The core of Red Dot United’s (RDU) charter is steering the country and Singaporeans away from the direction of a “one-party dominance” to a “multi-party democracy”.
RDU stated in its charter that when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called Singapore a “Sampan 2.0”, the party found it “troubling”.
“A sampan is only a one-man operated vehicle. And even with the steadiest of hands, it can only take its passengers that far,” it continued.
Citing the many waves ahead of Singapore and the multiple “twists and turns, we must come together and work hand-in-hand to chart the way forward; we cannot rely only on one person, or just one party,” it declared.
“We are sailing through uncharted and troubled waters towards an uncertain future. From Covid-19 to disruption of traditional jobs, only nations with strong institutions, adaptable economies and resilient people (will) survive them,” the charter read.
To achieve this, RDU will seek to “ensure that all processes are transparent and all responsibilities are fulfilled”. The party assures residents of Jurong group representation constituency that they will “consistently hold all policies and elected officials accountable to the principles and values of our Singapore pledge”.
RDU lists these values as “Fairness, Accountability, Integrity and Transparency”, as well as the call for alignment towards a future of “Happiness, Hope and Heart”.
The party’s mandate is to “speak up to enable Singaporeans to be the Captains of their own Lives, while caring for those in need of assistance,” if they are elected into parliament.
RDU plans to enable Singaporeans to become captains of their own lives through three broad brush strokes:
- Pursuit of policy changes that will improve lives and reduce anxiety and stress
- Advocate more options and flexibility for Singaporeans through government accountability
- Champion policies that will make Singapore future-ready
- PURSUIT OF POLICY CHANGES THAT WILL IMPROVE LIVES AND REDUCE ANXIETY AND STRESS
RDU has singled out the sectors that they will tackle to further the betterment of lives.
JOBS
Under this, the main focus is “Singaporeans first” in the prioritisation and providence of jobs. An evaluation of policies such as the “Fair Consideration Framework”, “Employment pass system” and “Professional Conversion Program” should be carried out to ascertain their effectiveness and explore the opportunities for expansion.
HOUSING
RDU campaigns for programmes and changes to current national policies that would ease the concerns and burdens of various demographics of Singaporeans – including singles, flat owners, and those looking to purchase a flat.
HEALTHCARE
One of the main goals the party has for healthcare is to lower the costs Singaporeans have to bear, and to make it more affordable for the needy. The charter also calls for increased transparency and more rigorous policing of the healthcare system and processes.
COST OF LIVING AND ARTS & CULTURE
To help Singaporeans lower the cost of living, the party wants to increase wages, reduce the dependency on globalisation, evaluate wage distribution schemes, and lower Goods & Services Tax and other fees. For the arts and culture community, they seek to foster the development of the sector and its employees.
- ADVOCATE MORE OPTIONS AND FLEXIBILITY FOR SINGAPOREANS THROUGH GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
The focus on governance and national reserves, central provident fund, education and civil liberties are the avenues through which RDU strives to provide more options and flexibility for Singaporeans.
GOVERNANCE & NATIONAL RESERVES; CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND
More rigorous reviews should be made on public spending on national projects and government-level legislations and policies, such as the Presidential Elections Act and Key Performance Indexes of public organisations. These would be one of the most effective ways of conducting better checks and balances on the government.
For Central Provident Fund policies, RDU proposes more varied and flexible withdrawal schemes to cater to the needs of different demographics – such as the elderly and retired, or those who are unemployed.
EDUCATION
On the matters of education, one of the most important areas of Singaporeans’ lives, RDU mostly wants to pursue ways that will provide specific and flexible development in an individual, as well as minority demographics. It also wants a more diverse curriculum to be integrated, where other essential skills, such as computational and soft skills, will be taught.
CIVIL LIBERTIES
Freedoms, such as free speech and information, and civil rights for Singaporeans must be given back to the people. These acts the party had cited included the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, Internal Security Act, and Public Order act.
- CHAMPION POLICIES THAT WILL MAKE SINGAPORE FUTURE-READY
In order to equip a future-ready Singapore, the party feels the need to support local businesses, increase total fertility rate, and tackle climate change.
SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES
Policies and reforms that can better equip and boost the development of local businesses are central to the party’s plans. Proposals such as “using the Sovereign-Wealth Fund (SWF) to acquire companies (and) reserving jobs for Singaporeans”, and increasing “pathways for SMEs to partner GLCs/MNCs to venture overseas” are some actions RDU will take should they enter parliament.
INCREASING TOTAL FERTILITY RATE
To help working and young parents with their families, RDU wants to look into ways in both the workplaces and at homes to provide better support. This encompasses eligibility of flats, and subsidies for infant care and childcare.
CLIMATE CHANGE
To tackle the prevalent issues of climate change, plans stated in the charter include switching to alternative sources, such as clean and renewable energy, aim to reduce waste and deforestation, and education.
