SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party politician Yee Jenn Jong turned a recently-used phrase on its head in a social media post by saying that the WP is “not standing still,” referencing a sentence in a Straits Times article that party chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh called out as false. On Tuesday (Apr 17), Mr Singh issued a “Correction Notice” on his Facebook page over an ST opinion piece titled “Creating forward momentum for next GE when Lawrence Wong is PM.” In it, Dr Gillian Koh, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore had w ..read more

SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s estranged younger brother, Lee Hsien Yang, has questioned whether soon-to-be PM Lawrence Wong can really call the shots if the current premier remains in the Cabinet. PM Lee announced this week that the long-awaited handover to his successor, Finance Minister Wong, will take place on 15 May. The current PM will stay on as a Senior Minister within the Cabinet, echoing the role his predecessors took when they stepped down as head of government. Expressing doubt as to whether Mr Wong will be able to lead Singapore without influence, Mr Lee Hs ..read more

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Elections Department (ELD) has confirmed that the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has yet to be convened, sparking speculation about the timing of the next general election. The establishment of the EBRC is a crucial precursor to the scheduling of a general election. Historically, once the committee is formed, a general election could be held anywhere between four months to a year from the announcement of its commission. The last time the committee was convened was in August 2019, preceding the general elections in July 2020. Questions surrounding the timin ..read more

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Prime Minister-to-be, Lawrence Wong, will need to make tackling cost of living as top priority, analysts have opined. A recent survey by Bloomberg showed that nine of 12 economists agreed that tackling inflation should be a top priority, echoing the cost of living concerns of many Singaporeans. With the cost of living being the biggest worry, nine out of twelve experts in the survey emphasised the need to deal with core inflation. Despite efforts by Singapore’s central bank to maintain tight monetary policies, allowing the local dollar to strengthen and mitigate importe ..read more

SINGAPORE: The national broadsheet has issued a print correction after Workers’ Party secretary-general and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh published a “Correction Notice” on his Facebook page over a statement in an opinion piece that was published in The Straits Times on April 17. In a subscribers-only piece titled ‘Creating forward momentum for next GE when Lawrence Wong is PM,’ Dr Gillian Koh, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore wrote, “The WP said it will tilt towards the strategy of fighting to form the Government at t ..read more

SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party (WP) member Terence Tan confirmed today (11 Apr) that he resigned from the party in January, this year. Mr Tan, who is married to WP MP He Ting Ru, said he has made the decision to resign due to personal reasons but remains a loyal supporter of the opposition party. Mr Tan told 8World that he has decided to end his political career to spend more time with his three young children, focus on his career and look for other opportunities. He added that he is not considering joining other political parties. Mr Tan pointed out that his wife is already very busy as an MP for ..read more

SINGAPORE: Are the elections just around the corner? No announcements have been made, but the different political parties appear to be getting ready. While Progress Singapore Party chairman Tan Cheng Bock broadly hinted earlier this year that he may be contesting again, more recently, at a chance encounter with Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, Dr Tan teased that he was “campaigning.” The PSP chair posted about their unexpected meet-up on Facebook on Saturday (April 6), where he captured their brief, friendly exchange. “What are You Doing Here in Arab Street?” The Minister asked. ‘Campaignin ..read more

SINGAPORE: In Parliament this week, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon said that at present, there are no plans to review the annual leave entitlements. However, he encouraged employers to review the employment benefits they offer “to better attract and retain talent” in Singapore’s tight labour market. Dr Koh said this in response to a question from PAP Member of Parliament Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon GRC). Mr Ng asked when the minimum annual leave entitlement of seven days under the Employment Act of 1968 for eligible employees would be reviewed. He followed this up by ..read more

SINGAPORE: Rumours that the next general election may be called as soon as this year have intensified after a high profile new face was spotted joining  the ruling People’s Action Party team on the ground at Marine Parade GRC, recently. Dr Choo Pei Ling, an Assistant Professor with the Health and Social Sciences Cluster at Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), was spotted in Facebook photos on Mar 26 (Tuesday) shared by Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, who has been representing Marine Parade in Parliament since 2020. Dr Tan posted photos of the PAP MPs Edwin Tong and Seah Kian Peng in ..read more

SINGAPORE: While Singapore makes provision for child care leave, why not do the same for people who now have to take responsibility for the care of the elderly members of their families, especially singles, argued Workers Party Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) in Parliament earlier this month. In a speech on Mar 4, Assoc Prof Lim pointed out the “asymmetry” between childcare and eldercare leave, further saying that women often have the burden of caregiving for both children and elderly family members. He broached the idea of “family care” instead, which includes, to begin with, two days paid lea ..read more