I’ll be full-time MP and a voice in Parliament, says Chee

SINGAPORE — Pledging to effectively manage a town council and to be a voice to raise hard questions in Parliament should he get elected, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan said Bukit Batok residents can have the best of both worlds if they vote for him in the by-election on May 7.

Dr Chee said he would ensure the estate is taken care of with “maximum efficiency and minimum wastage” and he would serve full-time, instead of outsourcing the work to a managing agent.

This would reflect his priorities, he said at last night’s SDP rally, which is the first of four that the party plans to hold in the lead-up to Polling Day.

Dr Chee also drew attention to national issues such as Singapore’s lacklustre productivity figures and the push for more innovation, saying that change is needed.

“If we don’t change, we die, it’s as plain as that. And the one thing we must do to change is that our political system must allow the people the freedom to speak, to express themselves without getting sued by the Prime Minister, without the media filtering what we say and constantly portraying the People’s Action Party (PAP) as a party of heroes,” he said, asserting that the PAP did not quite know what to do to lift productivity rates.

The “long, hard” process of change can start at Bukit Batok if residents elect a party that has “emphasised a need to open up society so that our people have the space to freely question and debate practices that are crucial for society to become creative and innovative”, said Dr Chee.

The questions he wants to pose in Parliament include the salary levels of ministers, the transparency of sovereign wealth funds GIC and Temasek, and the cost of public flats, he said.

Asking if his PAP rival, Mr Murali Pillai, would do the same, Dr Chee said: “Will he ask why the Government tells Singaporeans that there’s no need to get a degree, yet give foreign students generous grants to study at our universities? Will he ask why the GIC refuses to disclose how much of our reserves it has and how much it made or lost while the Government continues to withhold our Central Provident Fund savings?”

Earlier during the rally, another speaker, SDP chairman Dr Wong Souk Yee, said it was time for Bukit Batok residents “to make a difference in Parliament”.

“What we have is a lopsided Parliament, in which laws are passed without any meaningful debate or challenge. What we need in Parliament is obvious: We need more opposition voices in Parliament precisely because PAP MPs are not able to perform this critical role that is required of all Members of Parliament,” she said.

Dr Chee also asked if Mr Murali would put his role as an MP first if he is elected, by first finishing his work at the town council each day before tending to matters as a lawyer.

Appealing to residents that “we may not get another chance like this”, Dr Chee said he hears them on estate issues and assures that upgrading works would continue should he be elected.

“You can put your mind at ease on this. With this assurance, you can vote for someone who will speak up for you, who will make a difference in Parliament.

“In other words, it’s a win-win situation,” said Dr Chee. “You can have the best of both worlds.”