Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MANIFESTO 2006
Introduction 5
Chapter 4 Society 19
4A. Disabled 21
4B. Elderly and Family 21
4C. Unemployed 22
4D. Community 22
4E. Others 23
Chapter 5 Education 24
5A. Replacement of the Streaming System 25
5B. Balanced Resource Allocation 26
5C. Tertiarty Education 26
5D. Others 27
Chapter 6 Health Care 28
6A. Medishield and Public Health Insurance 29
6B. Containing Health Care Costs 30
6C. Step-Down Care Facilities 31
Chapter 9 Environment 37
Chapter 13 Population 47
5
Our Philosophy
WP believes that there must be competition in political office. As the base
of power comes from the people, people must be empowered to elect their
representatives so that they can also participate in the decision-making
process of shaping and developing our society.
WP believes that development must be for the benefit of a humane and
civil society but too often the harsh reality of economic competition and
political control make it otherwise. The consequential effect of a free market
economy is income disparity. The better-educated and younger members
of our society will have more bargaining power in the policy formulation
process. Those with economic power tend to congregate with those with
political power resulting in a power elite network. The consequence of
such a structure could result in imbalance in policy formulation.
To build a humane society, it is important that the government places human
dignity, diversity, multiculturalism, tolerance, respect and equal opportunity
as the principle considerations in policy formulation and implementation.
Our Beliefs
1. All Constitutional amendments must be carefully scrutinized and public
opinion canvassed wherever possible.
2. Parliament shall consist only of members elected by the people in free
and fair elections. Parliament is a representative microcosm of Singapore
society by way of gender, race and religion.
7
CHAPTER 1
Our Proposals
A. Elections & Parliament:
1. The Office of Elected President should be abolished and the Presidency
should be reverted to its former ceremonial position. The power of
Parliament as the people’s representatives should be unfettered. The
abolition of this office should be done in tandem with electoral reform
to ensure maximum participation by voters and contestants at
Parliamentary elections.
2. Parliamentary elections should not be organized by the Prime Minister’s
Office. Instead, an independent election commission should be tasked
with this role, reporting to either the President or the Chief Justice, to
ensure political neutrality.
3. The rationale for electoral boundary changes and the proposed
boundaries should be announced at least one year before a General
Election is called.
4. Group Representation Constituencies should be abolished, as it dilutes
the individual voter’s voice. Instead, the elections should be run on
single seats.
5. An alternative system of proportional representation should be worked
out so that it could reflect party votes at the national level.
- Possible alternative systems for study include the New Zealand
system of Mixed Member Proportional that handles Maori seats.
- The Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) scheme would be unnecessary
in the proportional representation system.
- The office of Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) should be
abolished. No one should be allowed to vote on legislation without
any mandate from the people.
8
GOVERNMENT & CIVIL LIBERTIES
9
CHAPTER 1
10
2
JUSTICE, LAW AND ORDER
Our legal system must strive for quality and fairness in its processes,
balancing the rights and interests of victims, suspects and the general public.
When faced with crime, a balanced approach should be taken to solve it at
its roots, even if it may require more resources and more accountability for
law enforcement agencies, or even require changing social conditions or
policies.
There is inadequate government legal aid. Criminal legal aid is provided
from government funds only in cases where the accused person faces the
death penalty. In non-capital cases, the only form of criminal legal aid is
the voluntary scheme of the Law Society.
Our Beliefs:
1. The independence of the Judiciary must be protected. Justice should
be dispensed by judicial officers who must be impartial and are guided
only by legal principles.
2. Mandatory sentences for offences should be removed as they take away
the discretion of the judge to adjust a sentence to suit the individual
case circumstances. Under the current system of mandatory sentences,
the real power to determine the offender’s sentence shifts from the
Courts to the prosecution who will decide which charge to proceed on
to produce the appropriate sentence. This encourages plea-bargaining
which makes justice less transparent as the exercise of prosecutorial
discretion cannot be reviewed or appealed against.
3. Victims of crime are inadequately taken care of in our criminal justice
system. At present, the victim incurs expense and suffers
inconveniences, and stands to recover nothing in most crime cases.
The victim’s interests should be protected in the criminal justice system.
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CHAPTER 2
4. Anyone who needs to use the justice system for redress should have
accessibility to justice. No person should be convicted of a crime and
punished because he is unable to present his case adequately in court.
Accused persons must be able to exercise their rights to appeal without
fear.
5. Existing procedures in criminal cases are weighed in favour of the
prosecution and sometimes to the point of being unfair to the accused.
The litigation process should promote fair-play and an adequate
presentation of cases by the parties involved.
