Statement issued by Lim Tean, on behalf of the proposed political party, People’s Voice Party in response to the call for opposition to form a coalition to contest in the upcoming General Election.
On behalf of the Party that I am forming – Peoples Voice , I pledge our total commitment to the greater cooperation of the Opposition parties in Singapore and to our common cause of displacing the PAP, which has been the government for 59 years.
It is our hope that in the very near future, all the relevant Opposition parties in Singapore will be able to join together in a real partnership and alliance. This would be in line with the fervent wishes of a great many Singaporeans.
As Politicians, we have the solemn duty to listen to the people whom we ask for the chance to serve.
On our own, each of our parties may not have the numbers to dislodge the PAP from its present position but if we are joined in a great and common venture, we will have the ability to do so.
However, we must be real partners and not in name only. We must realise that in such an alliance and partnership, the problems of my alliance members are also my party’s problems and that our future are inextricably tied to one another.
Our Alliance must strive to form the next Government in the upcoming General Elections. We must offer real change to better the lives of Singaporeans. We must be a real alternative. We have a convincing message to Singaporeans that this is the worst government in our Nation’s history and that it must be removed.
The message that the Opposition should be voted into Parliament to be a check and balance on the government is no longer relevant or enough.
Unfortunately, this was always the message by the Opposition in the past and that relegated the Opposition to be second best. Voters have no desire to vote for second best. We have no time for futile concepts such as not contesting all seats and have the PAP returned to power on nomination day, the so-called by-election effect.
If we continue to allow such self-defeatist concepts to fester, we will always be vulnerable to the fearmongering of the PAP, warning voters that they may lose power.
Such fear mongering was highly effective in GE 15 and was a major factor in the big win for the PAP.
The winds of change are here and they have buffeted the World for the past 2 years.
It is a global wind as seen in the phenomena of Brexit, Bernie Sanders, Trump, Corbyn and now Pakatan Harapan.
Those who try to suggest that what happened in the West and now Malaysia cannot possibly happen in Singapore are myopic and in denial, because they refuse to recognise that the winds of change originate from peoples’ weariness with the Neo-liberal economic order which has been dominant for the last 40 years.
It was a reckless experiment where making the rich richer did not have the desired trickle-down effect and led instead to the impoverishment of a great many in our society.
The PAP were already practising Neo-liberalism even before it became the trend.
We, in the Opposition must set our sails to catch this wind of change and bring hope and a better life to our Citizens.
