Singapore GE2020: WP launches manifesto and election slogan 'Make Your Vote Count'

The Workers' Party unveiled its party slogan and manifesto for the coming election on June 28, 2020. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The Workers' Party unveiled its manifesto on Sunday (June 28), choosing "Make Your Vote Count" as its campaign slogan for the election.

WP secretary-general Pritam Singh said the slogan was chosen because the party wanted to call into focus the need for checks and balances in Parliament.

Saying there is a real risk of a wipeout of elected opposition MPs at the July 10 polls, Mr Singh said: "We need elected Workers' Party MPs to be voted into Parliament so that they can serve the public... Elected opposition MPs strengthen our democracy and our political processes...

"Don't rely on someone else to vote for the Workers' Party."

In 2015, the party ran its campaign on the slogan "Empower your future" while the slogan in 2011 was "Towards a first world parliament".

The WP manifesto, bearing the same slogan, laid out the party's vision for Singapore along four themes: Social and education policies that help Singaporeans achieve their dreams, dignified jobs for workers, building "a home we want" by tackling cost of living issues, and creating robust political, governance and defence institutions.

The party devoted eight pages of the 39-page manifesto to responses to the Covid-19 crisis.

While it acknowledged that the Government's efforts in dealing with the crisis and supported the safe distancing measures, it said it was its "duty as a responsible opposition party to make a constructive contribution to the policy discussion on how best to deal with this outbreak and emerge stronger as a nation".

Among the proposals was for the Government to provide free vaccinations to all when one is available, review and improve how rules are communicated and to plug gaps in support packages.

Mr Singh told reporters that the WP's manifesto process kicked off in late 2018, with the party's central executive committee setting up a team comprising Ms He Ting Ru and former NCMPs Gerald Giam, Leon Perera and Daniel Goh.

He said the team consulted widely when preparing the manifesto, speaking to specialists and industry experts and taking in feedback from residents of Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC, as well as other constituencies.

Ms He, 37, Mr Giam, 42, and Mr Perera, 49, presented the manifesto during a virtual press conference on Sunday. The trio were also unveiled as part of the final batch of four candidates in the WP's line-up alongside political newcomer Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim, 54, a former researcher.

Remote video URL

While presenting the party's policies on women and PMETs, Ms He said recent events brought to light frailties in the global supply chain and in societies.

She highlighted policy proposals like setting up an export-import bank to finance SME growth and developing green technology as a new growth area. She also said childcare subsidies should be equalised for women regardless of employment status.

Mr Giam, who covered policies on families and youth, said cost of living, social protections and climate change were key issues.

He said the WP opposes plans to raise the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 7 per cent to 9 per cent, and urged the Government to thoroughly explore alternative sources of revenue - such as tapping the $15 billion in land sales the Government collects each year and increasing the maximum Net Investment Returns Contribution (NIRC) from 50 per cent to 60 per cent.

Mr Giam also called for a redundancy insurance scheme, where retrenched workers are given a payout equivalent to 40 per cent of their last-drawn salary for up to six months, capped at $1,200 per month.

This will be funded by an employment security fund into which the average worker will contribute about $4 a month, which is matched by employers.

Other proposals include lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 and media reform.

Mr Perera spoke about seniors, whom he said faced challenges living in a high-cost environment like Singapore's.

He proposed lowering the Central Provident Fund payout eligibility age and CPF Life eligibility age to 60, more transparency on the investment returns of GIC and a special dividend paid to CPF members' Special Accounts if the 10-year moving average difference between the investment returns of GIC and the net interest payable on CPF member balances is positive.

Mr Perera also called for free public transport for those above 65 and for people with disabilities, which he said would encourage more elderly and disabled people to take up jobs.

To tackle lease decay in public housing, the WP is also proposing a universal buy-back scheme offered to all HDB lessees in order to back-stop resale prices.

Closing the session, party chairman Sylvia Lim said Singapore would need more perspectives.

"Breaking away from the past may be our best formula for the unknowns that lie ahead," she said.

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