A true safeguard is having institutions that do not favour any political party: WP

A COMPLETE dominance of Parliament by one party could allow a tiny number of people to control everything, the Workers' Party's (WP) chief Pritam Singh said in a televised broadcast on Thursday night.

Having WP MPs in Parliament will hence help to safeguard Singapore and protect the country against such a scenario, the party's secretary-general said in the 4.5-minute party political broadcast aired on Channel 5.

"Our long-term dream is for Singapore to have a healthy democracy, where there are two or three parties which could form a competent and honest government. We have seen from the experiences of other countries that power can fall into the wrong hands," Mr Singh said.

"The PAP is not immune to such a risk. PAP self-checking can fail. If the wrong people show their true colours only after reaching our highest offices, Singapore is finished."

In addition, a true safeguard for Singapore is having strong political, economic, civic and community institutions that do not favour any political party, he added.

Mr Singh said it is almost a certainty that the People's Action Party wil form the next government after the July 10 General Election. He noted that the PAP took 81 out of 87 seats in 2011, when Singaporeans were openly unhappy, even though it only won 60 per cent of the vote.

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And despite what the PAP may say, he added, it does not need all elected seats to have the mandate to govern.

"If you live where the Workers' Party is contesting, the PAP does not need your vote to form the government. But we need your votes," Mr Singh said.

He noted that WP, which is contesting fewer than a quarter of the 93 seats, cannot form the next government. Instead, a vote for WP is a vote for a contrast of voices and the questioning of the PAP when needed.

"We will raise issues that PAP MPs cannot or will not raise," he said. "Not a single PAP MP filed a parliamentary question on the corruption disclosures at Keppel Offshore and Marine. Only Workers' Party MPs did."

In addition, a vote for WP would be a vote to encourage new blood to contest in future elections, Mr Singh said.

"Your vote for the Workers' Party will prompt other sincere and capable people to  come forward in future elections to contest for the WP. These new and diverse voices need your encouragement," he added.

The party is presenting the best candidates it can find for the upcoming election, he said, adding that these candidates could have pursued a much easier path by joining PAP or by simply staying out of politics.

"But they have taken this far more challenging path because they love our country," Mr Singh said.

Only political parties that field at least six candidates under a recogised party symbol are eligible for airtime on free-to-air radio and television.

The next party political broadcast will air on July 9 at 8pm.