6. The court system should strive for efficiency and quality in its processes.
7. We need more transparency in crime information so that more focused
crime prevention measures can be undertaken by authorities and the
public. Law enforcement agencies such as the Police must be adequately
resourced.
Our Proposals
A. Judiciary:
1. The present provisions for the appointment of High Court Judicial
Commissioners who function as High Court Judges but for fixed terms
should be removed. Such schemes are convenient but risk undermining
the independence of such officers.
2. The Constitution should be amended to extend the retirement age of
High Court Judges from 65 to 70 years and there should be no extension
of this tenure.
3. A Judicial Service should be created, separate from the Legal Service,
for judicial posts such as Registrars, Deputy Resgistrars, Magistrates
and District Judges in the Subordinate Courts, and Registrars and
Assistant Registrars in the High Court. The structure will exclude
members of the Executive from decisions concerning their career or
their advancement. All persons desiring to serve either as government
legal or judicial officers will initially be recruited into a common pool
for posting into various non-judicial legal posts. After a minimum period
in these posts, those considered suitable will be selected for entry into
12
JUSTICE, LAW AND ORDER
the judicial service and will not be liable for transfer back to the
mainstream unless they so request.
4. The fees charged by the Courts for initiating and maintaining proceedings
must be kept moderate and in keeping with the public character of
their services. Courts should be prudent in their spending and resource
management so as not to fuel unnecessary fee increases. There should
be flexibility in the review of waivers of fees in cases of financial
hardship.
5. Appeals from Subordinate Court criminal cases will continue to go to
the High Court which should be free to roster judges at random to hear
appeals. This will provide for continuity and stability in the system.
6. For capital cases, there should be a tribunal of two judges whose decision
to impose the death sentence must be unanimous.
B. Legal Aid:
1. For civil legal aid, the means test under the Legal Aid and Advice Act
should be continuously reviewed to reflect a reasonable cut off income.
2. Government legal aid should be provided for criminal cases. A statutory
criminal legal aid scheme should be set up to replace the present
voluntary legal aid scheme run by the Law Society. The Law Society
scheme is highly commendable but legal representation for the poor in
criminal cases should be a government concern. This will also ensure
continuity and resources.
C. Protection of Victims:
1. Victims’ views and concerns should be highlighted to the court for
consideration in pre-trial decisions such as bail and in sentencing.
2. A state funded Board should be set up to offer compensation to the
victims of violent crimes, at least for the medical expenses incurred,
and to work with community-based agencies to assist the victim to
recover from the offence.
3. The official statistics on crime, which reflect only reported crime as
classified by the law enforcement authorities should be supplemented.
In line with best practices internationally, victimisation surveys should
be conducted to ascertain the extent of unreported crime, the reasons
13
CHAPTER 2
for non-reporting and why the authorities re-classify reports. This will
enable more focused crime prevention measures.
D. Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code:
1. Accused persons who are factually innocent but who have been
mistakenly arrested and/or prosecuted should be compensated. A
mistaken arrest and prosecution brings income loss, stress, loss of
reputation and payment of legal costs of defence. The burden of the
executive’s errors should not be borne by the innocent.
2. The philosophy of sentencing should be reviewed to achieve a balance
between deterrence, retribution and rehabilitation. In particular, the
range and role of non-custodial sentences in rehabilitating adults
convicted of minor crime should be increased.
3. The Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code should be re-examined
to review the classification of cases which are non-seizable. Offences
such as cheating may need to be classified as seizable to enable the
police to investigate more efficiently.
4. The Criminal Procedure Code should be amended to make it clear that
an appellate court hearing an appeal from an accused person against
sentence does not have the power to enhance the sentence unless the
prosecution cross-appeals to enhance the sentence.
5. Criminal procedures should be reviewed to ensure that an arrested
person’s constitutional right to consult legal counsel is protected by
allowing early access.
6. There should be proper disclosure of evidence from the prosecution
and the defence throughout the pre-trial and trial process.
7. The Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act allowing detention of
suspected criminals without producing them in court should be re-
examined to review whether it is still necessary in the context of today.
E. Others:
1. Adequate resources should be allocated to the police to fight crime,
including additional manpower if required. While there is a role for the
police in community policing, they should be, as far as possible, divested
from attending to calls for services not within their core competencies.
14
3
ECONOMIC POLICY
Our Beliefs
1. Social Mobility should not be disrupted and taken over by the “free
market” based on the financial might of the individual.
2. There should be a re-distribution of wealth through fiscal and tax
measures and social policy to ensure that the fruits of the economy are
shared equitably.
