PUBLISHED ONJuly 06, 2020 7:31 AMByRainer Cheung
The stakes have hardly been higher than now due to the Covid-19 crisis, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his lunchtime rally today (July 6), which was live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube.
With much riding on the 2020 General Election, PM Lee urged Singaporeans not to be "taken for a ride" by the opposition parties.
He said: "The opposition says they are offering Singaporeans insurance in case you need it.
"Don't buy insurance from someone on a promise, especially when you have reason to suspect this company cannot pay out on the insurance, and their cheques will bounce."
With the country in the "middle of a crisis", he criticised the opposition parties for talking as though "the crisis did not exist", staying "completely silent on how to tackle Covid-19 — both during the last six months and in this election campaign."
PM Lee went on to add that the opposition had "nothing to say about getting us out of the downturn, or growing our economy, or creating new jobs." In the same vein, he claimed the opposition's proposals for minimum wage would only serve as an incentive for employers to "drop even more workers" in the face of an economic crisis.
"These are fashionable peacetime slogans, not serious wartime plans. How will we pay for a universal basic income? All the GST increase in the world will not be enough."
Strongest possible team
PM Lee said he had worked hard to field the strongest possible team for this election, including capable ministers and seasoned, energetic ministers, reinforced with a younger generation of promising leaders from varied backgrounds who will bring new ideas and perspectives.
The People's Action Party is fielding 27 new candidates this time, the largest number ever, and several are aged 35-years-old or younger.
"I hope the younger, first-time voters will identify with them and see them as candidates who will represent their views and will advance their interests."
He also clarified that should voters think they had not done delivered and made their lives better, "by all means vote [them] out" but not to send mixed signals if what they wanted was for a PAP MP to look after them.
Pointing at the PAP's strong track record of governance, he declared: "With the PAP, you know that when we promise anything, we will deliver. We have walked with Singaporeans for six decades."
Crisis of a generation
Against the unprecedented pandemic, he pointed to how his government had numerous measures to mitigate the health and economic impact of the pandemic, such as creating almost 30,000 bed spaces — more bed spaces than all the acute hospitals put together — "within weeks".
He also highlighted the country's efforts in preparing for a pandemic "for 17 long years".
During his time in the office, the country ran into the sharp 1985 recession, as well as the Asian Financial Crisis, 9/11, the JI threat and the Global Financial Crisis.
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Each was a grave challenge, he said, but each time the Government led from the front, Singaporeans rallied, and they pulled through.
Now facing the crisis of a generation, he asked Singaporeans for "not just your mandate, but your strong mandate, to lead Singapore through this crisis."
He urged voters to look elsewhere where governments change regularly.
"After a government falls, what follows isn't a new, more stable equilibrium, but more frequent changes of governments and divisive politicking."
"Do not undermine a system that has served you well."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk8oE3QmG7M[/embed]
rainercheung@asiaone.com