FROM MANAGING the cost of living to asking tough questions about GST, 21 PAP MPs spoke up in Parliament this Wednesday (26 Feb). They advocated on how best to use Budget 2025 for the causes they champion and the people they serve.
Alleviating cost-of-living pressures and helping middle-class families
Source: Lim Biow Chuan, Gan Thiam Poh, Liang Eng Hwa / Facebook
MP Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten SMC) spoke frankly and called for the government to consider strongly the plight of some Singaporeans. Just like many of our PAP MPs, he spoke not just to defend the Budget, but where he thinks more can be done for their residents. Our PAP MPs do not shy away from asking difficult and tough questions in Parliament.
He spoke up too for middle-income earners who feel they do not get as much help from government schemes as lower-income Singaporeans do.
“How can the Government do its part to manage the cost of living?” asked MP Lim about this era of rising global inflation. “[Vouchers] will hence never be sufficient, especially if prices keep going up.”
MP Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio) asked for further Workfare boosts for lower-income workers.
“Can the payouts be increased to take into account the rise in the cost of living, and adjusted to provide a higher cash component?” he asked, especially asking on behalf of seniors, people with disabilities and ex-offenders. “I would like to appeal for the qualifying wage ceiling for the Senior Employment Credit, Enabling Employment Credit and Uplifting Employment Credit (UEC) to be increased from $4,000 to $5,000, to bring them closer to $5,500, the nominal median monthly income.”
“This would allow a bigger group of workers to qualify for wage offsets for their employers and boost their employability,” he detailed.
MP Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang SMC), in similar vein, asked for a one-off fare subsidy from the Government should the Public Transport Council recommend a fare increase.
He also asked if GST increases could have been delayed, in light of the budget surplus.
“These are eye-catching numbers,” said MP Liang. “Although it should be noted that the Assurance Packages in earlier budgets would have delayed the effect of the GST rates increase by at least 5 years for the majority of Singapore households.”
Our MPs have been reflecting the concerns of their residents, with regards to the cost of living and making sure that no Singaporean is left behind during this difficult time.
Helping caregivers by making appointments easier
Source: Tan Wu Meng, Ang Wei Neng / Facebook
Caregivers in particular, need more support, being responsible, not just for their own wellbeing, but for a loved one as well.
MP Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) called on the Government, “and especially the Ministry of Finance” to have a more all-rounded view when funding care, or simplifying a patient’s visits to healthcare facilities.
Reducing the number of times a patient journeys to a clinic, for instance, would lighten the load on caregivers. It would make these caregivers more employable for the benefit of the family, said MP Tan, citing the real-life case of a Clementi resident who has quit his job in order to bring his wheelchair-bound wife for daily polyclinic appointments.
“I have been told by our sisters and brothers in healthcare that often this [care] coordination work takes place outside of working hours,” said MP Tan. “Reaching out to colleagues, messaging, emailing, streamlining, working into the night, sometimes behind the scenes. Extra work: Unrecorded. Unmeasured.”
“Our agencies need to get better at recognising the amount of work that is needed to coordinate care,” added MP Tan. “Care coordination should not be seen as a cost centre and expense in and of itself, but as an enabler and a catalyst to simplify the care journey for a fellow Singaporean in need.”
MP Ang Wei Neng (West Coast GRC) asked the Ministry of Social and Family Development to provide a quarterly $200 grant for caregivers of people with special needs (PSN).
“It would serve as a meaningful gesture of recognition and help ease the financial burden that many caregivers face,” said MP Ang.
“I know firsthand that caring for a PSN is a lifelong mission. It is not easy. When a PSN behaves differently in public, bystanders often rush to judge, blaming the parents for a lack of discipline, unaware of the immense challenges they face,” he continued to the Government.
“This is why it is crucial to provide caregivers with the support they need — whether it’s connecting them to resources, offering emotional support, or providing respite care.”
Have mental health be a multi-ministry effort
Source: Wan Rizal / Facebook
“We, as a society, must do more to equip ourselves with mental health literacy,” said MP Wan Rizal when adding to the Budget debate. “Imagine a Singapore where every individual has access to a personalised mental health plan, where early intervention is the norm, and where seeking help for mental health challenges is as commonplace as seeking help for a physical ailment.”
He called for extending mental health support across multiple domains.
Army conscripts and reservists, for example, could receive stronger psychological resistance training. MP Rizal also revealed that the Malay/Muslim community effort M3 had recently added health as a fifth focus area. This initiative, and others like HealthierSG could deepen engagement in mental health activities.
Moreover, a multi-Ministry approach from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social and Family Development as well as the Ministry of Digital Development and Information would benefit parents, children and teachers.
“My colleagues from the PAP Mental Health Group will be raising this issue across Ministries during the COS [Committee of Supply] debate,” said MP Wan Rizal.
This advocacy for mental health, is just one of many vital national issues which our MPs will address during these debates. Our PAP MPs are raising issues on behalf of their residents, to make sure that Budget 2025 takes all Singaporeans forward.
