WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang (L) and chairman Sylvia Lim at a rally in Kallang. (Photo by OOI BOON KEONG - TODAY)
SINGAPORE: Voting Opposition members into Parliament has its benefits, said Workers’ Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim, citing the 1991 General Election (GE) as an example.
That year, she noted, the Opposition took four constituencies — Potong Pasir, Nee Soon Central, Bukit Gombak and Hougang — while the PAP received only 61 per cent of the valid votes.
" (The PAP) later assessed that Singaporeans were very concerned about the cost of living," Ms Lim told a WP rally in Kallang on Monday night.
" A few months later, then—Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong agreed to form a cost review committee to examine why the people felt the cost of living was too high."
The committee, she said, looked into the four main areas of concern: Healthcare costs, the price of new Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, as well as the costs of education and transport.
The committee found that the change in the HDB’s pricing policy had made new flats more expensive and reminded the HDB to focus on affordable housing for the lower— and middle—income groups, Ms Lim said.
That review only happened, she added, because of the " wake—up call" from the 1991 GE.
" What happened after the 1991 election shows that the PAP takes election results very seriously," said Ms Lim, one of the WP candidates for the " hot seat" of Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
" It’s time to use your vote to get the PAP Government to take action and control the cost of living — just like what happened in 1991."
At the rally, Mr Gerald Giam, the WP candidate for East Coast GRC, asked whether Medisave and MediShield could cover huge hospitalisation bills.
He suggested that a universal basic hospitalisation insurance scheme be introduced instead.
" Our scheme would provide coverage for hospital care in B2 wards," he said, adding that the premiums could be paid from Medisave.
Mr Giam also suggested that private clinics near a patient’s home, and not just polyclinics, be allowed to give referrals to government hospital specialists — while still allowing the patient " to pay ... subsidised rates at the government hospitals" .
WP chief Low Thia Khiang also touched on the issue of housing, after Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had suggested that property prices were low in Hougang because it was an Opposition ward.
Mr Low said he went to the HDB website and " found the resale transaction price for a five—room flat in Hougang is S$560,000" .
" In Pasir Ris ... it’s only S$490,000," he added. " MM Lee should ask (National Development Minister) Mah Bow Tan why is the resale price of five—room flats in Hougang, an Opposition ward, higher and more valuable than those in a PAP ward?"
Mr Low also echoed Ms Lim’s statement that a strong Opposition in Parliament is ultimately good for Singaporeans " so that it (the Government) will respect the wishes of the people, make and implement policies carefully" . —
TODAY
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