Singapore election: competing narratives of weaker cabinet if PAP loses seats vs balanced parliament
Political parties clash on cost of living, GST and need for more voices in parliament versus a stronger mandate for the PM
Then there were memes about how one was not gay, how the sun always rose whatever one felt about it and foul-mouthed rants of a hot-headed candidate, along with the serious topic of an aborted sale of home-grown insurance giant NTUC Income to German insurer Allianz.
Concerns over how the 9 per cent goods and services tax (GST) – increased last year from 8 per cent – had added to the rising cost of living, despite the flood of support vouchers, also fuelled the fiery debates among candidates.
But the opposition kept hammering home the message of the need for a balanced parliament with its members able to check the government and help it do better.
On the final rally night, Wong told voters in Punggol that if they chose the opposition they would get alternative voices in parliament but weaken his team which had already lost four senior ministers – Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who left the party to become elected as the country’s president, and three cabinet members who retired before the election.