Covid-19 proposals include independent inquiry and medical board: WP

Singapore

THE Workers' Party (WP) said it has put forth seven proposals to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, in response to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's online Fullerton rally at noon on Monday.

Mr Lee had said: "At this moment of danger and alarm, the opposition parties are talking as if we can just keep to our old ways and the crisis did not exist. They showed no recognition that we're facing the crisis of a generation. They've been completely silent on how to tackle Covid-19 both during the last six months and in this election campaign."

In a Facebook post on Monday, WP listed seven proposals that are also on its manifesto.

Among them, WP is calling for vaccinations to be given to all residents and the setting up of more domestic production capabilities for critical items to ensure Singapore has an adequate supply that is not subject to external disruption.

The party also suggested convening an independent commission of inquiry to examine the lessons learned from the crisis and to institutionalise changes to the current pandemic preparedness strategy, plan and protocols. It added that a redundancy insurance can be created to strengthen the social safety net for retrenched workers. It also called for the setting up of an independent medical advisory board and expansion of the country's testing regime.

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In an interview with The Straits Times, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chief Tan Cheng Bock disagreed with Mr Lee's criticism that the opposition has been silent on the pandemic. The party's secretary-general instead charged that the ruling People's Action Party had taken its eye off the Covid-19 situation in the midst of campaigning.

During an online rally on Monday night, Dr Tan said the PAP has just been "treating the symptoms" instead of managing the disease.

"The symptoms are by way of giving you monetary support here and there, which is, I fear, the wrong angle. And the reason why they call this election I think is because they have taken their eye again off the control of this Covid-19," he said.

Dr Tan said the general election should not have been called during a pandemic in the first place, and it is "regrettable" that parties have been pushed to contest for the July 10 GE.

"From the beginning, I always say, please don't take your eye off this pandemic. Don't treat it too lightly, don't let politics come into the way, the lives are more important," he said.

In the party's manifesto, PSP said it wants to build a stronger safety net to help Singaporeans through the Covid-19 crisis and has proposed improving financial assistance for those affected by the pandemic.

READ MORE: Good government needed to fight Covid-19, support economy: PM Lee