[CONSOLIDATED] Singapore General Election 2025 Discussion Thread

[StoicGuy]

When I think of Smart nation 2.0. I thought of our silly ERP2.0 to be installed in our cars...

 

[technolust]

Smart Nation and AI policy director resigns, third senior civil servant to quit ahead of GE2025

Ms Goh Hanyan will leave the service on April 3.PHOTO: GOVINSIDER.ASIA

SINGAPORE – A senior civil servant overseeing Singapore’s Smart Nation and AI policies has resigned and is set to stand in the next general election.

Ms Goh Hanyan, a director in the Smart Nation Strategy Office and the national AI group for policy and strategy in the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), will leave the service on April 3, The Straits Times has learnt.

She is the third high-ranking civil servant known to step down ahead of the election so far, following the resignations of deputy secretary Jasmin Lau from the Ministry of Health and Mr Foo Cexiang, a director from the Ministry of Transport.

Ms Goh was involved in shaping Singapore’s refreshed Smart Nation plan, known as Smart Nation 2.0, as well as the coordination and implementation of the Republic’s refreshed National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

Before her stint at MDDI, she was working on economy and sustainability under the strategy group in the Prime Minister’s Office for just under four years.

She had previously spent about a decade at the Economic Development Board, which included a three-year stint in Washington DC in the United States.

The Straits Times has contacted her for comment.

Her resignation comes ahead of a general election widely expected by mid-year.

The PAP has traditionally tapped public service leaders when sourcing for candidates. Those who are chosen to stand often resign in the lead-up to the election, as they are not allowed to participate in political activities while in service.

In the past, public servants have quit their roles close to the start of the hustings.

In the 2020 General Election, East Coast GRC MP Tan Kiat How, who was then chief executive of the Infocomm Media Development Authority, stepped down from his post on June 20. His resignation was publicly announced five days earlier.

The writ of election was issued on June 23, with July 10 set as Polling Day.

Mr Tan, who is now Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information as well as National Development, was one of the last resignations from the public service that year.

Mr Desmond Tan, who used to be chief executive of the People’s Association, left the public service slightly less than a month before Polling Day.

• Goh Yan Han is political correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes Unpacked, a weekly newsletter on Singapore politics and policy.
• Ng Wei Kai is a journalist at The Straits Times, where he covers politics. He writes Unpacked, a weekly newsletter on Singapore politics and policy.

Who was the pap politician who said civil service and pap not linked ? Recruit from civil service already form some sort of patronage and network liao....

 

[yperic]

When is li hongyi turn?

He say before he will not join political.

 

[icebleue]

why all females de.. lol

 

[Whimsica]

Ng Chee Meng going Jalan Kayu SMC?????

Seems like it... even ZB "speculated".

This guy has was supposed to lead a team and win in the last election, then move on from co-Education Minister to Defence Minister, but failed to do so.

Second and final chance this time round.

Ng Eng Hen already 66 yo and they will have to go with another person if NCM still cannot get in on his own.



https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/singapore/story20250324-6060462

全国职工总会秘书长黄志明在芬维尔区做家访接触选民，料在来届大选竞逐新单选区惹兰加由。

有芬维尔（Fernvale）居民告诉《联合早报》，近日收到人民行动党的门把挂牌，上头以四种语言印上黄志明的名字和社交媒体等信息。挂牌上的文字也以第一人称写道，黄志明在“例常家访”中曾到访过，并希望能在下一次走访时会见居民。

黄志明最近曾参与芬维尔的社区活动，包括在3月16日，与国务资政李显龙和负责芬维尔基层事务的宏茂桥集选区议员颜添宝同时出席活动。

 

[fandango]

Seems like it... even ZB "speculated".

This guy has was supposed to lead a team and win in the last election, then move on from co-Education Minister to Defence Minister, but failed to do so.

Second and final chance this time round.

Ng Eng Hen already 66 yo and they will have to go with another person if NCM still cannot get in on his own.



https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/singapore/story20250324-6060462

全国职工总会秘书长黄志明在芬维尔区做家访接触选民，料在来届大选竞逐新单选区惹兰加由。

有芬维尔（Fernvale）居民告诉《联合早报》，近日收到人民行动党的门把挂牌，上头以四种语言印上黄志明的名字和社交媒体等信息。挂牌上的文字也以第一人称写道，黄志明在“例常家访”中曾到访过，并希望能在下一次走访时会见居民。

黄志明最近曾参与芬维尔的社区活动，包括在3月16日，与国务资政李显龙和负责芬维尔基层事务的宏茂桥集选区议员颜添宝同时出席活动。

So this Jalan Kayu SMC is PAP bao jiak liao?

