PAP govt placing greater emphasis on middle-, higher-income groups
SINGAPORE — Citing the examples of the Pioneer Generation Package and the raising of the income ceilings for Housing and Development Board flats and executive condominiums, Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday that the People’s Action Party (PAP) government had moved to alleviate the concerns of the middle-income.
Speaking at a press conference to unveil the line-up for Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Mr Tan, who is the ward’s anchor minister, added that while the Government schemes will still be progressive, there is increasing emphasis on the middle- and higher- income groups.
In particular, Mr Goh felt that the PAP’s weak showing in the Joo Chiat single-seat ward — it won by only 2.04 per cent of the votes against the Workers’ Party — in the 2011 General Election was because that Government had previously not paid enough attention to residents living in the private estates. Joo Chiat has been absorbed by Marine Parade GRC for the coming elections. “We poured more resources to helping the lower-income group, but these people have paid taxes, they are retirees so they felt ignored. They therefore sent the message that ‘we may be asset-rich, we may have income, but please don’t take us for granted’,” said Mr Goh, adding that in future, private estate residents should not be neglected just because they may be well-to-do and live in landed properties.
PAP candidate Edwin Tong, who was redeployed from the now-defunct Moulmein-Kallang GRC, will be looking after the Joo Chiat division if he is elected. He said: “Many of the residents in Joo Chiat tell me just because we have a private residential address, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be included in the Government’s programmes and assistance and schemes.”
He added: “Sometimes one size doesn’t fit all and it’s incumbent upon us, as the representatives of residents in the area, to look at specific cases and maybe understand how programmes could work better on the ground.” LAURA PHILOMIN
