Give the PAP a wake-up call: WP’s Sylvia Lim

Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim has called on voters to give the ruling People's Action Party a "wake up call" in this General Elections.

Referring to the aftermath of the 1991 GE, when the PAP was "stunned" after losing four seats in Parliament, she said, "What happened after 1991... showed that the PAP takes election results very seriously. Poor election results... improve your life."

Speaking before an estimated 12,000 people at a rally in Moulmein-Kallang GRC rally on Monday night, she added, "If you vote for the opposition, the PAP will wake up and take concrete steps to address your concerns."

Besides the four seats lost in 1991, the PAP's overall share majority dropped to 61 per cent -- its worst electoral showing since independence.

The results led to the PAP to form a cost review committee to study concerns about the rising cost of living, Lim added.

Lim, who is part of WP's A team that is contesting the hotseat of Aljunied GRC, went on to say, "If you vote for the PAP and give them a high mandate, the PAP will take you for granted and ignore your concerns."

At the same rally, WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang also called for a change in the Constitution so that all male election candidates would have to serve National Service first before being eligible for election.

Without naming any names, Low said the PAP should not field a candidate "who just became a new citizen without serving National Service."

It's been reported that PAP new face Janil Puthucheary, 38, only became a citizen in 2008 and has not gone through NS.

Low said even his party's star candidate, Taiwan-born Chen Show Mao, had served NS before taking up citizenship in 1986.

He said, "This is only fair to us. We have all done national service, including myself, including Chen Show Mao!" to loud cheers and applause from the crowd.

Low also picked up on his argument that the PAP government was abusing its power by employing public organisations such as HDB residents' committees (RCs) and the People's Association to assist them in their election activities.

He shared an example of an Aljunied resident who told him that his RC chairperson had contacted him to inform him of the details of a PAP rally to be held that evening. He asked the crowd, "Why is the RC promoting the PAP rally?" to shouts of "Keylong!" from the audience.

Low also shared that he had posed a question about the opposition's inability to build branch offices in parliament, asking why he had to sit at an HDB void deck to conduct Meet the People Sessions for the past 20 years.

Chen, who also took to the stage to a standing ovation, questioned the discrepancy between the growth in Singapore's economy over the past year (14.5 percent) and the rise in median income (3 percent), asking why average income was only half of GDP per capita, and where the other half had gone.

Chen also struck out at the rising retirement age, citing Minister in the Prime Minister's office Lim Boon Heng's comment that it may rise to 68 soon.

Saying "man cannot live by GDP alone", the top corporate lawyer pointed out that while inflation for the year is nearing 5%, interest rates in CPF accounts remains at 2.5%, asking the crowd if it was a rate that provided good returns that were sufficient for retiring at age 62.

Touching on the issue of foreign talent in Singapore, he said, "It's tough for the rest of us," he said. "The goal post keeps getting moved back, and we have to keep dribbling past young foreign players trying to take the ball away."

Referring to Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang's earlier comment that keeping foreigners to one-third of the population is "a severe limitation", Mao asked the crowd: "Did he ask you if one-third is the right number? Why not one-quarter? One fifth?"

To the crowd's loud bellows of "NO!", he said: "Perhaps we should send someone to parliament to ask him."

Related General Election articles:

Opposition will form 'rojak' government: Lim Swee Say

WP's Pritam Singh: George Yeo for President

Minister George Yeo to WP: Show us your plans

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