PAP and SDP need not be mortal enemies, says Chee
Dr Chee Soon Juan shaking hands with supporters following the end of the SDP rally for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC at Woodlands Stadium on Sept 8. Photo: Ooi Boon Keong/TODAY
SINGAPORE — The Singapore Democratic Party yesterday (Sept 8) sketched the vision of its role in Parliament should it get elected in this General Election, with candidates saying their proposed policies would serve as a benchmark on which to judge the Government’s policies, and affirming that a strong Government and a strong opposition can co-exist.
Party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan also posed three questions on population issues to his People’s Action Party Holland-Bukit Timah rival Sim Ann, who worked on population issues before entering politics.
He called on Ms Sim to tell Singaporeans clearly the number of people the ruling party wants to have in Singapore. Would the ruling party also consider the SDP’s proposal that the optimal number of people for Singapore be based on “how happily Singaporeans can live their lives” here, he asked. And will the Government consider the SDP’s points-based scheme to create a pool of foreigners qualified to work in Singapore, that employers can hire if they have shown they cannot find a local for the job, he asked.
These questions will help start a “proper debate” about population policy, he said, adding reasons should be given if Ms Sim says these proposals will not considered.
Dr Chee also struck a conciliatory tone in his speech yesterday. “The PAP and the SDP may have different visions for our country but that doesn’t mean we need to be mortal enemies,” he said. “I’ve always believed that a strong government can only come about if there is a strong opposition and I believe you, the people, want to see both. You can have both.”
Fellow Holland-Bukit Timah candidate Paul Tambyah said that even if all 11 SDP candidates are elected, they would not be able to implement “some of those so-called dangerous policies that we have proposed”. But they will serve as benchmarks to assess the performance of the PAP. “We can constantly keep reminding the PAP that public housing is about providing a roof over our heads, not some kind of asset for speculation that must appreciate, that we can monetise when we get sick,” he said.
Prof Tambyah also mooted the idea of putting the Health Ministry under the Defence Ministry so that funds can be released for its proposed health schemes while preserving the size of the defence budget. “Every day, more Singaporeans die of heart diseases than were killed in Konfrontasi,” he said, admitting that the idea, while unheard of, may be a bold step for the good of the people.
He also shared a story of a family having to pay S$5,000 to S$8,000 a month for specialised therapy for a child with chronic illness, that did not qualify for Medifund and was not rich enough to comfortably deal with high medical bills.
SDP Marsiling-Yew Tee candidate Wong Souk Yee said a household of four with the median income is unable to save for retirement or illness and for the children’s university education.
Dr Chee also told supporters not to call his Holland-Bukit Timah rivals unkind names — in spite of oblique references made about him “back-stabbing” his mentor — because it hurts their loved ones. “If you attack, you attack the policy, not the person,” he said.
