GE2020: PAP's Iswaran calls for PSP to explain trade-offs in proposed review of FTAs

• Mr S Iswaran described PSP's manifesto as a short one filled with broad statements that lack details
• He questions the opposition party's plan to review free-trade agreements without addressing the trade-offs 
• He explained that Singapore would have to give up something if it wants to take away something from such agreements
• Mr Desmond Lee, who is now part of PAP's West Coast GRC with Mr Iswaran, plans to plant 100,000 trees in industrial areas such as Jurong Island and in Tuas

SINGAPORE — Mr S Iswaran called for the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) to explain clearly the trade-offs involved in its call to review Singapore’s free-trade agreements (FTAs), as he took issue with one plank of his opponent’s manifesto.

The People's Action Party (PAP) leader for West Coast Group Representation Constitution (GRC) was speaking on Saturday (July 4) during a walkabout at Boon Lay Place Market and Food Village. 

He was asked about the contest in the GRC where its opponent PSP will be led by former PAP Member of Parliament Tan Cheng Bock. Mr Iswaran said that the focus should be on the “substance of what the two sides have to offer”, rather than on personalities. 

Before Parliament was dissolved on June 23, Mr Iswaran was the minister-in-charge of trade relations and also minister for communications and information. 

He said on Saturday that his West Coast GRC team has outlined policies at the national level to deal with the Covid-19 crisis as well as community programmes for residents.

“And the other side, you have a team that has basically put out a very short manifesto with broad statements, but lacking in detail... about how it will implement the national programmes or the priorities,” he said, adding that it is not enough for PSP to make “broad promises”.

He cited an example of how PSP’s manifesto did not address the trade-offs involved in FTA negotiations.

“What is a trade-off? A trade off means you have to give up something in order to get something.

“They only talk about what they want to get, but they don't tell you what you have to give up in order to get it.”

Among other things, PSP’s manifesto, titled You Deserve Better, proposes a post-Covid-19 resurgence strategy and calls for a minimum living wage.

It also wants to prioritise jobs for Singaporeans by introducing a quota for employment pass holders, lowering the quota for S-pass and work permit holders and reviewing FTAs such as the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Ceca).

Mr Iswaran said that there is no problem with opposition parties saying they want to review FTAs and their trade-offs, but there is a need to understand that every FTA “is a carefully balanced set of benefits and trade-offs”.

“So when you decide that you want to take away something from a trade agreement, the country on the other side is not going to then say, ‘Yes, please do that’ and not do anything about it.

“You have to answer the question... what are you going to give up in order to secure the things that you want? Because the other countries are not going to just give you a free pass."

He added that FTAs secure access for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore to enter large markets such as China, Europe, India and the United States.

If Singapore were to cut back on certain things in the FTA, the other countries may do the same in order to look after their interests, and this could mean SMEs here losing out and jobs being affected.

“You can’t make broad statements and then leave it to the imagination of the population, they deserve to know what exactly you're going to do because that is what governance is about,” he reiterated.

“It's about making those tough trade-offs, but always doing it with the best interests of our people at heart.” 

Other candidates on the five-men PAP team at West Coast GRC are former Jurong GRC Members of Parliament (MP) Desmond Lee and Ang Wei Neng. Ms Foo Mee Har and new face Rachel Ong were also at the walkabout on Saturday.

Dr Tan's PSP team at the GRC comprise Mr Jeffrey Khoo, Ms Hazel Poa, Mr Leong Mun Wai and Mr Nadarajah Loganathan.

Ms Poa and Mr Chan Chun Sing, PAP's first assistant secretary-general, had earlier touched on the issue of PSP’s aim to review FTAs during an online debate on Thursday.

Mr Chan said that in calling for a review of Singapore’s FTAs such as Ceca, PSP failed to consider certain trade-offs.

In response, Ms Poa said that the Government should set some quotas, so that companies may revise their business models instead of relying on cheap labour.

BEING TRANSPARENT 

Dr Tan of PSP was asked during a walkabout at Ayer Rajah Food Centre on Saturday about the party's plan to review FTAs and what trade-offs it was prepared to offer. 

He said that Singapore must “take one step back” and evaluate how these agreements would affect Singaporeans, adding that there is a need to take care of the interests of citizens.

Mr Leong Mun Wai, PSP's assistant secretary-general, said that if the Government is transparent with all the information and it can be proven that FTAs are not in Singapore’s best interests, then the nation has a right to renegotiate these agreements.

“There’s no need for us to put anything on the table because we are losing,” he said, adding that this is not about taking a radical approach and walking away.

PLANS FOR WEST COAST

Mr Desmond Lee from PAP, who moved from Jurong GRC to contest in West Coast GRC, said that if elected, his responsibility will be in the areas of social support and strengthening social safety nets through schemes such as the Community Link and the Kidstart programme that provides comprehensive support to needy families.

Mr Lee also plans to plant 100,000 trees with the help of residents and enterprises in the industrial areas under the GRC, including on Jurong Island and in Tuas. 

This is part of the one-million-trees movement introduced in March, which aims to plant a million trees across Singapore and develop more and better connected green spaces over the next 10 years. 

"The Covid-19 situation is tough and extremely difficult, but I think we need to be prepared for another natural calamity... if we're not focused on tackling climate change," he said. 

"We can seek to find a cure or vaccine for Covid-19 but… there is no vaccination for climate change."