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PAP's goal is a better life for all: PM
By Chua Mui Hoong, Deputy Review Editor
THE policies of the People's Action Party (PAP) aim to create a better life for the broad swathe of Singaporeans, including the middle-income, and it will do more to help Singaporeans secure a better future.
This was the assurance from PAP secretary-general and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as the campaign for General Election 2011 entered its sixth day.
He also promised to 'revisit the income ceiling' for couples buying new Housing Board (HDB) flats. This is now $8,000 a month, which young couples say is too low as those earning just above it can neither get a new HDB flat nor afford private housing.
The review would be done after the impact of the latest round of property cooling measures is studied, he said at a press conference at the PAP headquarters in Bedok.
Amid the 'hurly and burly' of the election, Mr Lee sought to 'refocus' the campaign back on major issues. He identified these as cost of living, the economy and jobs, housing, education and health care. 'We should not lose sight of the longer-term priorities, which is to secure a better future for Singaporeans, which is what the elections should be about.'
Mr Lee identified the middle-income and the sandwich class as one group 'which may feel a little bit left out from the discussion', as much more attention had been focused on ways to help the lower-income.
Actually, most of the PAP's policies benefit the middle-income, he said. 'The PAP's overall policy with this group in fact is to progress as many Singaporeans as possible into the middle class so that we have a fat middle in our society, and to help this broad group to enjoy better lives.
'Many of our programmes which we've put as national programmes in fact are meant to benefit this sandwich group of Singaporeans who feel sandwiched.'
This group had more financial resources than the low-income, but also had high aspirations for themselves and their children. They worried about their children's education, caring for elderly parents, and their own careers and job security.
Mr Lee said he understood their anxieties, and took pains to explain how the PAP's key policies benefited them. For example, changes in education in recent years have brought a range of top universities to set up campuses in Singapore. These include the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and the Yale-National University of Singapore liberal arts college. There are also more options for students keen on the arts and music, and 'very spectacular' Institute of Technical Education.
These opened up opportunities for children with a broad range of talent. Parents also need not suffer the expense and anxiety of sending their children overseas for a tertiary education, with so many options available in Singapore.
Another plank of PAP policy is the emphasis on jobs, and reskilling or upgrading of skills. These helped PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) keep pace with job challenges. Mr Lee said he understood their unease and anxieties as companies moved offshore or restructured their operations and put their jobs and expertise at risk, and said the Government would do what it could to help them adjust.
For example, the labour movement's National Trades Union Congress and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) both have programmes to help this group. The new Step, or Skills Training for Excellence Programme, also aims to help PMETs broaden and deepen their skills.
He urged Singaporeans to look at the PAP's proposals in the major areas. The party had consistently delivered on providing jobs for Singaporeans. On living cost, it had the Grow and Share package. On housing, it had increased the number of new flats to be built and would relook the income ceiling. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan will speak on health care and ageing issues today.
The opposition has launched a non- stop attack on the PAP Government in the first five days of campaigning, especially on housing, high costs, health care and immigration. The National Solidarity Party (NSP) has also said PAP policies made Singaporeans worse off now than five years ago.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday said the PAP was put on the defensive in the first round of the campaign, with everybody throwing punches at it. Round Two was beginning, and the PAP would put the opposition on the defensive by asking parties to show their plans.
Asked if it was now 'gloves off' in the remaining second half of the campaign, Mr Lee said: 'The campaign is going on vigorously. I didn't know that we were wearing gloves in the beginning!'
On a more serious note, he asked Singaporeans to give him and his team 'as strong a mandate as possible' to carry out their proposals to serve Singapore.
He added: 'We don't always get things completely right, and when things turn out unexpectedly or problems arise, I hope Singaporeans will understand this, bear with us while we fix the problems.
'But I think we can fix the problems and we keep going in the right direction, I have no doubt that in five years' time, we'll have a Singapore which is much better than today's.'