3. Independent thinking, self-reliance, courage to fight for one’s rights and
being prepared to pay a price are necessary ingredients of
entrepreneurship. We must cultivate resilience through the spirit of risk
taking and a ‘not afraid to fail’ attitude.
4. There must be more support for Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
and Start-ups.
5. Singapore Government Investment Corporation (SGIC) and
Government Linked Corporations (GLCs) can play a positive role to
strengthen the economic position of Singapore
6. Companies should be encouraged to exercise corporate social
responsibility and get involved in the building and developing of the
community they are benefiting from. In the long run, it will benefit
their businesses too.
7. We need to strengthen our financial sector to anchor our position as
one of the key global financial centres.
8. Land cost is an important factor in economic competitiveness in land
scarce Singapore.
Our Proposals
A. SMEs and local businesses:
1. There is a lack of focus in developing local SMEs and new start-ups.
Various programmes to assist and develop the SMEs are separately
managed by Spring Singapore, IE Singapore & the Economic
16
ECONOMIC POLICY
17
CHAPTER 3
C. Others:
1. The mind-set and complacency that Singapore has the best infrastructure
in this region, is more efficient and hence should command a premium
price must be changed. The loss of two international shipping lines to
Tanjong Pelepas is a lesson to learn.
2. There should be a waiver of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on basic
necessities. Although GST is a consumption tax, it should be the
consumption of luxury goods that should be taxed. Basic necessities
such as rice should not be taxed at all.
3. We can leverage on the huge reserves and existing business network
that the GLCs and SGIC have built up over the years to strengthen the
position of Singapore and re-invest locally to create new sectors of
growth.
18
4
SOCIETY
WP is for a Caring Society and believes that social justice must be intrinsic
to the concept of government. It also recognises that Singapore is a
multicultural society and everyone should be treated equally.
Every citizen has a right to a decent standard of living, work and a life of
choices and opportunities without discrimination. The government has
the responsibility to look after its citizens and should not just play a “charity
role” when tackling the needs of the people and building a community.
WP feels that more efforts should be placed to look into vulnerable groups
such as the physically challenged and the elderly. Infrastructure and medical
support for these groups need to be improved.
Community building is a long-term process whereby people living in a specific
geographical area over time develop a sense of closeness as a community.
The identification of being a community serves as a process to root the
people and thereby help to cultivate a sense of nationhood.
However a by-product of urbanisation and the price that every nation has
to pay for modernisation is the erosion of community bonds and the
weakening identity of a community.
In the case of Singapore, this erosion is even more stark as our unique
urbanisation and modernisation process has resulted in a whole population
being deliberately uprooted and re-distributed from traditional kampongs
to HDB estates over a period of about 30 years. This is a large-scale re-
settlement process that the government consciously planned and which
presented an opportunity for the government to preserve the spirit of self-
reliance in the old kampongs, cultivate community bonding and develop a
cohesive society. Unfortunately, today, after 40 years of nation building,
many younger Singaporeans have scant idea of living in a community.
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CHAPTER 4
Our Beliefs:
1. There must be an unconditional needs-based welfare safety net to ensure
that no one who needs help is left stranded. Every case is different and
although it may mean more resources and effort needed by the
government to examine the case, no citizen must be deprived of a need
because of his inability to afford it.
2. Just like everyone else, the disabled has a right to live a life as full as
possible and to be integrated with the rest of the community.
3. The problems of the aged, especially the chronically ill, do not only
refer to those who are destitute but also those whose families are unable
to care for them for genuine reasons. Affordable healthcare and support
facilities for them are essential. Voluntary organisations are playing
important roles here and more support from the government is necessary.
4. Besides physical health, the mental health of the elderly is equally
important. Many retirees are still able to contribute to society and should
be encouraged and given the opportunity to do so.
5. Single parents must not be left out of available assistance schemes.
6. As the government is unable to provide consistent growth and
employment opportunities, many people have been retrenched from
their jobs. Looking for alternative employment takes time. There must
be some level of support for the unemployed to continue to live a decent
and dignified life.
7. The development of a strong and vibrant community will strengthen
our social fabric, foster social cohesion and in the process build a national
identity. We need to encourage individuals within the community to
serve the neighbourhood to foster the growth of a natural community
leadership.
8. Multiculturalism should be actively promoted and should form a corner
stone of our social policies.
20
SOCIETY
Our Proposals
A. Disabled:
1. Better infrastructures must be put in place for the education, training
for employment and the transport needs of the disabled. As such, more
support is needed for the development of trainers and staff for their
education.
2. Medical assistance and healthcare to assist and diagnose disabled
children should be improved. For example, there is currently a long
queue for medical tests for autism.
