GE2020: One more WP MP in parliament will make a difference, says Dennis Tan

It is important to have more voices as well as checks and balances in Singapore's Parliament, the Workers' Party (WP) highlighted in the first episode of its Hammer Show, which premiered on Facebook earlier tonight (July 1).

One of their goals is to break the People's Action Party's (PAP) two-thirds majority in Parliament for it has allowed the ruling party to pass Bills even if they are not supported by most Singaporeans, WP party members said. 

An example cited by Abdul Shariff, WP's candidate for East Coast GRC, is the reserved presidential election in 2017, which was passed despite questions from the public.

"There was disquiet on the ground, but [the changes] were just passed."

Meanwhile, Louis Chua, WP's candidate for Sengkang GRC, said it is the duty of an MP to scrutinise Bills before they are passed into law.

He said: "We have to constantly think about whether or not a particular law is going to be beneficial for Singaporeans, and if it's not, it is up to us MPs to stand up and vote against it." 

Given the current crisis brought on by Covid-19 pandemic, Dennis Tan, who's running for Hougang SMC, said it is not the time to give the PAP a strong mandate.

Instead, he asserted that it is time to elect more WP MPs into Parliament to scrutinise policies so Singapore can emerge from the crisis "in the right way."

"Remember: One more PAP MP does not make a difference. But one more WP MP will," the former NCMP said.

The 41-minute-long video saw party chief Pritam Singh and chairman Sylvia Lim discuss the role of opposition politicians in Parliament with Shariff, Chua and Tan, while Gerald Giam, Faisal Manap, Nicole Seah and Jamus Lim popped in via recorded footage. 

WP will be contesting in the following constituencies: Aljunied, Sengkang, Marine Parade and East Coast GRCs, as well as Hougang and Punggol West SMC.

lamminlee@asiaone.com