[SINGAPORE] Jobs, wages and prices are the issues that the vast majority of Singaporeans will be concerned with, especially in the current circumstances, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.
Speaking to reporters at a walkabout at Redhill Market on Sunday (Apr 27), the half-way mark of the nine-day election campaign, he said that candidates should focus on the issues that are closest to the heart of residents.
Among the questions voters will ask when assessing proposals by individuals and the different political parties is how these will be paid for, whether through raising taxes or drawing on the reserves, said Chan, the leader of the People’s Action Party (PAP) five-member team that’s contesting in Tanjong Pagar GRC.
“A second question will be – in these troubled times, are all these proposals going to help us attract more and better investments so that we can create better jobs for fellow Singaporeans?” he asked.
The minister added: “Among all the proposals, is this proposal going to help our companies make more money and therefore.. give our workers better wages?
He said the best way to take care of workers and residents is for them to have good jobs and for income to keep growing.
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“That is the best way to counter any cost-of-living concerns,” he said.
On its part, the government will continue to help where it can by redistributing the fruits of Singapore’s growth, said Chan.
“But we want every worker to have the dignity and confidence and pride that they can get a very good job and salaries will continue to grow.”
Every NTUC secretary-general must go through internal election’
Chan, who was the National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC) secretary-general from 2015 to 2018, also responded to comments made by Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh on Saturday on the labour movement and PAP MPs.
Singh said in his speech: “NTUC is a safe harbour for losing PAP candidates – just ask Ng Chee Meng.”
Ng was part of the PAP’s Sengkang GRC team that lost to the WP in GE2020.
“Ng Chee Meng’s work at the NTUC shows that he and Desmond Choo do not need to be elected to Parliament to look after workers. I ask all voters and Singaporeans (to) keep them focused on their NTUC jobs.”
The labour movement is a “guaranteed trampoline” for losing PAP candidates, said Singh, adding that Ng and (assistant secretary-general) Choo could still lobby the government by virtue of NTUC’s symbiotic relationship with the PAP.
On Sunday, Chan said that every NTUC secretary-general and various labour MPs must go through the NTUC’s internal election. It is not a given that they will be selected or elected into the central committee.
He said: “Who NTUC elects and how strong the support NTUC gives to its secretary-general is not just an internal issue within NTUC. It also determines how effective the secretary-general and the labour MPs can represent them beyond NTUC, and this is very critical.”
“The stronger the support for NTUC Labour MPs and secretary-general, the greater their mandate and confidence to speak on behalf of workers beyond NTUC.”
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