WP’s 2025 manifesto calls for abolishing mayors, exempting essential goods from GST and reverting GRCs to SMCs

SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party (WP) is calling for the abolition of Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), saying Singapore has matured as a society and there is no evidence that Singaporeans vote solely along racial lines.  Its election manifesto also calls for the elimination of the mayor’s office, exemption of basic food items from the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and more support for workers, including compulsory retrenchment benefits and a redundancy insurance scheme.

In the run-up to the General Election, which will be held on May 3, the Workers’ Party held a press conference at its headquarters at 701 Geylang Road on Thursday (April 17).

The WP secretary-general Pritam Singh and chair Sylvia Lim  introduced four new election candidates: Kenneth Tiong, Eileen Chong, Abdul Muhaimin,  and Alia Mattar.

The party also released a 122-page election manifesto, which was presented by some of its younger MPs — Aljunied GRC’s Gerald Giam. the party’s head of policy research, together with Sengkang GRC’s He Ting Ru and Jamus Lim.

The party’s policy proposals to improve the lives of Singaporeans are divided into five sections: affordability and cost of living concerns, economic growth and opportunities, inclusion and equality, accountability and democracy, and security and geopolitics. It can be read in full on the WP’s website here.

The WP has long highlighted the rising cost of living, and this is reflected in the first part of its 2025 manifesto. Its proposals include alternatives to the goods and services tax (GST) so that more revenue can be generated, as well as those concerning the affordability of housing, care, and utilities. As it has in the past, the WP is also calling for more support for workers facing job insecurity, which includes compulsory retrenchment benefits and a redundancy insurance scheme.

Regarding the GST, the WP voted against the increase implemented in 2023 and 2024, going from 7 to 9% out of concern for Singaporeans’ cost-of-living burdens. It suggests that more essential goods, including basic food items, be exempted from GST, which would help particularly middle-income households who receive less support from GST vouchers.

Under the manifesto’s accountability and democracy section, the WP called for abolishing not only the GRC scheme but also the NCMP and NMP Schemes.

“Singaporeans have matured as a society, and there is now no evidence that Singaporeans vote solely along racial lines. Continuing the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system may unintentionally suggest that minority candidates cannot get elected on their own. This was not borne out in past elections,” says the WP manifesto. It suggests that GRCs should revert to Single-Member Constituencies (SMCs), which would ensure that every candidate is fully accountable to the voters in the constituency they manage.

If GRCs were abolished, the WP argued that there would no longer be a need for Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs), and added that the Nominated MP (NMP) scheme should also be abolished.

“The Office of the Mayor should be abolished,” the manifesto says, contending that the assignment of mayors aligns with existing political divisions, with each handling between four and six GRCs and SMCs. The WP added that many of the roles handled by the Community Development Councils under the mayors have already gone back to other organisations, such as the Social Service Office.

“The reduced role of Mayors does not justify a salary of about $660,000 a year,” added the party.

The WP’s policy proposals appear to resonate with many online.

“I like their call to abolish mayors. Saves $3.3M a year,” wrote one Reddit user, while another called it, “A very reasonable suggestion. Our small island state does not need 5 mayors.”

A commenter opined, “GST exemption makes more sense than going back to old rates. That’s the kind of responsible opposition that we need.”

One called the manifesto “Very comprehensive and well thought out. I really hope they can get another GRC.”

Another opined, “These are the kind of sensible suggestions that I thought the PAP were at least capable of in rhetoric if not willing to implement policy-wise. But all they have to say to us is ‘sorry GST must increase’ and telling the young generation that ‘we hear you’ but not doing anything for us materially.” /TISG

Read also: As applications open for unemployment benefits, WP reminds S’poreans it has been calling for redundancy insurance since 2006