SINGAPORE: Recent events, from the SimplyGo payment controversy to the blocked Income-Allianz insurance deal, have steadily eroded public trust in the ruling party, said Hazel Poa of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) at a rally on 26 April 2025.
Speaking at the party’s second rally held at Bukit Gombak Stadium, Poa pointed to the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) last-minute candidate switch in Chua Chu Kang GRC as another blow to credibility and transparency.
Poa, the vice-chairperson of PSP, said building trust is a painstaking process that was achieved by Singapore’s first-generation leaders through competence, reliability and honesty. It would be a tragedy to see that trust chipped away, she added.
Damaged Trust Through Recent Missteps
Poa criticised several recent government actions, beginning with the SimplyGo payment system debacle.
Despite early feedback warning that commuters could not check card balances easily, authorities pressed ahead with the rollout. Only after widespread public outcry was the decision reversed.
“The question is: were decision makers not aware of the public feedback, or did they disregard it?” Poa asked.
“Either way, it was not a world-class performance, especially given the world-class salaries they command.”
Similarly, she highlighted the failed merger attempt between Income Insurance and German insurer Allianz, blocked last year due to concerns over public interest. P
oa said it was astounding that NTUC supported the deal despite being unaware of a S$1.85 billion capital reduction exercise.
“In my opinion, both NTUC and Income did not perform their duties responsibly — on a mega scale,” she asserted, adding that such oversights would have been unimaginable during the time of the first-generation leaders.
Concerns Over Public Service Competence
Poa raised concerns that recent incidents suggest a decline in public service competence.
She cited the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) issuing warnings — rather than filing charges — to six former Keppel executives despite the company paying over S$400 million in fines in the United States for bribery offences.
Another example was the Total Defence exercise, where hundreds of students suffered gastroenteritis after consuming distributed meals.
Despite the mass illness, authorities claimed they found no conclusive link between the meals and the food poisoning — a finding Poa described as troubling.
“Is our public service falling in competence compared to before?” she asked the crowd.
“There are many instances telling us that it is important for us to have more alternative parties in Parliament to check on the government.”
Trust Eroded by PAP’s Candidate Switch
Poa also took aim at the PAP’s last-minute candidate shuffle in Chua Chu Kang GRC.
She noted that Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong had announced barely ten days before Nomination Day that he would lead the team there. However, he ultimately contested in Punggol GRC instead.
“I’m sure Chua Chu Kang residents were shocked to lose their long-time Member of Parliament so suddenly,” she said. “Can we still trust public announcements made by the PAP?”
Poa said it would have been better if the PAP had refrained from announcing its Chua Chu Kang team prematurely, rather than making a public commitment only to reverse it.
She pointedly referenced Health Minister Ong Ye Kung’s own statement that candidates should be upfront with voters: “I totally agree. The PAP should practise what he is preaching.”
Dr Tan Cheng Bock: “Vote Without Fear”
PSP founder and chairman Tan Cheng Bock, who turned 85 that day, delivered a rousing speech urging Singaporeans to vote for alternative parties without fear.
Reminiscing about his days as a village doctor in Ama Keng — a district that once stood within Chua Chu Kang — Tan expressed deep personal connections with the constituency. He introduced PSP’s candidates, praising their qualifications and commitment.
Highlighting their experience, he assured residents that the PSP had capable teams ready to manage town councils effectively, referencing his own experience setting up Jurong East Town Council and Bukit Timah Community Development Council.
Tan sought to reassure residents that voting for alternative parties would not jeopardise municipal services or benefits.
Civil servants in agencies such as HDB, URA and LTA, not political parties, plan and execute most infrastructure upgrades, he said.
“If you vote for us, you will get a strong MP who speaks up for you, while still having a PAP Grassroots Advisor who organises events at the community clubs,” he said. “You get the best of both worlds.”
Tan warned that without sufficient alternative party voices in Parliament, Singaporeans would be left without advocates to question government policies or propose new ideas.
“Is that what you want?” he asked the crowd.
Rising Cost of Living and Growing Disconnect
Several other PSP candidates spoke during the rally, with common themes including the rising cost of living, the affordability of housing, and the growing gap between Singapore’s elites and ordinary citizens.
Candidate Sani Ismail described the PAP’s supermajority status as fostering complacency.
“Complacency is the enemy of progress,” he said, arguing that it has emboldened the ruling party to raise taxes without proper accountability.
PSP newcomer Sani sharply criticised recent GST hikes, noting they were introduced in consecutive years, only for the government to distribute minor vouchers afterwards to placate the public.
“The PAP of today is not like the visionaries of the first-generation leaders,” he said.
Leong Mun Wai: Bridging the Disconnect
Closing the rally, PSP chief Leong Mun Wai spoke about what he called a “very big disconnect” between the government’s Singapore and the people’s Singapore.
Leong urged voters to ask themselves whether they want to live in a society designed for elites, while ordinary Singaporeans struggle with rising costs.
“There is a difference when there are Members of Parliament in Parliament who truly speak up for the people,” he said, reminding the audience that Parliament remains one of the last places where citizens can demand answers from the government.
“We must elect more constructive alternative party MPs to Parliament. No more free riders who dare not speak up,” he concluded to loud applause.
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