Rising cost of living the hottest issue for voters
By Fann Sim
The rising cost of living is the biggest worry for most Singaporeans in the run-up to the General Election (GE).
That was one of the findings of a recent telephone survey conducted by Media Research Consultants and commissioned by local newspaper TODAY on the hot button issues that may shape the GE, which is due by February 2012 but is expected to be held soon.
The survey of 618 voters focused on those dwelling in HDB flats and did not cover those living in private properties.
The worry over rising costs in Singapore was expressed by all income groups, though some groups worried about the issue more than others. According to the paper, 83.5 percent of voters are concerned that hawker food, meals in food courts and basic necessities have become much more expensive.
Nearly half of the respondents agreed that the issue of rising costs would be one of the deciding factors that would influence their vote at the polls.
Among the different profiles of respondents, only 40 percent of those without income or with a personal income of $2,000 responded that the rising cost of living would affect how they voted. For this group of people, public assistance is available to help them cope with the higher cost of living.
On the other hand, the "sandwiched" class comprising families who do not qualify for public assistance may be the group whose vote may be most affected by the higher cost of living.
In the survey, 60 percent of the middle-income group or voters earning between $2,001 and $6,000 said that the rising cost of living would be one of the factors affecting how they cast their vote.
When asked if the steps taken to curb the problem of rising costs were sufficient, 54 percent of voters felt that the steps were inadequate. The issue of the rising cost of living had been discussed extensively during the recent Budget debate.
The 2011 Budget statement announced a "Grow and Share" package to help ease the stress of inflation on Singaporean families.
40-year-old accounts officer Tham Wai Fong said, "I'm very affected by the rising cost of living. Our salaries are never increasing, but the prices of necessities are. The bounty given by the government some time back was very unhelpful. The money goes into our CPF and that wouldn't help us until we are 62. How is that helping me solve my problem now?"
Tham said that this issue would influence her vote.
In January, Singapore's inflation rose to hit a two-year high at 5.5 percent.
Other issues that are big concerns for Singaporeans are the housing problem and the influx of foreigners with 41.6 percent of respondents saying that the housing issue would influence who they vote for at the elections.
Almost half of the survey respondents felt that steps taken by the government to help Singaporeans buy an HDB flat have been adequate. Concerns over affordability of HDB flats went up from 58.9 per cent to 68.5 percent for those under 40.
On the issue of the influx of foreigners in Singapore, Malays appeared to be the most worried about the influx of foreigners. Three in 10 Chinese voters said that the issue of foreigners would affect their vote compared to 48.8 percent of Malay voters.
Three in 10 Singaporeans felt that the influx of foreigners has led to a feeling that they are second-class citizens.
Surprisingly, 76.4 percent of Singaporeans are most concerned about the greater congestion in our public transport caused by the influx of foreigners. The second most pressing foreigners-related issue is the longer waiting times at government hospitals and polyclinics.
In third place is the issue of increased competition for jobs and promotions in the workplace with 67.2 percent of Singaporeans expressing concern over it.
One in three Singaporeans said the issue of foreigners would influence their vote in the coming GE.
