In the 2020 General Election, the PSP team secured 48.31 per cent of the vote in West Coast GRC against the PAP team led by former transport minister S Iswaran. It was the narrowest margin in that election, earning PSP its two NCMP seats.
“We will work hard to earn the trust of Singaporeans at the ballot box, so that we can champion these ideas in the next parliament,” said Mr Leong.
Here’s a look at PSP’s key proposals in its new manifesto:
COST OF LIVING
To ease the cost of living, the party recommended 11 policies – reducing the GST back to 7 per cent and reiterating its call to exempt essential items like rice, water and milk formula from the tax.
Cash support and utility rebates for lower- and middle-income Singaporeans can be funded by more progressive taxes such as estate duty or a wealth tax and not by GST, it said.
The party also called for guidelines on annual rent increases for commercial properties, as it previously proposed in November 2023. It also reiterated its push to phase out socially conscious enterprise hawker centres and for the management of all hawker centres to be centralised under one government agency.
Hawker stall rentals should be set at S$500 or 3 per cent of gross revenue, instead of the highest bid by tender. Some Singaporeans should also get more government-funded food discounts at all hawker centres, PSP said.
On healthcare, PSP wants the government to cover premiums for basic MediShield Life and CareShield Life and to lower healthcare costs by centralising drug procurement for public and private health facilities.
New mothers should receive a cash gift to offset confinement expenses, it said.
HOUSING
PSP suggested four measures to address high housing costs, including its previously proposed Affordable Homes Scheme – where buyers do not pay for the cost of the land when they purchase a flat, but only when the flat is sold on the resale market.
This scheme has been criticised by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah as a raid on Singapore’s reserves.
In its manifesto, PSP said the scheme would not deplete financial assets previously accumulated in the reserves, but would slow the increase of the Net Investment Returns Contribution and to the past reserves.
The party also repeated its proposal to allow singles to buy flats at age 28 and its Millennial Apartments Scheme, which would provide apartments in the central business district or in mature estates for young Singaporeans to rent for two to five years.
Other housing proposals include building more flats ahead of demand to shorten wait times and ensure sufficient supply.
GOVERNANCE
The party proposed 15 measures to improve governance, citing insufficient “checks and balances” on the government such as the Elections Department reporting to the Prime Minister.
“Costly mistakes” such as TraceTogether data being used for police investigations and the unmasking of National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers have also raised concerns over policy execution, PSP said.
It called for a reform of ministerial salaries, for all MPs to publicly declare their assets and the introduction of closed-door hearings for Temasek and GIC with MPs to improve accountability.
A Freedom of Information Act should be enacted and all documents older than 25 years automatically declassified, it added.
PSP said Singapore’s media needs to be reformed to foster diversity, balance and healthy competition, and repeated its proposal to reform the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
The party also renewed its call to abolish the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) scheme, pointing to some MPs riding “on the coattails” of others and to vacancies left unfilled in GRCs after MPs resigned.
It proposed an NCMP scheme for minorities or a hybrid electoral system to ensure multi-racial representation in parliament instead.
PSP also called for changes to how electoral boundaries are decided, a depoliticisation of the People’s Association, and for the voting age to be lowered to 18, among other proposals.
JOBS AND WAGES
The party said that while Singapore needs foreign talent to complement local workers and it would never argue for a closed Singapore, policies have to be recalibrated.
Singaporeans need quality jobs with better work-life balance, PSP said, proposing 15 ideas in its manifesto.
It repeated its proposals for a minimum living wage of S$2,250 (US$1,680) for all resident Singaporean workers, a company quota for EP holders, an EP levy of S$1,200 per month and to increase the EP qualifying salary to S$10,000.
The party recommended that the Fair Consideration Framework be strengthened beyond current protections, so that Singaporean workers are given priority for job positions open to Employment Pass holders.
To “minimise the risk of discriminatory practices”, PSP suggested that the government ensure companies do not have too many work pass holders from the same foreign country.
Other proposals included changes for retrenched workers and several measures to address work-life balance and support families.
For example, the party said minimum paid annual leave should be increased to 14 days per year, Singapore should designate more public holidays and implement a “right to disconnect” policy.
SOCIAL SAFETY NET
The party proposed eight changes related to social safety nets, such as consolidating and simplifying the existing network of over 60 support schemes.
The current system is confusing and challenging to navigate for Singaporeans who are less proficient in English or do not have the time or energy to apply for them, PSP said.
It also proposed government-paid allowances for full-time caregivers of Singaporean children below seven years old. Households that claim this allowance would no longer be eligible for government subsidies for full-day childcare and infant care programmes, the party suggested.
The party suggested widening the use of MediSave, including expanding the range of outpatient treatments that are covered, and strengthening mental health services.
It also called on the government to allow maternity and child-bearing medical fees to be fully claimable from MediSave without limit, and to allow women to use it for elective egg freezing.
The government should also provide more financial support for couples facing fertility issues, and provide all couples up to 75 per cent in co-funding for assisted conception procedures as long as one spouse is a Singapore citizen.
For older Singaporeans, PSP suggested doubling the Silver Support Scheme payouts and ensuring that the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation Funds are fully utilised.
The party also called on the government to set up the Central Provision Fund (CPF) Lifetime Retirement Investment scheme, which would allow Singaporeans to invest some of their savings in life cycle investment products selected and managed by the CPF Board.
EDUCATION
PSP proposed eight changes in the education segment of its manifesto, including repeating its call for the government to pilot a 10-year through-train programme where the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is optional.
The party also asked the government to “fundamentally rethink and overhaul” the role of assessments in the education system. It said Singapore needs to reduce its reliance on summative examinations and should instead employ alternative assessment methods.
The party also called for more non-academic and vocation-based pathways to university admission, adding that the current Workforce Skills Qualification programme does not go far enough.
As Singapore’s total fertility rate falls, smaller class sizes could introduce opportunities for diversity and differentiated learning, PSP said in its manifesto.
The party also addressed the merging and closing of smaller schools, adding that smaller schools could have other benefits. For example, they could offer non-PSLE routes or cater to children whose needs “go unaddressed” in bigger classes.
To manage student and teacher well-being, it proposed regular mental health monitoring and feedback mechanisms.
Tuition grants and scholarships available to foreign students should be reduced, PSP said. But this does not mean it advocates for “zero” international students at Singapore’s autonomous universities.
No Singaporean student should “be displaced from” an institute of higher learning because of an international student, and autonomous universities should always have enough places to cater to demand from Singaporean students, its manifesto read.
