SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) unveiled its 78-page election manifesto on Sunday (Apr 6), calling for a rollback of the Goods and Service Tax to 7 per cent, public asset declarations for Members of Parliament and other sweeping reforms.
Titled “Progress for All”, the manifesto features 61 policy proposals – many of which were previously raised by the party's Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa in parliament and in its 2020 manifesto.
"Your vote is critical in this election," said PSP chairman and founder Tan Cheng Bock, describing the manifesto as the culmination of nearly two years of work.
“It will decide whether we continue to have credible and responsible elected opposition MPs who keep the PAP (People’s Action Party) in check and hold the PAP to account.”
Mr Leong, who was re-elected as party chief in March, said the 61 policy proposals were "well-researched and carefully considered", and most have been presented to parliament.
“It is unfair for the government to say that the opposition has not suggested alternative solutions,” he wrote in his opening message for the manifesto.
This shows that PSP can offer alternative solutions so that every Singaporean can benefit from the country’s progress, he added.
The PSP secretary-general also confirmed on Sunday that the party will contest West Coast-Jurong West and Chua Chu Kang GRCs in the next election.
While the final number of candidates has not been decided, Mr Leong indicated the party is likely to field fewer than the 24 candidates it had in 2020 – the largest opposition slate in that election.
After the 2020 General Election, the party concluded that it needed to focus its efforts, said Mr Leong at a press conference at the party's headquarters in Bukit Timah Shopping Centre.
Contesting in an election is a "very complicated affair", and the amount of money needed is "actually less of a problem" compared to manpower issues and communication strategies, he said.
"Learning from the last experience, we thought this round, we have to focus. And that's the reason why this round, we probably will be fielding fewer candidates."
In GE2020, the PSP team secured 48.31 per cent of the vote in West Coast GRC against the PAP team led by former transport minister S Iswaran. It was the narrowest margin in that election, earning PSP its two NCMP seats.
Here’s a look at PSP's key proposals in its manifesto for the next election:
To address rising costs, the party recommended 11 policies – reducing the GST from 9 per cent back to 7 per cent and exempting essential items like rice, water and milk formula from the tax.
Cash support and utility rebates for lower- and middle-income Singaporeans can be funded by more progressive taxes such as estate duty or a wealth tax and not by GST, it said.
In addition, the party called for guidelines on rent increases for commercial properties, and reiterated its suggestion to phase out socially conscious enterprise hawker centres and set stall rentals at S$500 or 3 per cent of gross revenue, instead of the highest bid by tender.
Some Singaporeans should get more government-funded food discounts at all hawker centres, PSP said.
On healthcare, PSP wants the government to cover premiums for basic MediShield Life and CareShield Life and centralise drug procurement to lower costs. New mothers should receive a cash gift to offset confinement expenses, it said.
PSP suggested four measures to address high housing costs, including its previously proposed Affordable Homes Scheme – where BTO flat buyers defer paying land costs until they sell the flat.
The scheme has been criticised by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah as a raid on Singapore’s reserves.
On Sunday, Mr Leong said PSP offers ideas on how to fund their policy recommendations. "Financial prudence is always part of our policy research, not like what the government has said, raiding the reserves and whatever they try and label us."
The party repeated its proposal to allow singles to buy flats at age 28 and expand rental options for young adults in central locations under its Millennial Apartments Scheme. Other housing proposals include building more flats ahead of demand to shorten wait times.
The party proposed 15 measures to improve governance, citing insufficient "checks and balances" such as the Elections Department reporting to the Prime Minister and "costly mistakes" such as TraceTogether data being used for police investigations and the unmasking of NRIC numbers.
The party called for changes to ministerial salaries, MPs to publicly declare their assets and closed-door hearings for Temasek and GIC with MPs to improve accountability.
A Freedom of Information Act should be enacted and all documents older than 25 years automatically declassified. PSP also suggested changes to Singapore's media landscape and the country's fake news law, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
The party renewed its call to abolish the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) scheme, pointing to some MPs riding "on the coattails" of others and to vacancies left unfilled in GRCs after MPs resigned.
It proposed an NCMP scheme for minorities or a hybrid electoral system to ensure multi-racial representation in parliament instead.
PSP said it wants how electoral boundaries are decided to change. It also proposed that the People's Association be depoliticised, the Speaker of Parliament be non-partisan and the voting age be lowered to 18.
While reaffirming Singapore's need for foreign talent, PSP called for stronger protections for local workers. It proposed 15 measures such as a minimum wage of S$2,250 (US$1,680) for Singapore workers, a company quota for Employment Pass (EP) holders with a levy of S$1,200 per month and to increase the EP qualifying salary to S$10,000.
To “minimise the risk of discriminatory practices”, the government should ensure companies do not have too many work pass holders from the same foreign country, PSP said.
The party recommended better safeguards against non-compete clauses for retrenched workers, increasing the minimum paid annual leave to 14 days a year, designating more public holidays and implementing a "right to disconnect" policy.
PSP proposed eight changes related to social safety nets, such as consolidating and simplifying the existing network of over 60 support schemes. The current system is confusing and challenging for Singaporeans who are less proficient in English or do not have the time or energy to apply for them, it said.
It suggested government-paid allowances for full-time caregivers of Singaporean children below seven years old, and wider MediSave use for outpatient and reproductive health services – maternity care and elective egg freezing.
For older Singaporeans, PSP wants to double Silver Support Scheme payouts and ensure that the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation Funds are fully utilised.
It also proposed a CPF Lifetime Retirement Investment scheme to allow Singaporeans to invest some of their savings in investment products managed by the CPF Board.
The party called for eight changes in Singapore's education system, such as a 10-year through-train programme that makes the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) optional.
It advocated less reliance on summative examinations, and urged for more vocational and non-academic routes to university.
The party proposed that class sizes be reduced and that smaller schools not be merged and closed. Such schools could offer non-PSLE routes or cater to children whose needs are unaddressed in bigger classes.
To manage student and teacher well-being, it proposed regular mental health monitoring and feedback mechanisms.
Tuition grants and scholarships available to foreign students should be reduced, PSP said. No Singaporean student should “be displaced” from an institute of higher learning because of an international student, and autonomous universities should always have enough places to cater to Singaporean students, its manifesto said.
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.