[email protected]
By Chua Mui Hoong, Deputy Review Editor
THE policies of the People's Action Party (PAP) aim to create a better life for the broad swathe of Singaporeans, including the middle-income, and it will do more to help Singaporeans secure a better future.
This was the assurance from PAP secretary-general and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as the campaign for General Election 2011 entered its sixth day.
He also promised to 'revisit the income ceiling' for couples buying new Housing Board (HDB) flats. This is now $8,000 a month, which young couples say is too low as those earning just above it can neither get a new HDB flat nor afford private housing.
The review would be done after the impact of the latest round of property cooling measures is studied, he said at a press conference at the PAP headquarters in Bedok.
Amid the 'hurly and burly' of the election, Mr Lee sought to 'refocus' the campaign back on major issues. He identified these as cost of living, the economy and jobs, housing, education and health care. 'We should not lose sight of the longer-term priorities, which is to secure a better future for Singaporeans, which is what the elections should be about.'
Mr Lee identified the middle-income and the sandwich class as one group 'which may feel a little bit left out from the discussion', as much more attention had been focused on ways to help the lower-income.
Actually, most of the PAP's policies benefit the middle-income, he said. 'The PAP's overall policy with this group in fact is to progress as many Singaporeans as possible into the middle class so that we have a fat middle in our society, and to help this broad group to enjoy better lives.
'Many of our programmes which we've put as national programmes in fact are meant to benefit this sandwich group of Singaporeans who feel sandwiched.'
This group had more financial resources than the low-income, but also had high aspirations for themselves and their children. They worried about their children's education, caring for elderly parents, and their own careers and job security.
Mr Lee said he understood their anxieties, and took pains to explain how the PAP's key policies benefited them. For example, changes in education in recent years have brought a range of top universities to set up campuses in Singapore. These include the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and the Yale-National University of Singapore liberal arts college. There are also more options for students keen on the arts and music, and 'very spectacular' Institute of Technical Education.
These opened up opportunities for children with a broad range of talent. Parents also need not suffer the expense and anxiety of sending their children overseas for a tertiary education, with so many options available in Singapore.
Another plank of PAP policy is the emphasis on jobs, and reskilling or upgrading of skills. These helped PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) keep pace with job challenges. Mr Lee said he understood their unease and anxieties as companies moved offshore or restructured their operations and put their jobs and expertise at risk, and said the Government would do what it could to help them adjust.
For example, the labour movement's National Trades Union Congress and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) both have programmes to help this group. The new Step, or Skills Training for Excellence Programme, also aims to help PMETs broaden and deepen their skills.
He urged Singaporeans to look at the PAP's proposals in the major areas. The party had consistently delivered on providing jobs for Singaporeans. On living cost, it had the Grow and Share package. On housing, it had increased the number of new flats to be built and would relook the income ceiling. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan will speak on health care and ageing issues today.
The opposition has launched a non- stop attack on the PAP Government in the first five days of campaigning, especially on housing, high costs, health care and immigration. The National Solidarity Party (NSP) has also said PAP policies made Singaporeans worse off now than five years ago.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday said the PAP was put on the defensive in the first round of the campaign, with everybody throwing punches at it. Round Two was beginning, and the PAP would put the opposition on the defensive by asking parties to show their plans.
Asked if it was now 'gloves off' in the remaining second half of the campaign, Mr Lee said: 'The campaign is going on vigorously. I didn't know that we were wearing gloves in the beginning!'
On a more serious note, he asked Singaporeans to give him and his team 'as strong a mandate as possible' to carry out their proposals to serve Singapore.
He added: 'We don't always get things completely right, and when things turn out unexpectedly or problems arise, I hope Singaporeans will understand this, bear with us while we fix the problems.
'But I think we can fix the problems and we keep going in the right direction, I have no doubt that in five years' time, we'll have a Singapore which is much better than today's.'
[email protected]