3. More incentives should be given to employers to encourage them to
employ those capable of work. In this respect, social education is also
necessary to eradicate any pre-conceived perceptions and prejudice
against them and their ability to contribute to society.
B. Elderly and Family:
1. We need to provide an avenue to train/educate the “younger elderly”
to provide care and social events for the aged within the community
they live.
This could be done through clan associations, community based
organisations or voluntary organisations with support from the
government for the training and perhaps allowance for basic costs such
as food and transport. While this requires some government expenditure
and effort, it will engage an able group of elderly to contribute to the
heartware of the community and at the same time, develop their own
mental health.
2. There should be sufficient choices for parents and the aged to live within
the community rather than confined to a Home. A care centre can be
built in each precinct for those elderly whose family members are unable
to look after them. The centre can be jointly maintained by those using
it and volunteers from the neighbourhood.
3. We should extend the current policy of encouraging children living near
parents to living near siblings and close relatives.
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CHAPTER 4
C. Unemployed:
1. Unemployment insurance will help workers cope during the difficult
period of unemployment. The premium can be covered by a compulsory
deduction of 1% of the earned income with the company contributing
another 1%. The funds should be managed by third-party corporations.
Employees who have been with the same company for more than 2
years would be eligible to claim when they are retrenched. The pay out
can be 75% of their last drawn pay. This would be reduced by 7.5% per
month until the payout is zero and would help to pay their immediate
bills while they look for alternative employment or attend upgrading
courses.
2. Citizens who are in dire straits should be allowed to withdraw from
their own CPF. To avoid abuse, withdrawals must fulfill strict guidelines
and the amount withdrawn will not be entitled to the 2.5% nominal
interest.
D. Community:
1. The system of Resident Committees (RCs) and the Citizens Consultative
Committee (CCC) should be abolished. Government grassroots serving
as eyes and ears of the government cripple the growth of natural
community leadership and hinder the development of community living.
The attempts by RCs in some areas to segregate the neighbourhood by
zones further hinder the population from developing a true sense of
community identity.
2. The Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system should be
abolished and we should revert to constituencies based on geographical
areas.
3. Rules and controls on individuals organising events for the community
should be relaxed.
4. Community Centres should be run for the purpose of providing
amenities and services, disseminating information and gatheing
feedback for the government on policy and community issues. They
must be non-political; the chairman and members of the Community
Centre Management Committee (CCMC) should be elected by the
22
SOCIETY
23
5
EDUCATION
Our human resource is one of our valuable assets. Thus a carefully planned
curriculum of education is of utmost importance in order to develop our
people to the best of their abilities and talents.
WP is pleased to note that the government has implemented compulsory
primary education and 10 years’ of formal education to equip our citizens
with basic knowledge and academic skills. This was proposed in our 1994
Manifesto.
However interests must be cultivated to help our people to excel in their
specific fields. These interests should not be confined to school syllabus
but should cover a wider spectrum.
Schools are embarking on more activities in line with the broad policy of
“thinking schools learning nation” where principals are empowered to take
initiative and make decisions on the ground. There is a risk that teachers
might end up with additional meetings and become event organisers.
Though it is difficult to quantify the work of teachers, a mechanism should
be in place to monitor whether teachers are overloaded with other
responsibilities instead of focusing on the fundamental duty of a teacher.
We should also pay attention to how our educational institutions evolve,
especially our tertiary institutions. As tertiary education becomes a full
fledged business, we need to ensure that issues of funding, cost of education
and academic freedom are adequately addressed.
Our Beliefs
1. Teaching content should be reduced so that teachers can move beyond
textbooks and share with students life skills in areas such as current
affairs, inter-personal communication, enterprising initiatives and
creative development in the arts, music and culture.
24
EDUCATION
Our Proposals
A. Replacement of the Streaming System with a Multi-tiered
Advancement System:
1. The current system of streaming is based on aggregate points of subjects
obtained at an examination and is used as the basis for segregating
students. This does not really measure the potential ability of students.
In addition, the social stigma of streaming far outweighs its usefulness
as a convenient way to segregate the students based on academic results.
2. WP welcomes the launch of the subject-based pilot classrooms plan.
Further customisation of the education and learning process by re-
organising the class system based on subject and module should be
looked into.
3. Each student should be allowed to advance in different subjects at his
pace. For instance, a student may have some subjects taught at the
express level and others at the normal level.
4. Every student will take the current “O” level examination at secondary
4. The grading system should be re-designed to cater for awarding an
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CHAPTER 5
26
EDUCATION
27
6
HEALTH CARE
“We can die but cannot afford to be sick.” This common refrain from the
people is certainly no laughing matter. Health care is an essential service
and no one should be deprived of health care for any reason.
