Hundreds attend protest against CPF and Medishield Life policies

The Return Our CPF (MediShield Life edition) rally held at the Speaker's Corner in Hong Lim Park on July 12, 2014. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
The Return Our CPF (MediShield Life edition) rally held at the Speaker's Corner in Hong Lim Park on July 12, 2014. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

Hundreds of people gathered at a rally to protest Central Provident Fund(CPF) and MediShield Life policies at Hong Lim Park on Saturday afternoon.

There were eight speakers in all: former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian, social activist Vincent Wijeysingha bloggers Leong Sze Hian, Ariffin Sha, Han Hui Hui and Roy Ngerng, Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam and Singapore Democratic Party treasurer Chong Wai Fung.

The three-hour event, dubbed Return Our CPF, was organised by Ms Han.

Mr Tan criticised the recently approved Medishield Life universal health insurance scheme for not covering medicine for chronic diseases like diabetes, while Ms Chong proposed another way to the finance the programme.

Mr Ngerng, who has been sued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for defamation for alleging that Mr Lee criminally misappropriated CPF monies, was the last speaker.

He called on the Government to be more transparent about how CPF monies were being invested, and questioned why interests rates were low.

"The CPF is not a cheap source of funding," he said during his hour-long speech, drawing cheers from the crowd. "We should take our money back."

Also present at the rally were opposition politician Chee Soon Juan and lawyer M. Ravi.

The first CPF rally took place on June 7. Another is planned for August 23, said Ms Han.

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