SDP unveils new headquarters in Bukit Batok, signifying strategic readiness for upcoming GE

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) marked a significant milestone on Saturday (11 Nov) with the official unveiling of its new headquarters in Bukit Batok, a clear indication of the party’s preparations for the upcoming General Election.

Situated at WCEGA Tower along Bukit Batok Crescent, the two-storey facility embodies the SDP’s vision for the next General Election (GE), featuring a dedicated “green screen studio” for bolstering their social media presence and well-equipped conference spaces designed for party meetings and press briefings.

The inauguration commenced with a lively lion dance performance and an unconventional ribbon-cutting ceremony held outside the premises.

In a departure from the conventional red ribbon-only ceremonies, the SDP introduced a white-coloured chain along with a wire cutter, handed over to SDP Chairman  Dr Paul Ananth Tambyah.

At the ceremony, event emcee Jaslyn Go, a member of the SDP, elucidated the symbolism of the chain, representing the breaking of the stranglehold imposed by the PAP.

Although Tambyah encountered some challenges in handling the wire cutter, he ultimately succeeded in cutting the chain. In response to the challenge, Go remarked, “Even though it’s hard, we did it!”

Dr Tambyah’s thoughtful reflection on the SDP’s enduring commitment amidst the challenges and triumphs of societal progress

During the official opening ceremony, Dr Tambyah announced a significant change – the renaming of the party’s volunteers to “SDP Changemakers.”

Reflecting on the party’s longstanding commitment to its values over the past forty-three years, he noted the journey of ups and downs in the pursuit of positive societal change.

Addressing the recently announced Forward SG by the Singapore government, Dr Tambyah expressed anticipation as he eagerly delved into the document, hopeful for a substantial policy shift.

However, the glossy Forward SG brochure proved disappointing, filled with vague “motherhood” statements that seemed all too familiar.

Dr Paul Tambyah

To investigate further, Dr Tambyah said he visited the library and discovered that many ideas and promises in the Forward SG brochure appeared to be recycled from “The Next Lap,” a book published in the 1990s to mark the transition from the first generation of leaders to the so-called 2G PAP leadership.

” I say “most” because there is one striking difference. The 2G’s proposal was that within the 20-30 year time frame of the report, in other words in the 2010s, we could “look forward to a gracious living and working environment comfortably accommodating a population of up to 4 million”. ”

He emphasized that this 4 million population figure was taken seriously and repeated three times in the original report. However, he pointed out that by June 2023, the actual population had surpassed expectations, reaching 5.9 million people on the tiny island.

This population increase resulted in significant pressure on citizens, particularly in areas such as transportation, healthcare, and, notably, housing.

Dr Tambyah even referred to the Law and Home Affairs Minister’s statement about using savings from a previous job to pay for government-owned housing.”

“Our learned Law and Home Affairs Minister said in parliament in July, and I quote, ‘I pay for the rental of 26 Ridout Road mostly from renting out my family home, but taking into account one, property tax because the family home is now non-owner occupied and two, income tax on the rental proceeds, there is a net deficit. I top up the deficit. I am, in essence, using my previous lawyer’s income to pay for the rental for 26 Ridout Road. Based on my current income, I would not have offered to rent 26 Ridout Road.’”

“To my knowledge, in no other country in the world, does someone who earns at least $100,000 a month need to dip into his savings from his previous job to pay for the rental for government-owned housing, ” asserted Dr Tambyah.

He emphasized that this issue is undeniably a uniquely Singaporean problem, distinct from the global challenge of inflation as some have suggested.

Dr Tambyah then underscored that the SDP has a comprehensive suite of policies on Housing, Education, Immigration, Healthcare, Climate Change and the Malay Community.

In a critical tone, he pointedly criticized the ruling party, stating that many of these policies have been “liberally borrowed from by the PAP but unfortunately watered down.”

For instance, he highlighted the SDP’s universal healthcare plan, drawing a comparison with the Medishield Life and Healthier SG schemes.

He pointed out the high deductibles, co-payments, caps on benefits, and a mysterious whitelist of drugs in the government schemes, limiting their effectiveness.

“Unfortunately, we cannot implement our policies without being in government, which to be honest is not realistic – at least not for the next one or two election cycles.”

Concern over Constitutional amendments amidst the ruling party’s supermajority in Parliament

For now, Dr Tambyah said what the party can do is to get more than one-third of the seats in parliament for the alternative parties to deny the PAP a two-thirds majority.

“This will prevent the passage of constitutional amendments that are potentially harmful to the people of Singapore.”

He illustrated the relevance of this approach by citing a recent example, the “Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 3) Act 2023.”

This amendment allowed the President to perform foreign and international roles in a private capacity if deemed necessary for the national interest.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singapore’s President since 14 September, following a sweeping victory in the elections, has been an exemplar of Singaporean leadership in global organizations.

Even before his presidency, he held esteemed positions, such as the chairmanship of the G30’s board of trustees, co-chairing the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, membership on the advisory board for the UN Human Development Report, and involvement with the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees.

He currently holds these positions despite the constraints in the constitution.

Dr Tambyah expressed concern that, due to the ruling party’s supermajority in parliament, the Constitution can be amended at will, allowing for potential changes without adequate checks and balances.

Dr Tambyah invites Singaporeans to become SDP Changemakers

Dr Tambyah extends a heartfelt invitation to more Singaporeans to join as SDP Changemakers. Acknowledging the inherent challenges of political work, especially in Singapore, he emphasizes the presence of an exceptionally creative and dedicated team of Members and SDP Changemakers at the event.

Dr Tambyah also emphasized that despite facing numerous restrictions on social media and public assemblies, the SDP has managed to navigate and adapt.

He highlighted the party’s pioneering initiatives, being the first to have a political podcast, the first to create a humorous campaign advertisement, and the first to engage in internet advertising on Google – all before facing bans on these activities.

He further noted that the SDP was the first to experience a POFMA (Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act) challenge and took the matter all the way to the Court of Appeal.

Dr Tambyah assured the audience to anticipate the next innovative move from the SDP, expressing the party’s resilience in the face of challenges and a commitment to exploring new avenues for political engagement.

“That is one thing you can say about the SDP, we never give up. If you think that there are better ways to deal with the cost of living crisis than raising GST by 1%, join us to build a democratic Singapore, based on justice and equality, ” Dr Tambyah concluded.