PSP discusses PM Wong’s NDR speech in first issue of its official newsletter

SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) announced on Monday (Aug 25) the launch of its official newsletter, The Palm. In its maiden issue, the party addressed the National Day Rally speech of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and what the party has been doing in the wake of the May 3 polls, when it failed to win any seats in the constituencies it contested.

“Join us every other Monday for in-depth analyses on important policy issues, insights from our resident engagements, and other updates from Team PSP,” the party wrote.

The results of the General Election this year could be considered for the PSP, which gained a foothold in Parliament in GE2020 when Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa became Non-Constituency Members of Parliament.

As an update, the first issue of The Palm featured photos of PSP members celebrating the 60th birthday of Singapore by distributing small flags to residents at Teck Whye and Taman Jurong. Among those seen were Mr Leong, the PSP’s secretary general, and CEC members Stephanie Tan, Lawrence Pek, and Sani Ismail, who all contested the election earlier this year.

Addressing PM Wong’s NDR speech, the PSP wrote that it welcomes the support measures he discussed for Singaporean workers as Artificial Intelligence (AI) disrupts the job market. However, the party added it believes “more needs to be done to address the multi-faceted root causes of unemployment and underemployment in Singapore.”

The PSP listed three reasons which, according to it,  have led to employment problems — jobs going to non-Singaporeans, the offshoring of jobs, and automation and AI making some jobs redundant.

In The Palm, PSP also questioned whether SkillsFuture is enough to ensure that older workers continue to stay employed, citing entrenched age discrimination as a bigger issue that they face. The party believes it should be addressed through active enforcement of the Workplace Fairness Act.

The PSP also asked if Singaporeans can attain good health on their own. This was in response to PM Wong’s encouraging Singaporeans to “watch what we eat,” “cut back on excessive sugar and salt,” and “exercise regularly.” The party argued that processed food such as instant noodles, white bread, and luncheon meat are among the only affordable affordable for some lower-income Singaporeans. The PSP suggested “broader structural changes to create an environment that is conducive for Singaporeans to stay in good health for their entire lives”. It called for implementing a minimum wage of S$2,250 per month.

“To achieve real progress in Singaporeans’ health, we need a human-centric socio-economic system that empowers Singaporeans to live healthier lives across all income levels,” the party added. /TISG

Read also: PSP’s Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Hazel Poa step down from CEC, undergo renewal after GE2025 ‘wake-up call’