Pritam Singh

SINGAPORE: As the final speaker among the Workers’ Party MPs on the President’s Address, Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) said on Friday (Apr 21) that the government’s active consideration of some proposals the WP has put forth—including those on anti-discrimination, minimum wage, and redundancy insurance—is proof that the party isn’t just putting forward populist, unrealistic policies.

He added that taking up the WP’s proposals is welcome, as this benefits, not the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) nor The Workers’ Party but the people of Singapore.

On Monday (Apr 17), Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he looked forward to hearing from opposition MPs to propose policies for “a serious alternative agenda for an alternative Government” and “not just opportunistic or populist ideas to chip away, bit by bit, at trust in government.”

Mr Singh said in his speech on Friday that he “did not expect the DPM to use his speech on the President’s Address to attack and accuse the Workers’ Party” of this, adding that the PAP had shifted its position on Thursday when Education Minister Ong Ye Kung “conceded that the Workers’ Party had brought up many good ideas.”

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He then addressed Mr Wong, saying, “If all we were doing was putting forward populist, unrealistic policies, we would not see the Government actively considering some variation of Workers’ Party manifesto ideas on anti-discrimination legislation, minimum wage and redundancy insurance.

If chipping away at trust in the Government was our real agenda, we would not see the Minister for National Development acknowledging the Workers’ Party point highlighting the inherent inequity of HDB taxpayer subsidies as currently applied between mature and non-mature BTO flats.”

@thehammertok

Leader of Opposition Pritam Singh speaking on the President’s Address. WP only advancing popultist, unrealistic policies? #wpsg #parliamentsg #pritamsingh #sgnews #makeyourvotecount

♬ original sound – The Workers’ Party 🔨 – The Workers’ Party 🔨

He added that Mr Wong’s charge against the WP is “most unfair” as it chips away at the integrity of our parliamentary democracy as an important platform for the exposition and contestation of ideas.”

The WP welcomes the PAP taking up the points it raised as “the real beneficiaries are not the Workers’ Party or the PAP, but the people of Singapore.”

@thehammertok

The Workers’ Party have not put forth serious alternatives? Do you agree? #wpsg #sgnews #parliamentsg #pritamsingh #makeyourvotecount

♬ original sound – The Workers’ Party 🔨 – The Workers’ Party 🔨

/TISG

 

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