We urge the government to increase our Health Budget further, given the
situation below:
a) Relative longevity,
b) Aging population,
c) Weaker disposable earnings,
d) Emergence of more virulent and hardier strains of viruses and bacteria,
e) More sedate life-style
While WP recognizes the need for prudence in health care expenditure, we
should be mindful that if we continue to tighten the budget, it would
inevitably result in “cutting corners” and a deterioration of basic standards
of medical service.
Currently, the government finances health care by providing subsidies for
hospitals based on classes of ward and paying for patients who are unable
to afford even the C-class ward through Medifund.
The people finance their health care cost through Medisave and Medishield.
The philosophy has been “personal responsibility”. While we need to
encourage people to lead a healthy life style, it is the fundamental duty of
the government to ensure that our citizens, rich or poor, have access to the
best possible health care the nation can afford.
Our Beliefs
1. We need to develop a proper health care financing model and an
effective system of checks to prevent runaway costs.
28
HEALTH CARE
Our Proposals
A. Medishield and Public Health Insurance:
1. Medishield is designed to cover catastrophic illnesses with large hospital
bills and the limitation on claims per year of $50,000 could be a loophole
in coverage. The deductibles may also increase to a point where
Medisave may not be sufficient. It will ease the burden of Singaporeans
if health care costs are largely funded by the government and through
insurance. A small portion should be paid upfront as deductibles by
the patient to prevent abuse of the system.
2. In our 1994 Manifesto, WP highlighted the inadequacy of Medisave.
We proposed a comprehensive Public Health Insurance scheme with
participation from private health care providers.
We should implement a compulsory Basic Hospitalisation Insurance
Scheme with co-payment of the premium from the government. We
should also learn from other countries with similar schemes. In particular,
we should explore the following:
• Universal coverage for all basic hospital health care should be based
on costs of class B2 ward of government re-structured hospitals.
• The premium should be the same regardless of age.
• There should be maximum life-time payout for any illness with no
yearly claim limit.
• The premium should be kept affordable to the 90 percentile of the
working population based on Medisave contribution. The
government should pay for those who have insufficient money in
their Medisave accounts.
• Maximum deductibles should not be more than 2 years of the total
Medisave contribution based on a monthly income of $2000.
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CHAPTER 6
30
HEALTH CARE
31
7
PUBLIC HOUSING
In the economic growth of the early 90s, the original objective of the
government to have Singaporeans to own homes was distracted by the PAP’s
asset enhancement scheme to one of profit making in HDB flat investment.
Many citizens who believed in the PAP’s propaganda of “enhancing” of
their assets upgraded to bigger HDB flats or rushed to purchase HDB flats
from the open market at the height of the property market. However, in
the 1998 financial crisis and the subsequent problem of structural
unemployment, they saw the value of their properties plummeting and faced
financial difficulty in repaying their housing mortgages.
The PAP government was caught in a dilemma. If they allowed the HDB
to repossess the flats as stipulated in the contract, or worse, revalued the
flats in accordance with private financial institutions practice, they would
have to pay a heavy political cost. So they came up with various schemes
to “assist” HDB flat buyers who are in arrears of mortgage payments. These
include loan payment deferment, partial repayment and downgrading to
smaller flats.
Housing loans from HDB are now only available if you are a first time flat
buyer and in the case of the second time buyer, only if you are upgrading to
a “bigger” flat. The private banking sector now offers HDB housing loans
and they now have first mortgage on the flats. Once the flat is seized and
placed under forced sale, your savings in CPF could be gone and you would
not have a roof over you!
This is a major policy shift to make a clear distinction between HDB as a
public housing provider (with a responsibility to citizens who are first time
flat owners purchasing flats directly from the HDB or the “open market”)
and eligible HDB flat purchasers who buy and sell from the “open market”.
32
PUBLIC HOUSING
WP noted this refocusing of housing policy and the limiting of the role and
responsibility of the government in public housing. More resources could
be used to focus on achieving home ownership and provide greater housing
benefits to Singaporeans.
Our Beliefs:
1. Public housing subsidies for flats should be allocated fairly and equally
to all citizens. Single parents should not be penalised.
2. All citizens should be able to afford a roof over their heads. This should
be the premise for public housing.
3. All eligible Singaporeans should have a choice of either renting or buying
an HDB flat.
Our Proposals
A. Home Ownership
1. All citizens should be able to apply directly to HDB for flats twice. The
lessee has to live in both flats for 5 years each before he is allowed to
sell it on the open market.
2. The re-sale levy should be removed but purchasers should use 80% of
the proceeds from sale of the first flat to finance the second new HDB
flat.
