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Han Hui Hui raps Govt over healthcare, housing, CPF at rally

SINGAPORE — Activist Han Hui Hui, who is running as an independent candidate in Radin Mas Single-Member Constituency, spoke on topics close to her heart at her rally yesterday (Sept 3) — housing and healthcare affordability as well as the Central Provident Fund (CPF).

At her rally at Delta Hockey Pitch on Tiong Bahru Road yesterday, Ms Han Hui Hui criticised Opposition parties that ‘enter Parliament and keep quiet’. Photo: Raj Nadarajan

At her rally at Delta Hockey Pitch on Tiong Bahru Road yesterday, Ms Han Hui Hui criticised Opposition parties that ‘enter Parliament and keep quiet’. Photo: Raj Nadarajan

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SINGAPORE — Activist Han Hui Hui, who is running as an independent candidate in Radin Mas Single-Member Constituency, spoke on topics close to her heart at her rally yesterday (Sept 3) — housing and healthcare affordability as well as the Central Provident Fund (CPF).

Addressing those who turned up at Delta Hockey Pitch along Tiong Bahru Road, the 24-year-old hit out at the Government’s refrain that Housing and Development Board flats are affordable and heavily subsidised.

Prices can be lower, she argued, claiming that 60 per cent of the price of a Build-to-Order flat can be attributed to land cost.

“Who does the land belong to? It belongs to Singaporeans. And they say they’ve given us a discount (through subsidies) and it’s very affordable already,” said Ms Han, whose opponents are the People’s Action Party’s Sam Tan and the Reform Party’s Kumar Appavoo. She also noted that there is still a sizeable number of rental flats in Telok Blangah Crescent, suggesting that many people still cannot afford to own a flat.

On healthcare, Ms Han noted that up to 10.5 per cent of one’s monthly wages goes into the Medisave account, but the system was not “value for money”.

She argued that the size of hospital bills is holding newly-weds back from starting families.

“Why can’t Singaporeans have three to four kids? Because healthcare bills are expensive,” she said.

As for her pet topic, the CPF system, Ms Han railed against the payout eligibility age being raised — it is 64 now and will be 65 from 2018.

“They say when you’re 21 years old, you have to be responsible for (yourself). Whatever you do that is against the law, we’ll send you to prison. So at 21 years old, we can be responsible for our actions but we cannot be responsible for our money? Are you kidding me?” she said.

The rally, which was scheduled for 7pm to 10pm, started past 7.30pm and ended by 9pm. Ms Han was on the stage for only 20 minutes, while her guest speakers, blogger and financial analyst Leong Sze Hian and Socialist Front chairman Ng Teck Siong, had the microphone for the rest of the time. The duo raised the same issues as Ms Han.

Calling for more checks and balances in Parliament, Ms Han said voters should send “people who will really do things” into Parliament.

“Not party hoppers (who) hop here (and) hop there. This is not a grasshopper,” she said. “We need people who attend all parliamentary sessions. We also don’t need Opposition who enter Parliament and keep quiet. We do not need paper tigers.”

Correction: In an earlier version of this story, we wrongly stated the payout eligibility age. The error has been rectified. We are sorry for the error.

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