Singapore election: opposition parties pull no punches in opposing PAP
- Their manifestos include policy proposals firmly opposed by the government, including freezing a planned sales-tax hike and lowering the voting age
- Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh says the opposition faces a ‘wipeout’, with no MPs elected, while Prime Minister Lee says this approach is tactical
The Workers’ Party’s secretary general Pritam Singh on Sunday said the opposition faced the threat of a “wipeout” with no members elected to parliament. He was speaking as he unveiled the party’s manifesto, titled “Make Your Vote Count”, which advocates for policies such as a minimum wage and an abolition of the retirement age. The party’s six MPs were the sole opposition lawmakers in the previous parliament.
Singapore’s main opposition parties have in their policy proposals focused on the bread-and-butter issues that are in sharp focus for citizens amid the coronavirus pandemic, largely mirroring the PAP’s approach in its manifesto.
But they have not pulled punches in questioning the long-held orthodoxies of Lee’s administration, including policies the ruling party has firmly opposed. In their manifestos – unveiled ahead of Tuesday’s official start of the nine-day campaigning period – the opposition parties’ policy proposals include freezing a planned sales tax hike, renegotiating trade agreements and lowering the minimum voting age.