3. A cash grant equivalent to 10% of the average selling price of a 4-
room flat on the open market in sub-urban mature estates should be
provided for the first time buyer. For the second time buyer, a subsidy
of 5% shall be given on the same basis of calculation.
4. The cash grants could be used to either purchase flats directly from the
HDB or from the open market.
5. A second cash grant could help Singaporeans plan for their retirement
needs as many downgrade to smaller flats to obtain cash for retirement
purpose.
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CHAPTER 7
6. CPF should provide housing loans at market rates to the first and second
time flat purchasers with CPF having the first charge on the property.
7. As our society has now attained a level of multi-racial integration, the
ethnic quotas governing home ownership of HDB flats should be
removed to allow all Singaporeans equal freedom of choice of home
locations.
B. Housing Administration
1. The HDB Branch Office could be further re-organised and its numbers
reduced into service centres specialising in professional advice,
regulatory control and monitoring of HDB estate maintenance. Other
tasks such as estate maintenance and its related works could be
outsourced to either the Town Councils or private contractors.
2. A housing tribunal could be set up to handle disputes between the HDB
and flat lessees, and disputes between lessees. Currently, lessees and
HDB would have to settle their disputes through the court, which is a
tedious process. In cases where the HDB or Town Council fails to settle
disputes between lessees, the lessees can bring the matter before the
tribunal for adjudication.
34
8
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Our Beliefs:
1. Public transport should be a service to the community and not a profit-
oriented business.
2. The transport system must be efficient and run cost-effectively.
3. Transport costs must be kept affordable for everyone.
Our Proposals:
1. The Public Transport Council should be dissolved. All public transport
including the MRT & public buses servicing major trunk/inter-town
routes should be brought under a National Transport Corporation which
will oversee and provide universal transport service to all. This will
ensure a smooth integration of the overall national transport network
to avoid unnecessary duplication of services and cost of overheads
incurred by multiple operators.
35
CHAPTER 8
36
9
ENVIRONMENT
Our Beliefs:
1. We should encourage research and implementation of energy saving
equipment and products.
2. We should implement policies that would encourage commercial users
to rein in their energy and water usage.
3. Corporations should be encouraged to exercise corporate social
responsibility to protect the environment.
4. Apart from the marshland habitats, mangrove swamps and coral reefs,
marine animals and wild birds must be protected for our future
generations. A clean and healthy environment is also essential to ensure
the physical well being of our people.
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CHAPTER 9
Our Proposals:
1. Nature areas such as Chek Jawa at Pulau Ubin should be gazetted as a
permanent natural reserve. It has great ecological and education values.
2. We need to strive for more regional cooperation to contain
environmental hazards such as forest fires or chemical leaks so as not
to affect air quality.
3. For climate regulation and control, we should have a wide variety of
solid and sturdy trees. For instance the choice of fan palms is not suitable
as sun shields. We also need a more diverse variety of blossoming plants
to enrich our environment. We need to evolve from a green and clean
city-state to a more attractive city with flowers that bloom all year.
4. We should explore ways to reduce our reliance on traditional food
suppliers. Whenever possible, we should allow commercial farms to
grow vegetables on undeveloped land that do not have any
developmental plans for up to two years.
5. Budget should be provided for research into solar power usage for water
reclamation plants. A possible investment in offshore water catchments
and processing plant should be studied.
6. As an equatorial country, we should explore alternative ways such as
fuel cell and solar energy to mitigate the worldwide shortage of natural
gases and fossil fuel. This may also create maintenance and engineering
jobs and reduce expenditure on raw energy resources. We could perhaps
even export our knowledge and products based on fuel cell and solar
technology.
7. The use of green vehicles via tax rebates on a bigger scale should be
explored.
8. We can provide tax relief and incentives for companies to encourage
innovative ways of recycling used / by-products.
9. Civic awareness of “social noise pollution” such as karaoke sessions at
home, dog barks and children playing at common areas and its
disturbance of the comfort of others in a “high-density living
environment” should be cultivated.
38
10
NATIONAL SECURITY
(DEFENCE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS)
Our Beliefs:
1. WP believes that while advanced military hardware and software will
increase our defence capability, the morale and fighting spirit of the
SAF is the best assurance of success in our national defence.
2. Every citizen must put in his/her fair share of responsibility towards
the defence of Singapore. This will instill a sense of ownership, especially
to new citizens.
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CHAPTER 10
Our Proposals:
A. National Defence:
1. Our defence resources are limited. We need to co-operate with other
countries with advanced military technology in our R&D efforts to
capture a share of international defence economy. Just as how Singapore
has managed to build an external economy to propel our economic
progress, we should consider building a defence economy with external
partners to propel our resources & R&D efforts to a higher capability
level.
