SDP launches GE campaign: We hope the PAP will debate us
The SDP will focus on our alternative policies at the next GE and called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to have a national debate on issues that Singaporeans are concerned about.
Party chief Chee Soon Juan emphasised that it was important to raise the standard of politics in Singapore by focusing on policy debate.
“We should move away from the name-calling and character assassination,” Dr Chee said, “Singaporeans are mature and intelligent enough to see what good and bad policies are.”
He asked what good would it do Singaporeans if the PAP was only interested in hurling insults at the opposition and not address policies which affect the people's lives.
The SDP also announced our campaign slogan: “Your Voice in Parliament”. Professor Paul Tambyah was on hand to do the honours. He added that “if people like our policies, they should support our campaign to be their voice in Parliament.”
Professor Tambyah called on Singaporeans to deny PAP the two-thirds majority at the next polls as this would prevent the party from changing the Constitution at will.
Dr James Gomez, a candidate with the Sembawang team in 2011, highlighted the policies that the SDP had drawn up over the last few years.
One of these was the SDP's proposal that ministerial salaries be pegged to the bottom 20 percent of wage-earners.
“Under our formula, the prime minister would earn about $50,000 and the ministers about $40,000,” Dr Gomez pointed.
We peg the salary levels to the lower percentiles to ensure that the poor are not left behind.
SDP Vice-Chairman John Tan listed out a series of monthly activities for the party's 2015 campaign. These will include the launching of the party's Town Council Management Manifesto where we will spell out how our MPs will efficiently take over and manage the town council should we win our contests.
The party will also be publishing a book on Dr Chee Soon Juan written by friends and associates. This will be done in March 2015. The objective is to present the other side of Dr Chee, someone whom the PAP and state media have demonised over the years.
The event also presented the SDP's coming ground campaign. Mr Bryan Lim, Head of the Ground Operations Unit, said the party will double up its efforts and visit the households in the various estates a second round. He called on supporters to volunteer as the party needs the manpower to further reach out to residents.
The event, attended by a capacity crowd of 200 people, saw many youths as well as older Singaporeans coming forward to sign up as volunteers.
The youth bring hope and energy to the campaign, and our silver generation bring wisdom – a great combination as the party goes full steam ahead.
During question time, the media wanted to know which constituencies the SDP will contest in the next GE. The answer: Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Sembawang GRC, Bukit Panjang SMC and Yuhua SMC – areas which we contested in 2011. We are also looking to contest in other wards depending on how the boundaries are redrawn.
Dr Chee called on supporters to sign up as volunteers. "If we seize the moment, years from now, we will look back and say with pride that when our country called us, we stepped up and made a difference."
More event photos at SDP's facebook
photo album.
