SINGAPORE: In a post on Instagram, Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, has assured Singaporeans that they have nothing to be afraid of since the People’s Action Party (PAP) has their backs, whatever the circumstances, at all times.
This statement comes after many criticisms and negative feedback about the increased goods and services tax (GST). Expectedly, he has to defend the government’s side. However, despite the well-thought-out statements, many netizens don’t agree with him, and many don’t even believe he knew what he was talking about.
Firstly, he made clear that the increase wasn’t too burdensome since it was done on a staggered basis, 1%-1%, not a direct 2% increase, to mitigate the impact that it would have on Singaporeans. He believes that the Assurance Package, along with the perpetual GST voucher system, could soften the effect of the GST increase, reflecting the PAP’s intention to look after all Singaporeans, most specifically the more defenceless and marginalised groups in society.
Netizens are enraged
One netizen asserted that the GST increase is a bad move in an already hyperinflationary environment. This commenter believed that the PAP ministers will never feel the adverse effects because they have very high salaries; it’s the middle-class Singaporeans who will feel the pinch because they are ineligible for the government schemes/programmes for the poor. Further, this netizen suggested that before PAP begins claiming that opposition parties are trying to eat away at the country’s reserves to get popularity votes, perhaps they should get a pay cut so that they can feel the impacts of GST increases.
Another commenter howled that PAP should “Stop dangling vouchers. These vouchers come from people’s tax; therefore, it belongs to the people and country, not the party.” He then requested the minister that as an elected minister, he must deliver real value to help people with their daily lives. He then added, “Don’t give us sweeteners; we need a platform to earn a living.”
One was very blunt and said that the minister should “take the MRT and buses every day” during rush hour, then “he will understand how stressful and tired people are by taking public transport.
The minister’s statements were a “B***s*** explanation of the economy,” one netizen angrily said. He wondered why there are so many MPs when the nation is so tiny and why there are so many ministrIes, which is ridiculous since taxpayers have a lot to pay salaries to.
The real question now is—does the PAP really have every Singaporean’s back?