Vote for opposition and send a message to PAP that they cannot just do what they want, says WP's Low Thia Kiang

“The government has money, but not the citizens. PAP makes the taxes so high that the citizens are helpless.”  

This refrain, adapted from a Teochew rhyme, has been used by former Workers’ Party chief Low Thia Kiang at rallies during previous general elections.

And it is how he kicks off his speech in a video that was posted on the Workers’ Party’s Facebook page this morning (July 8).

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/workersparty/videos/277817846870271/[/embed]

Speaking in Mandarin, the former teacher shared that the discrimination in the education system he witnessed led him to enter politics. 

And while he did get elected in 1991, naysayers questioned his ability to be effective since he was Chinese-educated with a poor grasp of English and Parliament and government proceedings were conducted primarily in English. 

But Low said he did not let that deter him and persisted in speaking up in Parliament. 

Over his 29 years in Parliament, he has seen many changes in the laws such as the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) scheme, the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) scheme and the reserved presidential election. 

“Though I objected to the changes (in the law), because of the lack of a strong opposition presence in Parliament, I was unable to stop them and I felt very frustrated,” he said. 

“All these years, the ruling party has retained a supermajority and don’t take the views the opposition to heart. 

“Times have changed but the ruling party still does not change its ways. It uses the Parliament to launch personal attacks.”

A tight slap to the ruling party

He may have experienced lawsuits, smear campaigns and an unequal political playing field, but Low said these incidents strengthed his conviction that Singapore needs a rational and responsible opposition. 

And this is why he left Hougang to stand for election in Aljunied GRC in 2011. And the results, where WP won, was a “tight slap to the ruling party” and conveyed the people’s expectations of achieving democratic progress and improvements to their lives, he shared. 

Thanking the Hougang residents for forgoing priority in HDB upgrading in the name of democracy and Aljunied voters for their historic 2011 decision, he urged voters to stand behind the new generation of WP candidates and “build a just and democratic Singapore”. 

Not retired, just stepping back

Explaining that the WP ideals for a fair and equal society are unachievable by a single person, he shared that he has been planning for party renewal ever since he became the WP secretary-general. 

His decision not to stand for election this year is an important milestone in his renewal plan and he believes in current chief Pritam Singh’s abilities to lead WP’s next steps. 

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But he is not retiring from politics, merely “stepping back without resting”, he said, sharing that he will play an active role in imparting knowledge and sharing his experiences with younger party members, guiding them to be effective in Parliament. 

He urged voters to not let the momentum of what WP has achieved through hard work, careful planning and sacrifice die down, by voting for the young WP candidates.

“There is no doubt that the People’s Action Party will return to power and form the government again,” he said. 

“But with the economic uncertainty ahead, should we just bet on the ruling party’s decision and hope that they take good care of the people in need?

“Or should we groom more opposition members with alternative views and opinions to enter Parliament, to have more well-rounded thoughts and discussions on policies,” he said.

He concluded his speech by saying that voting for more opposition members in Parliament is “a message to the ruling party that support of the people is not a foregone conclusion and the government cannot just do what they want”. 

“Make your vote count for the future, vote for Workers’ Party.”

WP has also released a video of Low delivering his speech in Teochew. 

The WP is contesting in this year's election with 21 candidates in Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC, East Coast GRC, Sengkang GRC, Marine Parade GRC and Punggol West SMC.

kailun@asiaone.com