GE2020: Any other government wouldn't necessarily do better, says PAP's Josephine Teo

With Singapore's constraints as a "little red dot", overcoming its challenges is much harder than it appears to be.

In fact, "any other government" wouldn't necessarily do better, the People's Action Party's (PAP's) Josephine Teo said in an e-rally for Marymount SMC earlier tonight (July 5).

Teo, who is also Minister for Manpower, appeared on the e-rally to urge voters to support Gan Siow Huang, PAP's candidate for the SMC.

During her speech, Teo also touched on some of Singapore's future challenges and addressed the opposition's criticism of the ruling party.

Singapore faces "intense international competition" and has an economy that is "both strong and vulnerable", Teo said.

"Even before Covid-19, you already knew that whatever lead we have built up can easily be eroded. Your jobs are at stake, your incomes may stagnate."

She continued: "The opposition would like you to believe that all these difficulties are a result of poor policies and an incompetent PAP government. But I think in your heart, most of you understand our constraints as a little red dot.

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"You know from looking at the situation in many other countries with far more resources, that for Singapore to make a living, make a good living for ourselves, that [it is] much harder than it appears.

"You know that any other government will face the same challenges and not necessarily do better."

However, Teo was quick to add the caveat that the PAP "will be the first to admit that we can do better".

This campaign season has seen the opposition take aim at the PAP and Teo in particular on how the Covid-19 pandemic was handled.

In the Constituency Political Broadcasts tonight and yesterday (July 4) both Peoples Voice chief Lim Tean and the Workers' Party's Dennis Tan voiced their concerns — Lim declared that Teo was "careless" in managing the spread of Covid-19 in foreign workers' dormitories, while Tan said that the government's response "left much to be desired".

kimberlylim@asiaone.com