The 13th post-independence general election held last month on 10 July marked a remarkable and historic milestone in Singapore’s political development. Remarkable as it was held amid an ongoing global pandemic, historic for the largest voter turnout, the largest number of political parties contesting, and a respectable number of votes for alternate parties…. Singaporeans need to re-think about the adequacy of our current political system and prepare for discussions for reforms that will enable us to build a “new normal” that respects human rights and democratic participation… We should revert to single constituencies to allow each individual MP to achieve the mandate required to make it into the legislature… The welfare of workers both local and foreign which once had taken a backseat to the interests of shareholders and business owners became so bad that it could no longer be ignored. Migrant workers residing, or more correctly now, trapped, in dormitories were the hardest hit… The neglected segment of the workforce now contributes more than 94% of the total number of infections… The calls for electoral and political reforms are not made in a vacuum. Better political institutions and practices will almost always lead to better decisions that affects the daily socio-economic pressures Singaporeans face.
Keep Reading →Our island state was founded more than 50 years ago on the basis of “one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation”. .. Half a century later, these very ideals have been eroded to the point where the livelihood of citizens are threatened ... wealth inequality has not improved in the last 5 years and income growth has slowed across the board except for the wealthiest. No matter how much assistance the government gives, there will always remain a segment of the population that cannot catch up. This is when social expenditure of the government must increase. .. The current exploitative nature of work is unsustainable where its workers clocked 2,371.2 hours in 2016, the longest in the world. .. It is ironic that the hardworking and old Singaporean workers cannot afford to retire even after a lifetime contributing to the nation’s economy. .. what then is the social contract of Singaporeans with regard to its employers and government?
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