MAKING Singapore a home to be cherished by all requires a revitalised focus on improving the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans, said Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on Tuesday (Aug 8).

In the Workers’ Party’s (WP) National Day message, the party’s secretary-general compared how the popular 1998 National Day song, Home, has been remade this year with how national policies need to be kept up to date.

“Just like how the remake of Home comes at a time when Singapore and the world at large are at a different juncture from a quarter-century ago, our national policies also need to be re-examined to make them relevant to today’s Singapore,” said Singh, who is an MP for Aljunied GRC.

He noted that Singapore is experiencing a phase of deep introspection, driven partly by recent controversies.

Members from both sides of the House have been embroiled in controversy in recent weeks, with Transport Minister S Iswaran being investigated for corruption, and former speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and former People’s Action Party (PAP) Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui resigning from the party over an extramarital affair.

On the other side of the aisle, Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera and senior WP member Nicole Seah also resigned from the party, following their own extramarital affair.

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In his message titled “Making Singapore the Home we all cherish”, Singh said this effort requires a revitalised focus on improving the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans.

He added that WP will continue to contribute as a rational, responsible and respectable party representing Singaporeans in Parliament, and listed the proposals that have made some headway in parliamentary discussions and government policies.

These include increasing the allowances for full-time national servicemen, requiring independent consultants to conduct educational credential assessments for foreign professionals, providing wider public housing options for singles, and anti-discrimination legislation at the workplace.

Singh also noted that WP had spoken about the less tangible issues that are central to Singaporeans, such as sports, with the party proposing, among other things, life-long and robust medical care for all Singaporean athletes, able-bodied or disabled. 

He wished Singaporeans at home and abroad a happy 58th National Day and said: “The Workers’ Party will continue to raise sensible proposals in Parliament that are in the best interest of Singapore, our home, and continue to work with Singaporeans to build our dreams together...

“Outside of Parliament, we will continue to advocate for a fairer, more just, and kinder society, one that makes us proud to be Singaporeans, regardless of race, language or religion.” THE STRAITS TIMES