Dear Voters of Sengkang, Punggol and Jalan Kayu SMC,
Good Evening!
A New World Order
Thank you for coming to this first Workers’ Party rally.
The world is changing. After the Prime Minister made his statement on the US tariffs, I responded in Parliament that de-risking and de-coupling in the context of US-China relations have been on the cards for some years now.
The US government has accelerated these forces through economic warfare against China.
Fortunately, nearly a month after the start of these seismic moves, it is clear that despite the economic aggressiveness of the US, the rest of world still believes in free trade.
Where does this leave Singapore, whose trade flows are three times our GDP?
The Workers’ Party statement on the tariffs made the point that despite far-reaching changes to the international system, there are opportunities. Being a little red dot has its advantages. We are smaller, and we can move faster.
But with this uncertain economic climate, should Singaporeans still vote WP MPs into Parliament?
Certainly yes!
Let me offer a few reasons.
The WP does the right thing in crisis
A parliament with more rational, respectable, and responsible WP MPs will not hamper Singapore. The WP has been stress-tested when Singapore is in crisis. What did we do when Singapore was fighting COVID? The PAP said that COVID was the crisis of a generation. When WP MPs laid out in Parliament what we did during COVID, even the PAP acknowledged how the WP supported the national effort. We are a force for good. We coalesce as one people, with Singaporeans, in the face of danger. The WP has proven itself to be a loyal opposition. Loyal not to the PAP but loyal to Singapore and Singaporeans.
We will do the same as Singapore navigates the new world order.
The WP will suggest new ideas; break through PAP groupthink
But more than just supporting the government when needed, WP MPs will also provide independent ideas to break through the groupthink of the PAP.
The next few years may well provide the opportunity to make structural improvements to Singapore’s economy. For example, lesser reliance on foreign workers in sectors such as construction sector in parallel with significant productivity improvements for Singapore workers.
Further economic restructuring can also create opportunities for more well-paying jobs, whether our people perform them with their heads, their hearts, or their hands.
There will be opportunities to better protect our workers from retrenchment too.
My fellow Singaporeans – the WP will always be on the look out to improve opportunities for Singaporeans.
WP in Parliament pressures PAP to act
Voters of Sengkang, Jalan Kayu and Punggol, the reality is this: when you have an opposition in Parliament, your alternative voice and views are heard by the Government. There is pressure – real pressure – on the PAP to act, particularly, if the views advanced by the Workers’ Party are shared by many Singaporeans.
Without an opposition, the PAP can just demand that PAP MPs do not ask questions on subjects the PAP leadership deems to be sensitive. And the PAP Whip can be imposed so that all PAP MPs vote along Government lines even if they disagree.
This could be a real problem for all of us and our future generations. We cannot be passive citizens. We must be active participants in our democracy. And fighters when we need to be, like what the people of Hougang have taught us.
You know, one PAP candidate, when introducing himself, called the Hougang voters Fighters. He is correct – they are fighters. But he called them fighters so that he could say he was also a fighter like them. He wanted to borrow their glory.
But he forgot to ask himself one question. How did the people of Hougang become fighters? They did not become fighters by choice. They are as wonderful as any Singaporeans you could find on the island. Doesn’t matter your race or religion, they will treat you like one of their own.
So what made them become fighters? They had the iron in their spines to vote opposition. They cast their vote in favour of a more balanced political system when Parliament was practically all white. And then?
The PAP took away their wet market. The PAP took away bus routes. The PAP put them last in the queue for lift upgrading. And the PAP even dangled upgrading carrots worth millions of dollars in front of them at subsequent elections.
But what have the voters of Hougang done, election after election? They have been fighters! They have shown even more iron and continued to vote for the WP.
My fellow Singaporeans, the PAP treated Hougang voters like a political football with taxpayer dollars. What the PAP really wanted to show is how easily it can take away the dignity and self-respect of Singaporeans. But the voters of Hougang said NO, we have our pride and we believe in democracy.
This is the PAP that my generation and I will never forget. And if we do not have more full-elected opposition MPs in the House, there is a real danger we will get back such a PAP, something which it is fully capable of turning back into.
Without enough opposition, the PAP will do what it wants – we need to grow a balanced system
When elections come, the PAP brings out labubu, teddy bears and ice-cream. But if the PAP wins big and you have a Parliament only with opposition NCMPs, the PAP won’t need to listen to you. The PAP will claim to have “a strong mandate”, by which it means it can do whatever it wants.
One of the things the PAP did recently was to turbocharge inflation by raising the GST during a time when inflation was already raging. How could it do that? You do not hike the GST when inflation is surging. Your people suffer more.
But the PAP dominates our political scene. It can make such serious errors of judgment, and then just give out teddy bears and ice cream.
So what can you do about it? How do you show that you disagree with the PAP’s poor judgement? Your vote for the WP is your instrument of change.
The more percentage vote share that the WP gains and the more seats the WP wins, the more the PAP will have to be responsive to your cost-of-living and other concerns.
We need a more balanced political system, not one where the PAP controls 90% of the seats with only 60% of the vote.
Remember, the WP is not even contesting one-third of the seats. There is no way we will form the next Government. The PAP will certainly govern for the next five years.
But give us Singapore the chance to grow a balanced political system. A balanced political system is our best insurance for the future, for ourselves, and for our families.
Summary
Voters of Sengkang, Punggol and Jalan Kayu, let me emphasise again the reasons why you can confidently vote for the Workers’ Party even during these uncertain times:
· We do the right thing for Singapore and Singaporeans in times of crisis, like during COVID;
· We counter the groupthink of the PAP and suggest alternative ideas to better the lives of Singaporeans;
· We have proposed concrete, realistic solutions in our manifesto and have not resorted to mere motherhood statements like the PAP;
· We will continue to pressure the Government in Parliament by being your voice and raising your concerns; and
· We are working towards a balanced political system to check the PAP and prevent it from acting however it wishes.
The Workers’ Party will be the loyal opposition for Singapore. We are all invested in Singapore’s success.
We promise to play our part in building a proud and successful Singapore, for all our people.
Vote for the WP, Working for Singapore!
24 April 2025
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 