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NSP urges PM Lee, President to call for National Referendum

The National Solidarity Party have written letters to PM Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan, urging them to call for a National Referendum on the population White Paper.

The letters, copies of which were sent to Yahoo! Singapore on Saturday morning, highlighted that there is significant opposition to the amended motion of the White Paper which was adopted by Parliament on Friday by a vote fo 77 to 13, with one abstention.

The letter to PM Lee noted that despite Parliament's adoption, the majority of votes do not "reflect the views of Singaporeans because the PAP Members of Parliament clearly voted along party lines".

"The future of this country is something that all Singaporeans have a stake in. It is only right that they should have a say in it as well. For this reason, we call on the Government to hold a National Referendum on the White Paper," it concluded.

A letter to President Tony Tan also urged the same.

"In announcing your intention to run in the last Presidential Election, you had said, 'I believe that the next President of Singapore may have to make very significant decisions that will affect the security and well‐being of all Singaporeans,'" said the letter.

"One very significant decision you could make with the well-being of the citizens of Singapore in mind would be to ask the Government of Singapore to hold a National Referendum on the White Paper," it concluded.

Both letters were undersigned by Hazel Poa, general-secretary of the opposition NSP.

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