3 highlights from SDA's Harminder Pal Singh's e-rally

The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) may have all their eggs in one basket by only contesting in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, but party chief media officer Harminder Pal Singh assured Singaporeans that their GST proposal sets them apart from others.

In an almost two-hour e-rally yesterday (July 4), Singh shared the party's proposed post-Covid-19 recovery efforts, such as reducing GST to 3 per cent and implementing a progressive GST system.  

Too busy to watch? We've got you covered. Here are three highlights from Singh's online rally:

"High cost of living"

"We are going to address the burden of the high cost of living by pushing for the GST to go down to only 3 per cent, for food, household items and necessities," Singh said. 

"This move will especially help the lower- and middle-class Singaporeans, like you and I."

The party also proposed a progressive GST system for luxury items, up to 15 per cent. This is the biggest difference in SDA's manifesto and post-Covid-19 plans from every other party, he said.  

We are going to address the burden of the high cost of living by pushing for the GST to go down to only 3 per cent, for food, household items and necessities.

Citing the government's plans to raise GST to 9 per cent between 2021 and 2025, Singh said it would be "a disaster for those who are already grappling with the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic".

Alternative voices in the post-Covid-19 period

When sharing his thoughts on the pandemic, Singh felt that even a country like Singapore has not been adequately prepared.

Even in a first-world country like Singapore, our healthcare system has not been adequately prepared to face all the issues that have come up. That's why we need alternative voices, to make sure that we are able to think of good solutions in the post-Covid-19 period.

Singh shared his recent hospital experience, when he was told that "there were no available beds because of the overwhelming effects of Covid-19". 

He described what he saw when wheeled into several wards in search of a bed: "In the corner of the rooms, there were still many elderly persons who were sitting in wheelchairs with blankets on top, because they also didn't have a bed available.

"What I saw really made me cry." 

"We are ready to have the responsibility of having at least one-third of the seats in Parliament"

In response to a viewer who asked if the SDA was ready to be a good representation in Parliament, Singh said:

I think in this current election the opposition may not have enough numbers to form the government, but we are ready to have the responsibility of having at least one-third of the seats in Parliament.

He referenced a line from Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's book, Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going: "I think there will come a time when eventually the public will say, look, let's try the other side, either because the PAP has declined in quality or the Opposition has put up a team which is equal to the PAP."

Singh said that maybe the time will come on Polling Day (July 10).

"Mr Lee Kuan Yew and the first-generation government in Singapore also came from the Opposition.

"They were given the right, they were given the brave votes by the people of Singapore," Singh added. 

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yukiling@asiaone.com