Browsing Tag
President’s Speech 2023
19 posts
Leon Perera: Addressing political discourse, economic pessimism, promoting social mobility, and inspiring global change
Workers’ Party Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC, Leon Perera, emphasized the importance of active democratic participation and social mobility in Singapore during a parliamentary debate over President Halimah Yacob’s address.
Mr Perera argued for increased consultation and engagement with civil society and stakeholders, focusing on poverty alleviation and inclusivity as core principles of regional economic projects. He also suggested reforms such as implementing a national minimum wage and establishing a redundancy insurance scheme to tackle poverty and social inequality.
MP Sylvia Lim calls for combating ageism and building a Singapore for all ages
Workers’ Party MP for Aljunied GRC, Ms Sylvia Lim delivered a speech on combating ageism during the parliamentary debate over President Halimah Yacob’s address.
She emphasized the importance of giving greater confidence to seniors and the young and highlighted various instances of ageism.
Ms Lim called for laws, policies, public education, and increased intergenerational contacts to combat ageism.
Netizens challenged DPM Wong to grant alternative parties access to data to present a “serious alternative agenda”
During a recent parliamentary debate in Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called on opposition party MPs to present a “serious alternative agenda” rather than opportunistic or populist ideas.
Mr Wong expressed dissatisfaction with the Workers’ Party’s lack of support for the entire goods and services tax (GST) and the latest increase from 7% to 9%, citing a huge funding gap that none of the alternatives suggested by the WP could make up for.
However, Singaporean netizens have challenged DPM Wong and the PAP government to allow alternative parties access to relevant data and statistics, believing that they can propose better solutions for the country. Some netizens expressed skepticism about the PAP’s willingness to consider concrete alternatives proposed by alternative parties’ MPs.
There were also comments reminding others that the PAP government has a track record of adopting alternative parties’ ideas, particularly those proposed by the WP.
False priorities and false courage will lead us nowhere
The opinion piece by Augustine Low questions the government’s priorities and their ability to bring about meaningful change in Singapore. Low highlights the case of Parti Liyani, Liew Mun Leong, and Karl Liew as a reflection of the deep-seated stratification in Singaporean society.
While the government has been talking about combating stratification, improving social safety nets, and shaping a new social compact for years, Low argues that little has been done to address these issues.
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong calls for refresh of Singapore’s meritocracy
In a speech delivered in Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called for a shift in mindset about schools and grades, stating that Singapore’s concept of meritocracy remains too narrow. He also outlined plans to relook at social support and care for the growing number of seniors in a sustainable way.
Dark side of Singapore’s obsession with economic growth at the expense of its citizens
The opinion piece talks about Singapore’s heavy reliance on foreign workers comes at a cost of high cost of living, and stagnating wages for many Singaporeans, despite the government’s emphasis on economic growth.
Six out of eight occupational categories in Singapore have hardly seen any real increase in pay over the last 21 years. More innovative and sustainable approaches should be taken towards economic development that prioritize education, training, entrepreneurship, and social welfare.
Gerald Giam calls for education system reform and improved financial literacy in Singapore
Mr Gerald Giam, a Workers’ Party Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC, expressed concerns about the negative effects of exams on students and how they can motivate students to aim for test mastery, instead of subject mastery.
He argued that the current education system needs to be less of a sorting mechanism and more of a launchpad for students to discover their strengths and interests and develop deep skills in their areas of interest.
He also highlighted the need to improve financial literacy among Singaporeans, proposing three suggestions to systematically uplift the financial literacy of Singaporeans.
Jamus Lim advocates for official poverty line and reforms to ComCare system and Workfare Income Supplement
Associate Professor Jamus Lim addressed the issue of poverty in Singapore in his parliamentary speech and called for the establishment of an official poverty line.
He noted that the lack of an official poverty line made it difficult to identify and target those in need of assistance, and the current thresholds used by various agencies were confusing and inconsistent.
He also highlighted flaws in the current ComCare system and Workfare Income Supplement and proposed several changes to make them more effective and compassionate, including obtaining necessary documents from public and semi-public agencies, deploying conditional cash transfers in exchange for desired behavior, and increasing support for low-income earners.
