In a recent house visit, the residents of one Anchorvale block told Jamus Lim of their current struggles, including one woman who said she felt that non-Singaporeans had taken positions with the highest salaries in the firm she works for, to the disadvantage of citizens.
The Sengkang GRC Member of Parliament added that this type of situation has heightened for some Singaporeans recently, as salary increases have not kept pace with the rising cost of living.
In a Facebook post on Saturday (Jun 11), Assoc Prof Lim of the Workers’ Party wrote that in house visits on Thursday night, half of the households at 326A Anchorvale had been covered.
“Many residents shared their thoughts, on issues ranging from estate maintenance concerns, problems of retirement, to escalating prices of daily necessities, to the challenges they face in the job market,” he wrote.
And when higher prices and job market challenges are put together, it can “turn out to be an especially pernicious double whammy.”
The MP added, “One resident shared about her concerns with how she felt like foreigners were able to secure all the higher-paying jobs in her company, while Singaporeans scrambled below.
This then becomes a real bitter pill when salaries don’t seem to be keeping up with the cost of living, as has typically been the case so far this year.”
He then pledged that the WP will keep on discussing “these bread-and-butter issues that matter to Singaporeans.”
Assoc Prof Lim’s post appears to have resonated with netizens, many of whom posted comments to thank the MP and encourage him to keep going.
One commenter offered suggestions that would help Singaporeans cope with the high cost of living, including “not charging GST for essentials and children’s products.”
He also brought up the alternatives the WP is proposing instead of the upcoming GST increase from seven to nine per cent which many Singaporeans are unhappy with.
“Raising GST when WP managed to come up with 4 levers as alternatives also shows clearly that PAP AND the public sector with a full force of about 200k staff have failed to consider the bigger picture adequately in comparison,” the netizen wrote.
In response to this, another commenter chimed in that elderly care products such as adult diapers should also be exempted from the GST.
/TISG
Jamus Lim: Resident shares concerns over migrant professionals crowding out locals – Singapore News
Resident talks to Jamus Lim about challenges singles face in Singapore
Corporate & wealth taxes: Workers’ Party outlines alternatives to GST hike