The Prime Minister’s Office announced yesterday (23 Apr) that Heng Swee Keat would be promoted to Deputy Prime Minister on May Day. He will remain Finance Minister and continue chairing the Future Economy Council and National Research Foundation, PMO said.

Current Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam will relinquish their roles but remain in the Cabinet as Senior Ministers.

According to political watchers, the move to name Heng as the next – and only – Deputy Prime Minister is a “clear signal” by the ruling PAP that he is set to become Singapore’s next prime minister.

Gillian Koh from IPS commented that the latest appointment means “it’s patently clear that (Mr Heng) is on track to becoming our next Prime Minister”.

“With the appointment of just one Deputy Prime Minister, what is being signalled is that there is a clear pecking order, and there should be no confusion, there should be no sort of questions raised as to whether the previous group of contenders for the premiership post will be given more duties, more responsibilities, such that they are still in the running for the position,” Dr Koh said.

It was only last November that Heng was appointed the PAP’s first assistant secretary-general and emerged the frontrunner to succeed PM Lee.

Heng supports having 10 million population in Singapore

Last month (29 Mar), at a ministerial dialogue at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Heng told the students that Singaporeans need to be open to foreigners.

He said that it would be very negative for Singaporeans to draw an exclusive circle for themselves as Singapore would then have no place in the world. “We don’t want a world where people build walls around themselves,” he said. “Our pledge – regardless of race, language or religion – is not to be taken lightly… but really as a way of life for Singapore.”

“Beyond that, we ought to deepen our understanding of other people… whether they are new immigrants, our immediate neighbors, students from NTU, National University of Singapore or other universities,” he said.

On the projected population of 6.9 million by 2030, set out in the Government’s 2013 Population White Paper, Heng openly said that Singapore’s population density is not excessive, noting that other cities are even more crowded and dense.

He went on to cite former chief planner Liu Thai Ker, who said in 2014 that Singapore should plan for 10 million people for it to remain sustainable in the long term.

Heng supports increasing GST from 7 to 9%

Heng also supports increasing the GST from the current 7 to 9%.

During the budget debate in Parliament last year (Feb 2018), he told everyone that GST is set to increase from the current 7 per cent to 9 per cent some time between 2021 and 2025.

The exact timing will depend on three factors: the state of Singapore’s economy, how much the country’s expenditures grow, and how buoyant Singapore’s existing taxes are. But Heng said he expected that the Government would need to do so earlier rather than later.

Heng said that the GST increase is “necessary because even after exploring various options to manage our future expenditures through prudent spending, saving and borrowing for infrastructure, there is still a gap”.

He said the 2 percentage point increase will provide the Government with revenue of almost 0.7 per cent of Singapore’s gross domestic product per year.

It looks like even before Heng becomes the PM, Singaporeans are already in for a rough ride with him.

With the little Singapore island having a 10 million population flooded with countless foreigners living and working here, more Singaporeans will have a hard time competing with the cheaper foreigners for work. And to add to their headaches, they will have to pay a 9% GST on top of their expenses.

No wonder even patients are forced to commit suicide inside public hospitals these days. It’s not known if Heng knows or cares about the incident.

 

Subscribe
Notify of
14 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

扫描器零件过热所致 中央医院火警70人疏散

中央医院一电器部件引起火警,70人包括病患和工作人员都被紧急疏散。 院方表示医院内第二座大楼地下层一楼的烟雾探测器于昨日下午1时50分被启动。 新加坡民防部队向《亚洲新闻台》指出,医院建筑内的一个电器部件引起小火患,该部件也在火灾中,于消防员抵达之前烧毁。 民防部队指出,“由于仍然传出浓烟,我们基于安全预防,紧急疏散了约70人。没有接获任何伤亡报告,火灾肇因仍在调查”。 中央医院首席运营官陈杰添(Tan Jack Thiam,译音)指出,疏散行动主要是出于极度谨慎的安全考量。 他指出,任何时候都要确保没有人处于危险当中,并表示在警铃响起后数分钟,院方紧急小组就赶到案发现场了。 他说,初步调查发现扫描仪器内的电器部件,因为过热而开始冒烟。而在现场的人们即刻关上扫描仪器。 火灾后,院方展开场地清理工作,让人们返回现场,并为需要进行扫描的病患安排其他的扫描仪器。 陈杰添指出,有关的火灾对院方服务影响甚微,并且为少数患者安排重新扫描程序。 “我们为这次意外所导致的不便深感抱歉。”

韩法院判因良心拒服兵役者 以民事替代役报国

昨日(14日),国际特赦组织(Amnesty International)在官网发布一则消息:韩国宪法法院于6月下达的一个判决,有望终结该国监禁出于良心拒服兵役者的政策。 南韩《兵役法》规定,身体健全男性在28岁前都要服兵役,否则将被判最高三年监禁。不过当地法院裁定,虽然拒服兵役违宪,但政府应让这些“良心犯”用其他方式服务国家。 这意味着,韩国立法机构特别是国防部,必须在2019年底前修法,让出狱良心拒服兵役者,可参与其他民事性质的替代役。 韩国法院的判决相信能成为先例,成为其他仍实行强制兵役的国家包括新加坡的借镜,提供另一折衷方式,即确保国民履行对国家义务,同时也尊重那些基于信仰或拒绝武装信念者的人权立场。 “多年来,国际特赦组织支持者和其他公民社会组织一直开展倡导运动,呼吁韩国停止将出于良心拒服兵役者定罪。” 国际公约认可 出于良心拒服兵役的权利,受到《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》第十八条保障。该条文保障思想、良心和宗教或信仰自由的权利。这一权利包括信奉或皈依自主选 择的宗教或信仰的自由,以及单独或集体、公开或非公开地通过敬拜、遵奉、实 践和教导表明其宗教或信仰的自由。 尽管《公约》没有明确提到出于良心拒服兵役的权利,但人权事务委员会在 1993…

Never-ending need for donations

~by: Leong Sze Hian~ I refer to the article “Donations to CDCs up…

是鼠是牛傻傻分不清? 商场是这么解释的

农历新年将近,本地各大商场也忙着布置新年摆设。不过,牛车水一家商场的牛年吉祥物,却被民众揶揄,左看右看都不像牛,反而酷似老鼠! 据《新明日报》报道,有民众反映,牛车水的唐城坊内布置了牛年吉祥物摆设。尽管长了对牛角,但是样子不像牛,反而更像老鼠。让人一时间难以辨认。 鼠年摆设回收利用? 有网友就打趣笑道,这可能是去年鼠年的吉祥物,商场巧妙再循环利用,再重新布置装了对牛角,就是一头牛了! 有者则猜测,这可能不是牛也不是老鼠,比较像是水獭。 如果你也猜这是水獭造型,那你确实猜对了!本社接获来自唐城坊的回应,坦言牛年吉祥物,确实是水獭扮演。 该商场解释,选择使用水獭造型,是因为水獭普遍受到民众的喜爱,因此商场内也布置卡通水獭造型塑像。 商场续指,他们也委托了本地艺术家参与设计,以响应他们的回收利用的活动。而为了配合牛年的主题,他们也增加了相关元素,如牛角和帽子。 商场也表示,在活动期间,民众也可以从中获得有关水獭的赠品。 也有网友Canteen Lim调侃,明年兴许稍加改造,水獭会不会变成一只老虎? 然而,也有网友认为,或许是因为受到疫情影响,商场没太多预算在新年摆设上,因此通过回收利用也是不错的选择。