“Review CPF, abolish presidency and disband Temasek” – Singaporean’s wishlist for potential opposition coalition goes viral

A list of nearly 25 items that one Singaporean wishes a potential opposition coalition will implement if they are elected into office has been going viral online.

Asserting that a new opposition coalition here will be led by former presidential candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock and the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan, Facebook user Frances Ng first alleged that a soon-to-be-released manifesto will contain the following 7 promises:

“The new coalition headed by Dr Tan Cheng Bok and Dr Chee Soon Juan for the coming GE.

1. Please take note we that we don’t want anymore GST and all the CPF will return up the age of 55. 

2. No medical fees or charges for in-and out-patients treatments in Government Hospital and Polyclinics but will be the same as usual for structured hospital. 

3. All disabled will be given $1000 per month till their dying days. 

4. All Ministers and MPs will have 50% reduction in their salary. 

5. Free food items will given to all needy family every weeks amounting to $300 per month. 

6. Utilities charges will be reduced by 60%. 

7. All SDP MPs elected into Parliament please pledge 50% of their salary to Community Chest every month.”

SDP Chairman Dr Paul Tambyah has refuted the claim that such a coalition to be led by Dr Tan and Dr Chee has formed. He also told The Independent that any claim that the 7 items outlined above are part of a coalition manifesto is false.

On Facebook, Ng has added another 23 items to her personal wishlist of what she hopes a potential coalition will put into effect if they win against the ruling party at the polls:

“Here’s my latest wish list for coalition party’s manifesto-

1. Disband GIC and Temasek Holdings and eradicate crony capitalism.

2. Housing for the homeless.

3. CEO and other posts in public organisations to go through proper channel of recruiting, evaluating and hiring not via ‘global search’ or army barracks. 

4. Disband NTUC, just rename it to Fairprice Supermarket. Separate the supermarket, insurance and casket co-ops. Trade union should be simply speaking for the workers and no minister should be its Secretary General. Restructure the organisation and fire the CEO and all PAP partisans in the union.

5. Fire Auditor General and Attorney General.

6. All CEO of public organisations to change salary structure.

7. More useable space for void decks to cater for old folks’ hangout. They are the poor thing lot hanging around in coffee shops. Install an air-condition multipurpose hall for them to congregate, play majong and chit chat. 

8. Abolish PSLE. 11-12 years old are kids’ formative years. They are battling with puberty and coping with a major exam. Academic pursuit is not the only thing to live a successful life. Focus on character building. Streaming should come at secondary 2. Restructure to elementary (7 to 10 years old), intermediate (11 to 14 years), high school (15 to 16 years).

9. Revise fiscal policy.

10. CPF to be reviewed, bring back pension scheme or a combi. Untie CPF linkage to sovereign wealth funds. Taxpayers’ fund should be state’s funds. No more meddling with our CPF money. 

11. Get rid of cronies and partisans in People’s Association, taxpayers pay billions to upkeep community centres and chairman should not come under current PM.

12. Abolish Presidency, PM is good enough. We don’t need ceremonial post who does not contribute much to the country. But have a committee from all walks of profession to form a committee to check on state coffer. 

13. Reform judiciary system. Need to have a panel of jury.

14. Make HDB more affordable. Review 99 years leasehold. HDB apartments that are older than 50 years to be sold to Permanent Residents or open market to private landed property owners and allow children or grandchildren who are currently staying in landed property to own inheritance from HDB apartments owners rather than to sell the apartment just because the criterion dictates that they can’t inherit HDB apartments cos they are staying in landed property. In this way grandchildren or children can have an option to continue staying in the HDB apartments. The law should works both ways. 

15. Abolish GRC, bring back meritocracy to all constituency, we don’t want freshman freeloaders to be ministers. SMC promotes meritocracy and no hitch riding on GRC please. 

16. Ban ISA, and let dissidents come back home. Give them free housing cos they made great sacrifices to speak for the people.

17. Allow free speech and demonstrations. 

18. Parliamentary debates to be broadcast live and those MPs who don’t attend have to give letter of excuse and apology. If absent more than 3 times consecutively, his MP post will be relinquished. 

19. Ban Straits Times and allow free speech. We should have more than one local media. 

20. All PR whose child has not served NS will not be eligible for PR Status. Unless the son served NS. With immediate effect…and they will be served $10,000 for every years that the son did not served NS

21. Review labour laws. Singapore citizens who are currently employed and below 55 shall be holding permanent jobs if they are contract staff. MOM shall form a committee to assist in this area. Currently many MNC companies are abusing local citizens as contract staff and PR as permanent staff. 

22. NS conscription to limit to one year. Some boys have to wait another 9 months cos university matriculation starts in August for local university and some in November and they wasted another year to be enrolled to the university of their choice.

23. No voting rights for newly minted citizens, unless they have stayed for 5 years or more.”

Ng’s wishlist has drawn immense support from fellow Singaporeans. Her post has attracted nearly 2,000 “reactions”, over 1,000 comments and nearly 3,000 “shares” on Facebook so far.