Gov’t has created two Singapores: NSP’s Tony Tan
The government's policies has led to a growing rift in Singapore's society, says National Solidarity Party (NSP) candidate for Choa Chu Kang GRC Tony Tan.
Singapore's leaders and its wealthy and talented, high-income earners who live in the first, "exclusive" Singapore are increasingly drifting away from "the other" Singapore, made up of middle- to low-income earners who Tan says struggle with rising costs of living and little savings.
Speaking after the NSP rally at Chua Chu Kang stadium on Tuesday night, Tan told Yahoo! Singapore that he was concerned for Singapore, as the division he observes is not good for the country.
"I see big storm clouds ahead, challenges that are not going to go away," he said. "Singaporeans need to follow, accept and work together with their leaders in order for the country to succeed."
He believes a combination of the incumbent government's million-dollar paycheques and the setting of performance indicators to Gross Development Product (GDP) growth, which is pegged to ministerial bonuses, are two key things hindering the progression of a "united Singapore".
"There is a disconnect between the leaders who are drawing millions of dollars in pay, and ordinary Singaporeans who don't understand the justification for their salaries," said the ex-government scholar.
The solution to this problem? Get us involved, said Tan, whose NSP team will be going up against a PAP team led by Gan Kim Yong in the GRC.
"What are the PAP's constraints for the country? What issues are they facing in policy implementation?" he asked, explaining also that Singapore is now split into two because it suffers a lack of a vision that excites all Singaporeans.
Comparing this to a newly-independent Singapore in 1965, Tan said that back then, the vision of "making it, despite being small" was common to all Singaporeans, at every level.
"The leadership sees GDP growth as the answer, ordinary Singaporeans do not. We have to tell them that," he said during his fiery rally speech.
What helps, however, says Tan, is that the idea of Singaporeans joining the opposition is becoming increasingly normalised, showing interest in having a larger stake in the country and how it is run.
"I see myself as having two roles: that of a window cleaner-- to increase the clarity of policies made in government--and a door opener--to let more people participate in our country's affairs," he said.
Graduating university student and Choa Chu Kang resident Owen Lim, 24, agrees with Tan's claims of two separate societies emerging in Singapore.
"It's a reality," he says. "When I worked part-time in different companies while studying, I encountered people from each of these Singapores."
"The government continues to look at things from the top-down view, and doesn't experience our plight," he added.
Ultimately, however, he remains unsure if the NSP team will be able to deliver on the promises tabled in their rally speeches -- these include having Meet the People sessions four times a week, defending residents' interests and asking tough questions in parliament.
"While I do want to vote for change, I am not that confident in their ability to change as yet," he said.
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This article is published by Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd., 60 Anson Road #13-01 Mapletree Anson, Singapore, 079914.