2. With the advent of information technology and more sophisticated
military hardware, we could explore the framework of an external
defence wing that could respond effectively to the defence need of
Singapore.
3. We should be mindful of using the publicity of our defence assets as a
deterrent strategy vis-a-viz the risks of triggering off an arms race and
undermining our efforts in diplomacy to build a robust relationship with
our neighbours.
4. Instead of the current yearly budget, we should introduce a 5-year
defence budget to enable the armed forces to have long term planning.
5. We support participation in internationally sanctioned actions but we
must also be transparent and be able to justify how much taxpayers’
money should be used to participate in peacekeeping efforts to fulfil
our international obligations.
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NATIONAL SECURITY
B. Foreign Affairs:
1. We should never be compelled to or willingly participate in non-
internationally sanctioned activities.
2. While maintaining our international outreach we should reposition
Singapore as a good regional partner.
3. We should ensure that our foreign policy does not leave us beholden to
only one strategic partner.
4. We should actively support and participate in the initiatives of the United
Nations’ in International Affairs.
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11
ARTS, MEDIA, INFORMATION
AND NEW TECHNOLOGY
Our Beliefs:
1. Support for the arts must cater to the needs of the local arts community
in order for them to gain international exposure.
2. There should also be support for art activities at grassroots level.
3. The media should not only be socially responsible but also be free from
political influence with respect to content.
4. Public information should be freely available for members of the public.
5. New media technology should be legislated only in as much as the
vision of making Singapore a technological “hub” requires.
Our Proposals
A. Arts
1. The licensing of art will be taken out of government control and given
to an independent body with representation from the arts community.
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ARTS, MEDIA, INFORMATION AND NEW TECHNOLOGY
B. Media
1. The Newspapers and Printing Presses Act should be amended to abolish
clauses which give the government the right to appoint the management
and boards of directors of media companies.
2. We should create competition by issuing licences to allow private and
commercial media (in particular television and newspaper) with no
government ownership to operate in Singapore.
3. Independent and professional organisations should be established to
monitor the media. These organisations can include ex-journalists and
civil society activists, for the purpose of making journalists and media
companies more accountable to Singaporeans when they report on
issues of national interest.
4. The Films Act should be amended to liberalise the law on making
“political” films, allowing groups and individuals to express their views
by making such films.
C. Information
1. Constitutional provisions entrenching a right to privacy and legislation
such as a Privacy Act should be enacted to ensure that ordinary citizens’
rights to privacy are protected.
2. We should create a Freedom of Information Act containing provisions
to allow citizens to gather information from the State and to ensure
that the government puts out sufficient information.
3. Excess layers of bureaucracy should be removed and the period of
waiting for the public to access government information and statistics
should be shortened.
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CHAPTER 11
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12
SPORTS AND RECREATION
Our Beliefs
1. Sports and recreational facilities should be accessible to all and public
facilities where possible should be free.
2. Sports activities and organisations should be community initiatives.
Hence, leaders of such organisations should be from the sporting
fraternity and not government ministries.
3. There should be a balance of foreign and local talent in our sporting
landscape. Sports can be an important tool to provide an anchor for our
young people who might be distracted by negative influences.
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CHAPTER 12
Our Proposals
1. Key positions in sports bodies should be filled with people from the
sporting community.
2. Low-cost sports and recreational facilities should be developed within
HDB estates so that youths and residents can easily access them.
3. Vacant space should be provided within HDB housing estates
specifically to enable youths to enjoy new innovations in sporting
activities.
4. Spending on foreign sporting talent should be reviewed with the objective
of grooming local talents.
5. Funds for the development of sporting facilities should be allocated to
ensure that such facilities are accessible to all.
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13
POPULATION
The population policy of the PAP government is erratic. They spend one
decade enforcing population control, the next decade stimulating growth
and perhaps, the third back to controlling it. Past policies were also based
on the PAP’s fallacy of genetic elitism and stratification based on economic
requirements.
We should take a long-term view in population policy formulation with a
holistic approach to bring about a sustainable desirable size of population.
Population and family planning policies and programs must be undertaken
in conjunction with other economic and social measures to promote a more
comprehensive and dignified develop-ment.
Besides providing material incentives to encourage Singaporeans to have
more babies, the government is also encouraging foreign talents to take up
Singapore citizenship to try and resolve the issue of aging population.
However it is also crucial that the government look into the policy of
allowing foreign spouses of Singaporeans to reside and to work in Singapore.
