Chee: I can get ministers to justify their stand on issues

Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan said yesterday that People's Action Party (PAP) ministers had not been "challenged intellectually" in Parliament.

And he hoped Bukit Batok residents will change that when they vote on May 7.

Dr Chee noted that both the PAP and SDP have proposed social programmes and pledged to take care of the estate and manage the town council well but his party's "comparative advantage" was in Parliament. 

"Whether it's retrenchment insurance, whether it's on CPF, whether it's in the elderly getting more financial assistance, pushing for a bigger Budget to ensure that our elderly are taken care of, these are things that I think we have a tremendous advantage in terms of us going and making sure that some of these issues are pushed," he said.

If elected, he would make a "qualitative difference" to Parliament, he added, by making sure that ministers are able to "justify their positions" on issues.

"When you begin to chip away at some of these arguments that they have been getting away with for so long... I think we are then going to start making some headway," said Dr Chee. 

yanliang@sph.com.sg

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