GE2025: Red Dot United proposes cash transfer to all Singaporeans in election manifesto

SINGAPORE - The opposition Red Dot United (RDU) has proposed that an unconditional cash transfer be given to all Singaporeans to increase their financial security, amid rising costs and economic uncertainty.

All Housing Board flats should also be eligible for redevelopment so that older ones can retain their value, instead of experiencing lease decay.

These are key proposals from RDU's 24-page manifesto unveiled on April 19, along with greater support for small local businesses.

In a statement, RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon said: "We are facing a global trade crisis, and Singapore cannot escape getting trampled on when the giants fight."

He added: "A clear plan of action is exactly what citizens need right now as we face even greater uncertainty, both locally and globally." 

RDU is the latest party to release its election manifesto ahead of the May 3 polls, after the PAP, WP, PSP, People's Power Party and Singapore People's Party.

RDU is expected to contest Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Nee Soon GRC, Jurong Central SMC and Jalan Kayu SMC, as stated in its manifesto.

Asked if he can confirm that these will be the five constituencies that RDU will contest, Mr Philemon said that was the plan, "up till now, until this moment".

The manifesto said the 5Cs of the past - cash, car, credit card, condominium and country club memberships - symbolised success and upward mobility, but have become unattainable for many.

"In their place, a new set of 5Cs seems to have emerged: cash handouts, CDC vouchers, CPF top-ups, conservancy rebates and Chas card rebates."

"Singaporeans cannot dream or build a future on handouts," read the manifesto, adding that many citizens struggle with rising costs, stagnant wages and an ever-growing class divide.

RDU said it would champion a "Citizens Dividend", an unconditional cash transfer that serves as a financial safety net for all Singaporeans, given to the most vulnerable first. It is meant to address how economic uncertainty, rising costs and increasing job competition from abroad are threatening financial security.

Asked for details about the Citizens Dividend, Mr Philemon - who helmed the press conference at his party's headquarters in Ubi along with central executive council member Pang Heng Chuan - referred to a shadow Budget that RDU released in February.

That document said the universal cash transfer programme will begin with a pilot, targeting the bottom 20 per cent of adult Singaporeans with a $200 monthly payout. This will cost $1.44 billion annually. When fully implemented, it will provide $200 per month to some 2.66 million adult Singaporeans, with an estimated annual budget of $6.38 billion.

As for how the initiative will be funded, Mr Philemon said: "As a credible and responsible opposition party, we're not asking for the reserves to be touched."

He suggested that the annual Budget surplus would be sufficient. Singapore recorded a higher-than-expected surplus of $6.4 billion in the 2024 fiscal year.

On public housing, RDU said Singaporeans are paying "top dollar" for flats that will eventually depreciate to zero value, and proposed that every housing estate should be eligible for the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme.

"The lack of long-term security, coupled with rising prices, has made home ownership a growing financial burden rather than a source of stability."

It also said that small enterprises should be helped by moderating rents and making grants more accessible, "so that local entrepreneurs can thrive in an economy that has increasingly prioritised large corporations and foreign investments".

As small enterprises are one of the largest employers in Singapore, RDU said its plans to support them will, in turn, provide a stable and sustainable environment for their employees. 

Other plans detailed in the manifesto included ensuring MediFund serves as a primary safety net for all Singaporeans, revising laws such as the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act to "serve public interest rather than political control", and passing a Freedom of Information Act to allow citizens to ask for information from the Government.

Mr Philemon said the manifesto was ultimately not about policy, but about rethinking the kind of society that Singaporeans want: "A new social contract that ensures that opportunity is not a privilege for a select few, but a promise to all."

RDU has introduced potential candidates for Nee Soon GRC, the newly formed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.