 

[icebleue]

So this Jalan Kayu SMC is PAP bao jiak liao?

me think he will be voted out cos the population should be around 31-55.
those who go through army should know army officers' capabilities.

 

[Jos_stick]

Sengkang will still in WP hand or go back to lighting ?

 

[boredom2012]

He say before he will not join political.

Things might be unpredictable

 

[HYHY123]

This is funny

How much of it is due to the MP
Or Town Council and HDB and government authorities already have plans to do things to it

Anyway to say it's improvement isn't accurate
It won't improve till they tear down all the low lying flats

Plus the road there has always been funny.
They probably need to follow the drains and basically redo everything from scratch
Be bold.and imagine all the old flats.and grass patches & buildings gone and dream up new buildings and then do the roads

U saying the MP has zero influence ?

community works, improvements, facilities . New covered walkways , lifts to overhead bridges for wheelchair users- esp in ageing locations, are improvements

Rebuilding no need money? New roads for car users convenience or community improvement works to elderlies who actually spent most of their time in the hood. U tell me what ppl live there will prefer

 

[Bam25th]

Will vote for her cause she’s cute.
Too bad she’s not in my GRC/SME.

To me, all politicians are the same, so I vote for the more likeable (i.e. cute) one.

 

[GarnetDragon]

 

[somewhat]

Tin has served as an MP for 15 years yet has not been promoted to Parliamentary Secretary or Minister of State, indicating that the PAP leadership does not see her as a capable candidate for higher office. This suggests she may step aside in the upcoming election or the one after. Her recent move to the private sector appears to be a strategic preparation for life after politics.

 

[Whimsica]

So this Jalan Kayu SMC is PAP bao jiak liao?

Not really I think NCM still has to prove himself.

This SMC is more a test or distraction to WP because I think LLL prefers SMC but WP will need her in either Marine Parade or East Coast to have a better chance of winning.

And this SMC will also cause rifts among Oppo parties because many will want to run there.

 

[Sango123]

At the end of the day, only the residents there will know if she made improvements or not, how well she connects with the residents there etc.

If based on the results from last election, she definitely did something good for the residents and connect well with them.

It is quite easy for opposition to win 30% votes or more, so to win by more than 70% indicates she is very popular there and definitely doing things right

 

[Tormented Soul]

Tbh SMC sure win unless opposition got a good candidate. Only jiapalang parties so far interested in jalan kayu so its a safe bet for him

 

[TwyPlasma]

And this SMC will also cause rifts among Oppo parties because many will want to run there.

They already know what happened in Punggol East, so its up to them if they want to be stubborn

 

[yperic]

'Fantasy. Magic. Lies.': PAP's Alvin Tan says S'poreans will hear calls by Opposition to do things that sound 'nice & easy'​

"Yet there are people who do not hold them to the same standards they hold PAP MPs. By allowing them that latitude, we restrict our policy space even more."

Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Community, Culture & Youth penned a stinging post on his Facebook page, urging Singaporeans to hold opposition MPs to the same standards as they do with PAP MPs.

He added that he would stand in the upcoming general election, if asked, "to deny charlatans the opportunity to destroy what generations of PAP leaders have built over 60 years."

Video of Lee Kuan Yew's 1988 NDR speech​

Tan's post included a video of then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew speaking at the 1988 National Day Rally, where he discussed good governance and measuring opposition parties by the "same yardstick".

Tan said he left his private life and the private sector to serve in political office "in large part because of this man", referring to Lee. He added that he was eight years old at the time of the speech, yet Lee's words "ring true today."

Tan then discussed the opposition campaign for the upcoming election:

"This upcoming general elections, we will hear calls by the Opposition to do things that sound nice and easy to do - cheaper, better, at little or no costs. These are all fantasy, magic, lies."

Tan said that running Singapore, which has few resources, requires "guile and grit."

He added that Singapore had to and must continue to remain "open and connected to the world", "transparent with our people about the trade-offs," "sharp" about public finances and "not promise what will harm Singapore in the long term."

Tan then listed a number of examples where he had issues with the opposition.

Hiking GST and fiscal marksmanship​

"The Opposition’s calls against the GST is a popular refrain. But the fact is health care costs will rise. Look at the challenges in the UK with the NHS and most of the modern world.

Look at the public finance challenges faced by jurisdictions like HK and Indonesia. Their simplistic views about fiscal marksmanship belie their position - and raises red flags as to how they will manage our nation’s finances."

The reference to "fiscal marksmanship" is the same phrase used by Pritam Singh in his speech in response to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's 2025 Budget.

WP proposed independent parliamentary budget office​

During the debate on the Budget, Singh said the PAP had shown "poor fiscal marksmanship" in matching Singapore's expenditure needs with revenue, due to an overall fiscal surplus of S$6.8 billion.

