good, but a good that benefit the next generation, benefit our national identity. So there is a certain positive outcome for the rest of society.

“Universities, I think it depends on your philosophy or school of thought. And maybe I speak personally, but I don’t think university should be funded by parents. I don’t know whether this is a controversial thought.”

The ruling party politician emphasised, “I don’t think university should be funded by parents. I think if you have a school of thought where ‘Yeah, university education is part of the cost of raising a child’ then I can see where you’re coming from. Speaking personally, I don’t think it should.”

Revealing that he and his sibling “did not expect our parents to pay” for their tertiary education, Mr Loh asserted, “The cost of child raising are mainly childcare, infant care, diapers and milk powder. And for some parents with children with chronic illnesses, healthcare. Not so much ‘Oh I’m so worried about my child’s university education 20 years from now.’”

The programme’s host pushed back on this view, noting that many parents in Singapore do, in fact, worry about financing their children’s education, particularly in an economy where degrees are often seen as essential for securing stable employment and building a career. She added that such careers ultimately contribute to the wider economy.

Drawing from personal experience, the host shared that she had taken a bank loan to fund her studies, which her mother serviced. Although she later repaid her mother after starting work, she said the financial setback perhaps delayed her ability to start a family.

She added that as a future parent, she would be concerned about saving for over two decades to ensure her child could afford a degree and secure employment.

In response, Mr Loh remarked with a smile that the host was “far-sighted”.

A clip of the exchange has since begun circulating on internet forums and messaging platforms, with Singaporeans online criticising Mr Loh’s comments. One Redditor, u/publicinterest000, quipped, “GE is still quite some time away, that’s why you’re hearing these kinds of comments from MP.”

Some suggested that the MP lives in “an ivory tower” and is perhaps not attuned to the worries of ordinary Singaporeans who are concerned about the rising cost of living and the financial pressures associated with higher education. Many families view university education as a critical investment in their children’s future.

In an increasingly competitive job market, a university degree is often perceived not just as an advantage but as a necessity, intensifying anxieties about affordability and long-term financial planning.

Mr Loh is a father of four and earns an MP allowance of S$192,500 per year or about S$16,041 per month. He is not a full-time MP and also serves as Group Managing Director of Commonwealth Capital Group.

The median income of Singaporeans stands at S$5,775 per month.

Mr Loh was a civil servant prior to joining politics. He joined the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in June 2023 and was the director of security and resilience programmes at MOF, serving as Budget director for 2024 and 2025.

Mr Loh resigned from the MOF in March 2025, sparking speculation that he would contest in the 2025 Singaporean general election. In April, he was spotted at a Jalan Besar event led by Minister Josephine Teo. Less than a month later, he debuted as a PAP new face and coasted into Parliament in the May 2025 general election.