PAP’s new CEC signals continuity over renewal, say analysts; Cost of living, jobs remain top priorities for rest of term, says PM Wong: Singapore live news

In a social media post, Lim called PM Wong’s claims an “incredible double standard”. He pointed to what he described as PAP policy reversals over the years. These included the Government’s positions on stopping at two children, unemployment insurance, and minimum wages for local workers, as well as the repeal of Section 377A, which criminalised sex between men.

Within this term of Parliament, Lim added, the PAP had also changed its positions on smaller class sizes and COE categorisation by engine size. In those cases, the ruling party resisted alternatives until the last moment. Lim also said PM Wong’s criticism lacked nuance and took the WP’s positions out of context.

On housing, PM Wong had said the WP called for fewer new HDB flats to be built in 2019, when resale prices were falling. He noted that the party later criticised the Government for not building enough flats in 2023, following COVID-19 construction disruptions. Lim said the earlier position was raised in the context of lease decay, a longer-term policy challenge. It was not about the short-term construction disruptions caused by the pandemic.

On foreign manpower, PM Wong cited the WP’s 2012 call for greater flexibility in hiring foreign workers, as well as its call for zero growth in the foreign workforce during the population debate. He contrasted these with the party’s recent calls to ease foreign worker quotas amid manpower shortages faced by small and medium-sized enterprises. Lim said the WP has always maintained that foreign workers are not fundamentally an issue for a nation of immigrants. Its concern, he explained, is the pace of inflows and the pressure they place on Singapore’s physical and institutional infrastructure.

Beyond the specific disagreements, Lim argued that parties should be willing to change their positions when circumstances or evidence warrant it. Back-and-forth debate refines policy and keeps it relevant, he said. He added that parties should not sacrifice key principles, but neither should they stubbornly cling to outdated policy ideas.

PAP party newsletter Petir responded to Lim in a separate Facebook post on 25 Oct. It said the issue was not whether policies should change, but whether a party’s different positions add up to a coherent approach that accounts for trade-offs and consequences. On foreign manpower, it asked whether the WP’s calls formed part of a carefully considered approach, or were simply shifting positions to suit whichever concern was most pressing at the time.

Policy changes can reflect new evidence, changing circumstances, or lessons learnt, Petir added. However, they must rest on a clear rationale, with the wider consequences properly considered and explained.

For more on the exchange between the PAP and WP, read here.