GE2025: WP candidates represent all Singaporeans, not just their communities: Pritam Singh
At WP’s Saturday rally, candidates made commitments to multiracialism, and criticised the PAP’s lack of policy proposals
[SINGAPORE] Voters should judge the Workers’ Party (WP) on its manifesto, proposals and what it does in Parliament for all Singaporeans, not just for specific communities, secretary-general Pritam Singh told reporters on Saturday (Apr 26) morning.
Replying to questions on the raising of Malay-Muslim issues in the general election, he warned that community-based politics would lead to an “unnecessary politicisation of the public space”.
This came after Malaysia-based Islamic preacher Noor Deros, a Singaporean, claimed in Facebook posts that WP’s Malay-Muslim candidates had agreed to take up his concerns regarding the community.
Separately, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Elections Department said on Friday night that they had “identified a number of foreigners attempting to influence this GE”, including a Malaysian politician who expressed support for a candidate for raising Malay-Muslim issues in Parliament.
At a walkabout in Aljunied GRC, Singh reiterated WP’s statement earlier that morning that the party did not make any promises or commitments to any individual, including Noor, in exchange for political support.
“We don’t work politics like that in Singapore,” he said. “We don’t work politics like that in the Workers’ Party.”
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He added: “I cannot control endorsements from any Singaporean for the Workers’ Party, but if he thinks that endorsement means we will carry his views and we share his sentiments, he’s sadly mistaken.”
Asked if voters might be concerned about racial and religious lines being played up, given that Punggol GRC candidate Alia Mattar raised the issue of Palestine in Thursday’s rally, Singh said he is unsurprised that detractors might cast aspersions on what WP has advanced in its manifesto.
He noted that WP has a position on Palestine in favour of a two-state solution, adding: “Our approach is more of a humanitarian concern.
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“Many Singaporeans, regardless of race and religion, are very sensitive to that issue.”
In WP’s Tampines GRC rally on Saturday night, Singh reiterated that the manifesto’s policies appeal to all Singaporeans “regardless of race, language or religion”.
“Our proposals appeal to our common humanity as one Singapore and our unity as one people”, said Singh, the last speaker at the rally at Temasek Junior College.
The WP categorically rejects the involvement of any foreign entity in Singapore’s politics, he said.
“Singapore is our business, nobody else’s. And if I can put on my party hat: To any foreign element, the Workers’ Party does not need your support. We only need the support of our people, our fellow Singaporeans.”
In a press conference hours before, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had urged all party leaders to make it clear that mixing religion and politics is unacceptable.
Tampines decision
As for the decision to field Faisal Manap – an MP for Aljunied GRC since 2011 – in Tampines GRC against a team led by Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli, Singh said at the morning’s doorstop that WP’s Malay-Muslim candidates do not represent just their community.
“Every candidate has to represent all Singaporeans equally and fairly.” Beyond that, strategic decisions – “where we want to put our team which has the highest chance of success” – are the party’s prerogative, he added.
“And if the allusion is that we have put Faisal there, and that’s something wrong that we’ve done, I don’t accept that.”
At Saturday’s rally, Faisal said that if elected, he will serve Tampines GRC residents equally, regardless of race, language or religion, even though he is a minority candidate.
“Similar to how I serve my multi-racial and multi-religious communities in my former Kaki Bukit ward (in Aljunied GRC),” he said. “This is my commitment and my oath, (which is) witnessed by all of you and God.”
Criticising PAP’s lack of policy proposals
At Saturday’s rally, several WP candidates also spoke about policy proposals they would advance, if elected.
Singh criticised the PAP’s lack of ideas to address housing affordability, with higher taxpayer subsidies being the only solution given in the ruling party’s manifesto.
He noted no mention of the “lease decay” problem with older public housing flats, nor updates on the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme – announced in the 2018 National Day Rally by former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong as the solution, with ageing properties to be redeveloped before their leases expire.
“When the WP asks for details in Parliament, the PAP says it’s many years away,” said Singh. “But Singaporeans, especially those who purchase resale flats, need those details now so they can plan for the future and their retirement in their golden years.”
Party chair Sylvia Lim focused on the needs of seniors, saying the PAP manifesto made little mention of how to help caregivers.
“In the PAP manifesto, there is one sentence about caregivers. It reads, ‘Strengthen support for caregivers, the unsung heroes in our families.’ There are no details stated about how this will be done,” said Lim.
The WP recommends family care leave for caregivers of elderly parents, with the costs shared between employers and the government.
Other policy proposals for seniors include abolishing the statutory retirement age, as well as allowing those above 60 years old to use Medisave funds for all medical expenses not already covered by other schemes, such as Medicare or Medifund.
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