The rising cost of living, job insecurity, and affordable healthcare were among the key concerns raised by People’s Power Party (PPP) candidates during their second election rally on April 26.
Speaking to a crowd over a 2½-hour session, party secretary-general Goh Meng Seng urged Singaporeans to reject what he termed the “politics of fear”, which he said had made it harder for his party to recruit volunteers.
The PPP is contesting both Ang Mo Kio and Tampines GRCs in the May 3 polls, fielding a total of 10 candidates.
“It’s not that we are xenophobic,” said Mr Goh, 55. “But if we do not give our children, our youngsters, the opportunity to secure meaningful jobs and gain experience, how are they going to be the best in the world? I see so many young people demoralised because they can’t see a future in their careers.”
In Ang Mo Kio GRC, Mr William Lim, a limousine service provider leading the PPP slate, said he could relate to the everyday struggles of Singaporeans trying to cope with rising expenses.
“You work hard to give your family a good life, but no matter how hard you work, it is just enough to make ends meet, or in some cases, things don’t get easier,” said the 47-year-old.
Other members of the PPP’s Ang Mo Kio team include retired civil servant Martinn Ho, 64; safety coordinator Thaddeus Thomas, 43; former IT engineer Samuel Lee, 33; and horticulturist Heng Zheng Dao, 24. They face a three-cornered fight against the incumbent PAP team led by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Singapore United Party.
In Tampines GRC, PPP chairman Derrick Lim called for the removal of GST on basic goods to ease cost of living pressures. The PPP team in Tampines, led by Mr Goh, is in a four-cornered contest against the PAP, Workers’ Party, and National Solidarity Party.
PPP Tampines candidate Arbaah Haroun, 50, focused on family issues, proposing monthly child support allowances and “heavily subsidised” in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments to help couples start families. “Our birth rates are low, but our hopes are not,” she said. “Starting a family shouldn’t feel like climbing Mount Everest.”
Several PPP candidates also criticised the government’s handling of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, a recurring theme in the party’s campaign messages.
Mr Samuel Lee, contesting Ang Mo Kio, raised concerns about young graduates struggling to find stable employment. Mr Lee, who had previously gone viral online for singing an adapted version of the Chinese classic A Tiny Bird highlighting job struggles, has also faced public scrutiny after news surfaced of a 2022 road rage conviction.
Mr Goh said Mr Lee had faced cyberbullying since the incident came to light. “I actually had to beg him to stand for elections,” said Mr Goh, adding that Mr Lee knew he would face online abuse and reputational damage but still chose to contest.
“Hopefully, he can find a job in Parliament,” Mr Goh quipped.