Singh called for the money set aside for spending to be accounted for in a more "institutionalised fashion with greater public scrutiny." He brought up the WP's previous proposal of an independent parliamentary budget office, which was rejected.

Singh said that such an office would benefit the government in light of such unpredictable predictions, adding that accountability for public expenditure and programmes would strengthen Singapore's social compact.

Comprehensive assurance package together with the hike: PM Wong​

Several PAP Members of Parliament rebutted Singh on this point, including PM Wong, reminding that the government proceeded with the GST hike once the economy had stabilised, but also rolled out a comprehensive assurance package that effectively delayed the impact of the GST increase for many Singaporean households.

Meanwhile, the PSP believe that Singapore has the resources necessary to pay for large healthcare cost increases forecasted by the government without the GST hike, and as such, opposed the Budget that included the hike in 2022.

Repeal of 377A​

"The Opposition’s approach to Section 377A also reveals how they will govern Singapore.

Vote according to conscience (WP) and referendum (PSP).

These are no way to lead and govern our country. These are derelictions of duty. Weak leadership."

During the repeal of 377A, the PAP exercised the party whip, which meant that all PAP MPs had to vote for it.

At the time, PM Wong said that in a diverse society that Singapore, it wasn't possible for every group to have everything they want, but a compromise had to be reached and people can live harmoniously together.

"That is the Singapore way", PM Wong said, adding that is how we can continue to deal with sensitive issues, while keeping our social fabric intact.

Meanwhile, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam called out the WP's lack of an official position on the issue and questioned how they would function if they were "in charge".

WP lifted the whip​

Ultimately, the WP lifted the whip instead, allowing its MPs to vote for or against the repeal as they wished.

Six WP MPs supported repealing 377a while three were against repealing.

At the time Pritam Singh said 377A is unique as it was conceived through a religious lens and a "matter of conscience" by many in Singapore.

Noting that the PAP did not lift the whip, he said that given the varied public opinion on the matter, there is a risk of the democratic value of Parliament being "diluted" if views were not adequately ventilated.

PSP called for referendum​

Meanwhile, PSP called for a national referendum on the issue instead, saying it allowed Singaporeans who have expressed concerns to "have a say", although the PSP, after some internal debate, ultimately supported the repeal.

However, PM Wong had pointed out that constitutionally, a referendum is only required when sovereignty is at stake, and Singapore had only one referendum in its history, namely the merger with Malaya.

'Flip-flop' on housing​

"They also flip flop on their positions on housing. Is it affordable or is it not?

And their proposals will distort the market, and make homeowners worse off.

They also fail to highlight how 8 out of 10 of homeowners who receive their keys last year could pay fully using CPF."

Tan did not go into detail how the opposition "flip-flopped" on their housing positions, but housing is a hot-button topic in this government's term, notably in a 2023 debate over a PSP motion on housing which lasted a marathon 12 hours

National Development Minister Desmond Lee pointed out that a 2019 Working Paper produced by the WP on HDB resale prices raised concerns about a possible oversupply of flats instead.

"Had we tapered down our supply to WP’s level in 2019, or listened to you and your experts, I think our BTO shortage would be even greater today," said Lee.

Concomitantly, PSP's Leong Mun Wai set forth his party's Affordable Housing Scheme, which allows Singaporeans to obtain flats without land costs as long as they're meant for owner-occupation, while then-WP MP Leon Perera outlined his party's proposals, such as allowing flats to be sold with 70-year leases with an option to "top up" another 29 years.

In the 2025 Committee of Supply debate, Lee updated that the ministry is on track to meet the 2021 target of launching 100,000 new flats by 2025.

Hold opposition MPs to the same standard​

Tan concluded his post by appealing to the public to hold opposition MPs to the "same standards" as PAP ones.

He added that he intends to stand for election in the upcoming GE, if asked.

"Yet there are people who do not hold them to the same standards they hold PAP MPs. By allowing them that latitude, we restrict our policy space even more. And soon, we will not be extraordinary.

We will wither and cease to be of use to anyone in the world. We would be a poor island state, asking for handouts.

That’s why I will continue to run in this GE, if asked to do so. To deny charlatans the opportunity to destroy what generations of PAP leaders have built over 60 years.

I hope we vote in the best team who has and will continue to deliver for Singapore. To honour the legacy that Mr Lee and his team left us."

You can read his full post below:



Top image from Alvin Tan's Facebook page.

 

[jonesftw]

 

[mouserabbit]

me think he will be voted out cos the population should be around 31-55.
those who go through army should know army officers' capabilities.

Need WP to contest to be 50-50
The 3 Rubbish parties would not stand a chance.