Using penalty, disincentive and punishment measures in an attempt to
achieve desired the population size is counter-productive and bears the
risk of alienating Singaporeans. The size of the family and the decision
whether to have a family is a private decision of each individual and family.
Material incentives alone are not enough. An environment of belonging,
sense of nationhood and vision/hope of a better future is essential. This
might also stem the flow of migration. The mindset of the government
should be that our citizens are the ‘heart and soul’ of our nation and
whatever polices that are implemented must first and foremost be for a
more humane society that would anchor them and make Singapore their
home.
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CHAPTER 13
Our Beliefs:
1. Material incentives are not enough to encourage population growth.
Besides the ‘hardware’ of support structures for families the ‘software’
is equally important to take care of their holistic well-being.
2. Singles, by choice or otherwise, should not be “discriminated” by pro
family policies.
3. WP affirms the basic right of all families to decide freely and responsibly
the number of their children they want and when to have them.
4. The policy of allowing foreign spouses of citizens to reside in Singapore
should be relaxed.
Our Proposals:
1. Medical assistance such as In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) for couples who
want to have children but have difficulty in conceiving should be made
more affordable.
2. All foreign spouses should be accorded residency status and allowed to
work locally. This can be in the form of a new category of Residential
Visa.
3. Family education should start with the younger generation and should
not only focus on the importance or joys of family life but also on the
issues of an aging society, etc.
4. Foreign work-permit holders who have worked locally for at least 5
years should be allowed to marry Singapore citizens without the need
to seek approval from the Ministry of Manpower.
5. Work permit holders who have left Singapore for 5 years should be
allowed to marry Singaporeans without the need to seek approval from
the Ministry of Manpower.
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14
LABOUR POLICY AND CPF
Singapore prides itself as a country with one of the most productive and
skilled labour forces. Our zero work stoppages and industrial actions have
contributed to the ability of the government to attract Foreign Direct
Investment.
However, the recent economic downturn after the Asian financial crisis
and the rise of China as an attractive manufacturing base have both posed
a challenge to us. In response to the new challenges, the government has
turned around and declared that our world class productive labour force is
now too expensive. We have priced ourselves out of the market. Pursuant
to the U-turn, a barrage of measures was implemented at the expense of
the labour force. Unfortunately, the monopoly of the umbrella union
affiliated to the government leaves workers without much bargaining power.
The amendments to the Employment Act allowing employers not to pay
workers for overtime with the excuse of protecting jobs is an insight into
how important the rights of workers are to the policy makers. Workers bear
the biggest brunt of the economic downturn with huge Central Provident
Fund (CPF) cuts as the major portion of the government’s cost saving
package.
The government uses CPF contributions as a convenient tool to cut cost in
economic downturns. This has resulted in many Singaporeans facing financial
difficulty in servicing housing mortgages, meeting future medical needs
and providing for retirement. During the good years, the government often
uses CPF savings to gauge the affordability of Singaporeans with regards
to the sales price of HDB flats and health care costs. Hence, a high CPF
contribution rate gives the government the tool to justify its increases.
The fundamental objective of the CPF is to cater to the retirement needs
of the people. The government seems to have forgotten this until recently
when the asset values fell substantially due to the economic downturn.
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CHAPTER 14
The gravity of our CPF savings being melted away with negative assets
mainly in housing and stocks hit home.
The government has now awakened to the consequence of ignoring the
retirement needs of the people and its over-confidence in enhancing assets
to enrich Singaporeans. WP is of the view that it is time to do a
comprehensive study as to whether the single pillar of CPF is able to sustain
the financing of retirement needs, health care and housing.
Our Beliefs:
1. Singaporeans should be given priority for jobs created. We should
encourage local companies to venture outside Singapore and to employ
Singaporean workers.
2. While WP understands the need to enlarge our talent pool with foreign
talents and for foreign workers to supplement our work force, we must
ensure that this policy does not depress the wages of our workers.
3. The CPF contribution rate should not be used as a tool to respond to
economic downturns.
4. Unions should be independent and should be empowered to protect
the rights of workers. The composition and mission of the tripartite
system should be reviewed so as not to disadvantage workers.
Our Proposals:
A. Trade Unions
1. Instead of just negotiating on retrenchment benefits, trade unions should
be allowed to discuss with the management the rationale for
retrenchments. This would enable unions to be involved and explore
with the management if an alternative solution might be viable.
2. All government ministers and executive council members of political
parties should not take office in trade unions at any level.
3. Executives should be allowed to join unions. Newly-promoted junior
executives who have served as officials in a trade union should also be
allowed to continue to hold office for a period of time.
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LABOUR POLICY AND CPF
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