Swee Say warns against drastic, populist changes to CPF system
Mr Lim Swee Say greeting residents during a walkabout at a Bedok South Road Market. He said it is important to ensure that Singapore has an inclusive workforce that takes care of all categories of workers. Photo: Robin Choo
SINGAPORE — Weighing in on one of the hot topics of this General Election, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say yesterday cautioned against making populist and drastic changes to the Central Provident Fund (CPF).
The anchor minister for the People’s Action Party (PAP) team in East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC) stressed that any policy refinement should adhere to the purpose of the CPF, which is for housing, healthcare, education and retirement.
“Whatever we do, we must bear in mind what is the purpose of CPF,” he said. “In other words, we may change the ‘how’, we may change the ‘what’. But we should never forget the ‘why’.”
“While we discuss and debate the refinements that we (may) make to the CPF system, we must always remember that we must stay true to the purpose of CPF, and more importantly, make sure that the CPF system is sustainable,” the 61-year-old said. “Because it’s easy to talk about things that will be popular with the people today.”
Commenting on various suggestions made by the Opposition to tweak the CPF, including a review of the link between retirement and the fund, Mr Lim said that he would not respond hastily to such proposals.
“Whatever changes, whatever refinements we make to the CPF system, it will have major implications for our people — not today, but 10 years from now, 20 years from now, 30 years from now,” he said.
Mr Lim said that he wanted to spend more time explaining the CPF system to residents, much as how he spent the past one-and-a-half years explaining the MediShield Life and Pioneer Generation Package (PGP).
“I realised that if we can find a simple way to highlight the key concept — the main point of our policies — many people, once they understand better, they will accept the policy even better,” he said.
He added that he conducted 125 engagement sessions with residents to convey the MediShield and PGP policies and answer their questions.
Mr Lim, who took up the Manpower portfolio in May this year, has helmed the labour movement for nine years and held numerous Cabinet posts.
Based on his experience in the union and his Cabinet portfolio, Mr Lim said it is important to ensure that Singapore has an inclusive workforce that takes care of all categories of workers. He added that as the country moves into the next stage of development, every category of workers will face new challenges.
“For example, how do we become a more manpower-lean economy?” he said. “I would say that there is lot that we need to do. I started doing some of this in the last three months, I hope that I would have the support of our voters — to give me the chance, and the privilege to continue the journey that I started in NTUC, and to continue the journey I started in the Ministry of Manpower,” he added.
Mr Lim previously stood in Tanjong Pagar GRC and Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC before moving to East Coast in 2011.
Besides Mr Lim, the PAP candidates for East Coast are Senior Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State Mohamad Maliki Osman and two-term Member of Parliament Jessica Tan. The incumbent PAP team will be squaring off against the Workers’ Party, which has increased its vote share in East Coast GRC in the previous two elections, in what is looking to be a hotly-contested ward this election.
Yesterday, Mr Lim said compared to the last election, the reception he received from residents today is warmer.
“I would say that the connection I have with my residents is completely different. The last time I came here, when I talk to them, say “Please vote for me”, “Please support me”, they look at me, I look I them. Frankly speaking, I did not know most of them at the time. I think many of them probably also have not seen me in action. Today is very different. I went around, I would say maybe 70, 80 per cent of them, they recognised me. Before I said anything, they say “Mr Lim!”,” he said.
“They give me a lot of encouragement. They know that the contest here will be very tight. In fact, many of them told me: “Mr Lim! Not to worry! We will support you.”
