Chee Soon Juan slams PM Wong for ignoring Singaporeans' key concerns in NDR speech

SINGAPORE: Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), has criticized Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for neglecting to address two major concerns of Singaporeans in his recent National Day Rally speech.

According to Dr Chee, PM Wong failed to provide concrete solutions to reduce the cost of living and manage the influx of foreign workers, issues that are paramount to the well-being of Singaporeans.

In a video uploaded to Facebook on Wednesday (21 August), Dr Chee expressed his disappointment that while PM Wong introduced several policy proposals—some of which the SDP welcomes—he did not tackle the most pressing problems facing the nation.

Dr Chee emphasized that reducing the cost of living and cutting down the influx of foreigners while improving labour productivity are the top priorities for Singaporeans.

Citing a statement by Singapore's founding father late Lee Kuan Yew, Dr Chee reminded viewers that Singapore’s economic growth in the past has largely been driven by the importation of labour.

He argued that this reliance on cheap foreign labour has led to businesses neglecting productivity improvements, a trend that must be reversed for sustainable growth.

Dr Chee stressed that the solution lies in controlling the flow of foreign workers and enhancing productivity, as Lee Kuan Yew had advocated.

Dr Chee also raised concerns about the rising property prices, which he attributed to wealthy permanent residents buying up private and commercial properties, thereby driving up the cost of living for ordinary Singaporeans.

He highlighted that HDB resale prices have reached unprecedented levels, with recent news of a record-high transaction exceeding S$1.7 million, making homeownership increasingly unaffordable for younger generations.

Dr Chee also criticised that as the nation's highest paid political office holder, he questioned whether PM Wong with such financial "opulence" could truly understand the struggles faced by ordinary Singaporeans.

He argued that if the government were in touch with the realities on the ground, they would not have implemented various cost increases, such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), bus fares, water prices, and healthcare costs, among others.

Dr Chee urged the government to provide specific and actionable plans on how they intend to reduce the influx of foreign workers and improve productivity.

"Are the younger PAP leaders ignoring what Lee Kuan Yew advocated that is to check the inflow of foreigners and raise productivity? "

He emphasized that vague promises and warm, fuzzy pronouncements are insufficient, and Singaporeans deserve to know precisely how these issues will be addressed.

"Singaporeans need to know specifically, how the government is going to reduce the influx of foreigners, and by how much?"

"We also need to know how the government is going to improve productivity aside from making motherhood statements, like we must transform our economy."

Dr Chee also disappointed that the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has been making similar promises for decades, with little to show for it.

He called for a more concrete and transparent approach from the government in addressing these critical issues that affect the lives of all Singaporeans.